DS, two pages, 8.5 x 11, March 27, 1968. A printed “Agenda for Astronaut Briefing on S-II Stage,” signed in various inks on the first page by Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, James Lovell, Frank Borman, Bill Anders, and Jerry Carr. Each astronaut’s signature has been identified in another hand; the second page also bears several descriptive notations, evidently made at the time of the briefing. Light soiling and handling wear (including staple holes), creases to lower right blank area, notations as noted, and slightly irregular ink flow to Anders’s signature, otherwise fine condition.
On this day, the astronauts were briefed on the status of the S-II, the second stage of the Saturn V rocket built by North American Aviation. The topics included the emergency detection system, structures and insulation, propulsion and mechanical systems, as well as instrumentation and electrical systems. Among those in attendance—the complete crews of Apollo 8 and Apollo 11—including Neil Armstrong. Each astronaut would eventually rely on the S-II, which used liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, to propel them through the upper atmosphere. Based on the date of this document, this agenda specifically referred to S-II-2, which carried cameras to record first stage separation and identify any potential problems, with enhanced versions of the same system used throughout Apollo. The dangers of space flight and aviation was brought home to the astronauts on the same date as this document, as it was the same day cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was killed in a training accident. Pre-certified Scott Cornish and RR Auction COA.
