Beschreibung:

FLOWN Apollo XIII A8 [Aft 8] Command Module equipment stowage locker. Approx. 34 in. tall, 21 in. wide, and varies between 3 and 8 in. thick. RARE, SPECIALLY FITTED PIECE OF THE APOLLO XIII SPACECRAFT The A8 locker has four separate compartments with individual doors. The largest compartment stored the crew's constant wear garments, headsets, inflight exerciser, and electrical adapters. The lower left compartment held the lunar surface 16mm motion picture camera in a pre-molded housing and 70mm film magazines. The upper right compartment held the lunar rock box decontamination bag, while the lower right compartment held more 70mm film, tissue dispensers, and waste disposal equipment. Three of the four compartments each held a pilot preference kit, which was a small Beta cloth bag of crew personal mementos. The Command Module had several areas for placement of flight and crew personal equipment. Launch and landing phases required that equipment to be stored securely. In weightless flight, equipment would easily float off and become difficult to find if not properly stowed. The spacecraft was sub-divided into sections and stowage areas within those sections had abbreviated designations. The Aft Bulkhead was the bottom and widest section of the spacecraft. Up to thirteen lockers could be bolted down to this bulkhead. The actual number varied mission to mission. All lockers were designated as A for Aft, then the individual locker number (A1 to A13). The present example is A8 and has a curved base to match the contours of the Command Module. [With:] Original yellow NAA Temporary Parts Removal Tag, copies of NASA records made after removal, diagrams showing locker locations, and a NASA color photograph taken inside the Command Module just after splashdown showing part of the locker in its flight configuration. Efficient use of space was a paramount concern in designing the elements of the Command Module. Therefore every component was specially adapted to fit as tighly as possible. This stowage locker has a curved base which is precisely measured to match the contours of the Command Module. The Smithsonian Institution has an often exercised right of first refusal on all pieces flown in the U.S. Space Program, further adding to the rarity of the present item. (4)