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  Mercury - Gemini - Apollo
  Apollo CM Forward Heat Shields

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Author Topic:   Apollo CM Forward Heat Shields
aneedell
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Posts: 66
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Mar 2004

posted 03-02-2004 10:02 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for aneedell   Click Here to Email aneedell     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I have a question for all of you out there. Are you aware of what became of the forward heatshields jettisoned by the Apollo CMs at 24,000 ft prior to drogue chute deployment. We have the Apollo 17 heatshield in the National Collection (on display at the Kansas Cosmosphere.) There is another that I am trying to collect, but cannot deteremine its actual provenance and history. How many were recovered? Where are they now?

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Allan Needell
Space History Division
National Air and Space Museum

documick
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posted 03-02-2004 11:51 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for documick   Click Here to Email documick     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Where did they recover the Apollo 17 forward heat shield? Could the other forward heat shields have hit the water somewhere, and then sank? Or would they have all been recovered?

aneedell
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Posts: 66
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Mar 2004

posted 03-03-2004 06:13 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for aneedell   Click Here to Email aneedell     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I have a first hand account of the recovery of the Apollo 15 FHS. (see also, http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a15/a15mr-11.htm) I know Apollo 17's FHS was recovered (it is in the collection) and I have an anecdotal account that it splashed down disturbingly close to a recovery helicopter. I do not have information of the status of the other units, except a report that several were seen at NASA-JSC at one time.

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Allan Needell
Space History Division
National Air and Space Museum

[This message has been edited by collectSPACE Admin (edited March 03, 2004).]

documick
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posted 03-03-2004 06:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for documick   Click Here to Email documick     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That's interesting. Would they become Smithsonian property automatically under the agreement with NASA, or because they were jettisoned prior to landing are they not covered by the agreement?

LT Scott Schneeweis
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posted 03-04-2004 12:22 AM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Most items that are declared lost at sea (i.e. anything which lands/sinks in international waters outside the territorial seas of a soveriegn nation and is subsequently abandened) is generally considered salvage and becomes the rightful property of the individual/organization that recovers the item. There are exceptions which are covered by international law (generally established via prior precedent) however think this falls into the former catagory (im sure we have some lawyers lurking who can provide a definative answer).

R/Scott

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Scott Schneeweis

URL: http://www.SPACEAHOLIC.com/

LunarRover
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Posts: 95
From: N. California
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-04-2004 04:26 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for LunarRover   Click Here to Email LunarRover     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A quick request to Allan (Needell)to please contact me off list. The NASA History Office
has suggested I contact NASM on a matter not related to your post. I'd be very grateful for your input. Many thanks.

Welcome to CollectSpace!

Rover
kosb

aneedell
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Posts: 66
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Mar 2004

posted 03-04-2004 06:18 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for aneedell   Click Here to Email aneedell     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by documick:
That's interesting. Would they become Smithsonian property automatically under the agreement with NASA, or because they were jettisoned prior to landing are they not covered by the agreement?

The NASA/NASM agreement states NASM has a right of first refusal to acquire artifacts deemed to be of historic sugnificance, once they are declared surplus by NASA and offered for disposition. FHSs recovered by NASA remained NASA property. The A-17 heat shield was transferred to NASM under terms of the agreement. If any were not recovered, it is an issue for NASA as to whether they remain government property. In the case of Liberty Bell 7 NASA maintained that it retained ownership rights and negotiated its disposition with relevant parties. As far as I know, ownership of lost FHSs has not been subject to review or determination.

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Allan Needell
Space History Division
National Air and Space Museum

[This message has been edited by aneedell (edited March 04, 2004).]

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