Lot #7278

Apollo 14 Voice Recorder Batteries (4) [Attested Flown] - From the Personal Collection of Edgar Mitchell

Description

For science and entertainment—four flown tape recorder batteries carried on Apollo 14

Four BP-15 voice recorder batteries carried into lunar orbit on Apollo 14 (attested as flown by Edgar Mitchell's daughter), measuring approximately 1.75˝ x 2.25˝ x .5˝, stamped with NASA part number "SEB33100264-301" and serial numbers "1046," "1053," "1055," and "1056." Each battery features a pulltab at the top for easy removal from the device. They exhibit overall wear and some corrosion to the contacts on the reverse. According to the Apollo 14 stowage list, 16 of these batteries were carried on the Command Module; they were used to power a portable tape cassette voice recorder/player, used for both scientific purposes—to record data and observations during the mission—and entertainment for the astronauts.

Rather than blast off with only blank cassettes, the astronauts took tapes that had been pre-filled with music befitting their tastes and recorded over them as the mission advanced. Mitchell dubbed one of his tapes with music from the Beatles, Blood Sweat and Tears, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Marvin Gaye, James Taylor, and Simon and Garfunkel. He later recalled carrying 'four such cassettes in my personal preference kit, all of which served the dual purpose of providing entertainment during the six days in transit between the earth and the moon, plus a back up recording device for personal observations in the event of equipment failure of primary transmission devices.'




Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Karlyn Mitchell, the daughter of Edgar Mitchell.

Auction Info

• Auction Title: Space Exploration
• Dates: March 24, 2025 - April 17, 2025