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Author
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Topic: Tool kit discovery: flown on Apollo 13
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space1
Member Posts: 915
From: Danville, Ohio
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 07-04-2022 09:40 AM
   
From the recent Heritage auction, I acquired a complete Apollo Tool Kit. Records show that this tool kit flew on Apollo 13. After the flight it was transferred to the Apollo Egress Trainer and used during water egress training for later flight crews. Several tools have rusted, presumably from use on the trainer. And two of the tools were apparently exchanged over the years for similar Apollo Block I tools. See more details about the tools, and views of individual tools. |
David Carey
Member Posts: 949
From:
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 07-04-2022 01:26 PM
Superb - great pickup and discovery work. Congratulations, John! |
Jurg Bolli
Member Posts: 1149
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 07-04-2022 01:29 PM
Very cool. |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 5104
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-04-2022 01:53 PM
Havent reviewed the provenance but if it checks out outstanding acquisition; bit of a ding on Heritage for not having sufficient expertise on staff to secure value for its consigning clients. |
space1
Member Posts: 915
From: Danville, Ohio
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 07-05-2022 07:27 AM
Thank you for the comments. It's truly exciting to discover an artifact's place in history. Part of the thrill of this hobby. |
MartinAir
Member Posts: 196
From:
Registered: Oct 2020
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posted 07-05-2022 08:42 AM
What a discovery, congrats! |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4476
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 07-05-2022 08:45 AM
Congratulations John on a fabulous discovery.Correct me if I am wrong, but didn’t the Kansas Cosmosphere loan artefacts, including flown pieces to the makers of The Apollo 13 movie on or about 1994/5. What records if any were kept for those loan items? In the years that followed one or two choice pieces came to market (eBay) that post purchase were found to have flown. I’ve always suspected that the movie and subsequent flown finds were somehow linked but I should point out I have no evidence to support this hypothesis. I would also like to clarify that I mean no slight to John who has bought this fabulous piece in good faith: on the contrary he is to be congratulated on his diligence in tracing the provenance for this historic piece. But, given the furore that surrounded the trial of Max Ary and the issue of pieces being sold illegally or at best "misplaced" I can’t help thinking the Cosmosphere should check their records so the source for this and other flown items can be established in the interests of transparency. |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 5104
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-05-2022 10:26 AM
Based on the emerging provenance seems less likely the toolkit would have made its way though the Cosmosphere given subsequent application in the trainer (and as a consequence disaffiliation with the mission and other Apollo 13 hardware retained in bonded stowage prior to transfer to the Cosmosphere). Questions could be raised about how the tools came to be de-assessed out of government custody however after use in the trainer. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 48631
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-05-2022 10:28 AM
The Cosmosphere provided collectSPACE a full list of the missing items (which we published at the time), including the pieces that were loaned for "Apollo 13" and were never returned.No tool kit is the on the list. The only tool listed in not associated with having flown on Apollo 13 (CM Tool "E," part no. V36-601405111, serial no. 06362AAJ8718). |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4476
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 07-05-2022 10:30 AM
Thanks Robert. |
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