posted 04-19-2015 09:33 PM               

This is a model of the Apollo Saturn V handcrafted by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), serial number 389. It is composed of plastic, metal, composites and wood. It stands 48" tall when assembled and is 1/96 scale. Many of the individual parts, launch vehicle stages, and spacecraft modules are identified with decals. It is housed in its original MSFC wooden carrying case that is heavily padded and suitable for shipping.

...the original owner was Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders. Following his successful lunar orbital mission in 1968, Anders went on to advise President Nixon as the Executive Secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council (1969-1973). The carrying case still bears his name with his White House address.

While at NASC, Anders returned the model to NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC where it became the responsibility of Werhner von Braun, who was serving at NASA HQ as the Deputy Associate Administrator for Planning (1970-1972).

Following von Braun's retirement from NASA, a former Apollo program administrator took ownership of the model. He had it as part of his personal collection until about 1994.