posted 05-27-2004 01:34 PM               

Apollo 9 spacecraft lands in San Diego

A spacecraft landed in San Diego today.

Fortunately, it was expected — and rather than coming from outer space, its arrival was considerably less exotic — by way of flatbed truck from Michigan.

The Apollo 9 Command Module traveled from the now closed Michigan Space and Science Center in Jackson, to its new home at the San Diego Aerospace Museum in California, 35 years after it flew in space.

Workers carefully pried off a wooden panel from the side, revealing the familiar shape that had given Gumdrop its name, though the craft itself was hidden in plastic wrap secured by ribbons of duct tape.

The crane next lowered chains to the crate, which were attached to the spacecraft anchor points that had once held the escape tower in place. Slowly, carefully, Apollo 9 emerged into the California sunshine.

Looking at Gumdrop's heatshield, as the spacecraft hung over the parking lot, it was evident why small pieces might come off despite the care taken - the edge of the heatshield was raggedly scorched in places, with many loose-looking corners.

Looking into the empty crate and at the spent foam padding, a small number of tiny heatshield chunks were evident, scattered randomly.

The spacecraft was then gently lowered to hang from the front of a forklift truck, which took it into the museum.

posted 05-27-2004 02:23 PM               

More seriously, I don't know who to begin thanking, but it is sooooo nice to see something built in California, by Californians, then flown in space, actually displayed in California! Thank you!

Ironically, I have only seen three of the Apollo capsules, and this is one I saw on a business trip to Michigan five years ago! (Is it following me?)

Finally, on a humorous note, is anybody gonna scrape up those loose particles from the shipping box and make acrylics?