posted June 16, 2010 05:28 PM               

I have grown quite fond of the astronaut pin in the last few years, learning all the little anecdotes surrounding it and seeing how it meant and still means so much to the astronauts.

I started looking around for the gold and silver pins about one year ago. I wanted them in my collection, I wanted to be able to hold them in my hand. Sadly, many hours of googling revealed that this would probably never happen since they had never been made available to the public.

Then, a few months ago, I got to see Alan Bean in Germany. He seemed so passionate about his gold pin that it almost brought a tear to my eye. He retold the story of leaving his silver pin on the Moon's surface while carrying his gold pin in his pocket. He showed us Lone Star, the painting in which he is throwing the pin as far as he can on the Moon, with Pete and the LM in the background. He really made it sound as if his gold pin was the most precious object in the universe. That day, on the long drive back home, I decided that since it didn't exist, I would make one myself.

As Robert rightly pointed out, the astronaut symbol may be a protected design so I will keep this a personal project. Ultimately, I would like to submit my pins to NASA and perhaps apply for a contract but first, they have to be perfect.

Unfortunately, information about the astronaut pin is scarce to say the least. Even good pictures are incredibly difficult to find. This is where I ask for your help. Although I joined collectSPACE fairly recently, I have been an avid lurker for a long time. I know that no matter the subject, there is always someone here bound to know all there is to know about it.

So far, I have made pins in solid gold, sterling silver and gold plated ones.

Here is a picture of the brass prototypes. That is all I can show for now since the pins have been shipped to an engraver to be numbered.

The pins look smaller in real life than on the picture, the perspective is a bit misleading. They are 2 centimeters high or about 3/4th of an inch. This was my best estimate after comparing many many photographs and seeing the pin in person, on Alan Bean's chest. Would anyone know their exact height?

Here is the little box I have made to store them.

It is made of aluminum and dyed polylauryllactam.