Remarkable 1964 commissioning plaque, 20 x 28, removed from the Launcher—Umbilical Tower Number 2 at the Kennedy Space Center. Constructed of heavy plaster with original bolts fastened to three corners, the formidable plaque features raised text listing the various agencies involved in the tower’s construction, in part: “Launch Support Equipment Engineering Division…Procurement & Contracts Office…Architects and Engineers, Reynolds, Smith and Hills…Fabrication and Erection of Structural Steel, the Ingalls Iron Works Company…Mechanical and Electrical Installations, Paul Smith Construction Company…and The E. C. Ernst Company, Inc.” Reverse is humorously labeled in black stenciling, “Union made on paid lunch.” In fine condition, with chipping to upper border and corners, with potential for future damage due to the vulnerable material used. Fabricated by workers from the aforementioned Ingalls Iron Works of Birmingham, Alabama, this incredible original commissioning plaque was removed from Launch Umbilical Tower 2 prior to its dismantlement and reconfiguration—the tower was later re-designated as Mobile Launch Platform 2 or MLP-2. The LUT 2 holds the distinction of launching Apollo 6, Apollo 9, lunar landing missions Apollo 12 and 14, and the subsequent launch of the Skylab Orbital Workshop. A truly impressive artifact commemorating some of NASA’s most enduring missions. Oversized. Please contact RR Auction for a shipping quote.
