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Lot #3200
Buzz Aldrin's Apollo 11 Flown LM Lunar Surface Checklist Page

"Used by Neil and me just after Eagle's landing"—surface-flown page from the Apollo 11 LM Lunar Surface Checklist, with instructions for reporting and identifying their exact landing site

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Description

"Used by Neil and me just after Eagle's landing"—surface-flown page from the Apollo 11 LM Lunar Surface Checklist, with instructions for reporting and identifying their exact landing site

Important flown double-sided page from the Apollo 11 LM Lunar Surface Checklist carried to the moon on the Lunar Module 'Eagle,' 5.5 x 8, signed and flight-certified on both sides in blue ballpoint, "Used by Neil and me just after Eagle's landing, Buzz Aldrin" and "Flown to the Lunar Surface on Apollo XI, Buzz Aldrin." The page details some initial steps taken upon landing, including notifying the Manned Space Flight Network (MSFN) of the approximate landing site; subsequent procedures enabled them to update the LM computer to their exact location to safely return to Michael Collins in case of an emergency liftoff. In very fine condition.

Accompanied by a detailed letter of provenance signed by Buzz Aldrin, offering incredible detail about Neil Armstrong’s precise efforts to make a safe landing on the moon, then their steps to determine their exact landing position. In part: "Accompanying this letter is a sheet numbered SUR-3 and SUR-4 from the Apollo 11 LM Lunar Surface Checklist, Part No. SKB32100074-363, S/N 1001. The checklist was taken to the Moon on the flight of Apollo 11 during July 16 to 24, 1969. Then the entire checklist, including this sheet, was carried to the surface of the Moon in Lunar Module Eagle during the first lunar landing on July 20, 1969. This sheet has the important steps Neil Armstrong and I performed in Eagle just minutes after the first manned lunar landing.

Neil made a beautiful landing. The Lunar Module was automatically targeting us into a large boulder-filled crater. He expertly maneuvered Eagle away from that crater and landed with less than 30 seconds of descent fuel remaining. After landing we started a series of procedures listed in the initial pages of the Lunar Surface Checklist. The two pages before SUR-3 had Neil and I preparing for a possible emergency lift-off some 2 hours after landing. That included a series of star sightings to align the navigational equipment to our exact position we now called 'Tranquillity Base.'

Side SUR-3 has about 20 steps Neil and I worked through to put Eagle into a secure posture. One important step on this side was to report our approximate landing site to Mission Control. I had previously recorded that information in our LM Timeline Book, which was the first recorded information by human hands while on the surface of the Moon. Additional steps on side SUR-3 have a series of star location procedures and rendezvous radar settings at 103 hours and 18 minutes into our mission, which was one hour and 10 minutes from the emergency lift-off time.

Side SUR-4 has the continuation of star sighting steps to determine precisely where our landing site was and to align our nav equipment. This was very important in case we had to leave the Moon within that hour and perform a successful rendezvous with Mike Collins in Columbia. Of course that emergency lift-off did not occur and just a few hours later Neil Armstrong and I became the first humans to walk on another celestial body, the Moon."

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Space
  • Dates: #619 - Ended October 21, 2021