Flown double-sided flight plan page carried on board the Apollo 11 mission, identified as “MSC Form 29 (May 69),” 10.5 x 8, signed and flight-certified vertically in the notes field in blue ballpoint, at a later date, “This page was flown to the moon aboard Apollo XI, July 1969, Buzz Aldrin.” While in lunar orbit on July 20, 1969, CMP Michael Collins recorded pencil notations to central portion of sheet, “Start solo storage, unpack solo book,” as well as a check mark to the lower left corner. The first side, “Page 3-60” and “Day/Rev 4/9—10,” lists the last hour and a half of the crew’s fourth rest period starting at “530 EDT,” approximately 85 hours after launch. The second signed side, “Page 3-61” and “Day/Rev 5/10,” lists the allotted one-hour breakfast period at “0730 EDT,” scheduled during the crew’s tenth revolution of the moon. Ink notations made in an unidentified hand to center and left margin read, “P22 for observation of LDG site LMK130, LAT +01.243, LONG/2 +11.844, ALT–001.46” and “Roll RT 40° to R122°, R229°, Y0°, HGA, P–31, Y263.” In fine condition.
Accompanied by a copy of the flight plan’s front cover and a signed letter of provenance from Aldrin, on his personal stationery, reading in part: “Enclosed with this letter is a sheet numbered 3-60 and 3-61 from the Apollo 11 Flight Plan, Part No. SKB32100080–350, S/N 1001. It is part of the entire document that was carried to the Moon in Command Module Columbia during the first lunar landing mission. This sheet is from the detailed timeline section and covers hour 92 to the beginning of hour 95 in the mission…Page 3-60 lists the last hour and a half of our fourth rest period which started at approximately 85 hours after launch. This was the first sleep we had after entering lunar orbit...Page 3-61 lists our scheduled breakfast during the tenth revolution of the Moon. The first landing of men on the Moon was less than 10 hours away at this point on July 20, 1969. Mike Collins wrote the following on this side during the mission: ‘Start Solo Stowage, Unpack Solo Book. This was a note to himself that he should start to secure Columbia for his time alone while Neil Armstrong and I landed and explored the lunar surface...The flight plan was probably the single most important document related to the success of our mission. It provided a time schedule of crew activities and spacecraft maneuvers to accomplish the first lunar landing.”
As the Columbia orbited 60 nautical miles above the lunar surface, the Apollo 11 crew was overcome with such excitement that mundane chores like eating and sleeping proved nearly impossible. Despite having launched 85 hours prior, the included fourth resting stage represents the first time the crew managed to achieve any semblance of sleep, with Aldrin and Neil Armstrong logging five hours, and Collins sleeping six. Less than ten hours before their historic lunar landing, the crew convened for a one-hour breakfast period during which Collins made the notations, “Start solo stowage, unpack solo book,” a reminder to himself to secure the command module while his crewmates landed and explored the moon. The “solo book” refers to a checklist Collins used for flight operations during this juncture of the mission. Representing two Apollo 11 ‘leisure’ periods, this incredible flight plan page clearly captures the crew’s excitable energy shortly before the first lunar landing. Pre-certified Zarelli Space Authentication.
This item is Pre-Certified by STEVE ZARELLI
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