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Lot 167
FLOWN APOLLO 11 CHECKLIST SHEET TAKEN TO THE LUNAR SURFACE ILLUSTRATES THE FINAL CONFIGURATION FOR EAGLE'S CIRCUIT BREAKERS PRIOR TO THE LUNAR LANDING - PLUS ALDRIN DESCRIBES HOW A BROKEN BREAKER COULD HAVE STRANDED ARMSTRONG AND HIM ON THE MOON
FLOWN Apollo 11 LM Activation Checklist,
FLOWN Apollo 11 LM Activation Checklist,
20 July 2016, 13:00 EDT
New YorkSold for US$40,000 inc. premium
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FLOWN APOLLO 11 CHECKLIST SHEET TAKEN TO THE LUNAR SURFACE
ILLUSTRATES THE FINAL CONFIGURATION FOR EAGLE'S CIRCUIT BREAKERS PRIOR TO THE LUNAR LANDING - PLUS ALDRIN DESCRIBES HOW A BROKEN BREAKER COULD HAVE STRANDED ARMSTRONG AND HIM ON THE MOON
FLOWN Apollo 11 LM Activation Checklist, page ACT-64/ACT-65, a single sheet printed recto and verso. NASA/MSC, May 26, 1969, changed July 4, 1969. 5½ x 8 inches. With a Typed Letter Signed by BUZZ ALDRIN.
During this period of the mission, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are inside Lunar Module Eagle. They are verifying circuit breaker settings prior to undocking from Michael Collins inside Command Module Columbia. Within six hours, Armstrong and Aldrin would become the first men to land on the Moon.
BUZZ ALDRIN'S signed provenance letter reads: "Enclosed with this letter is a sheet numbered ACT-64 and ACT-65 from the Apollo 11 LM Activation Checklist. The entire checklist was carried to the Moon on the flight of Apollo 11 during July 16 to 24, 1969. Then the checklist, including this sheet, was taken to the surface of the Moon in Lunar Module Eagle during the first lunar landing on July 20, 1969. This sheet has the last settings for our circuit breakers prior to undocking from Command Module Columbia and Eagle's powered flight.
Side ACT-64 has a diagram defining the configuration of circuit breakers on panel 11. This panel was slightly behind and above Commander Neil Armstrong's position in Eagle. Panel 11 was set as illustrated when we undocked at about 100 hours and 15 minutes into the Apollo 11 mission. A black circle indicates the breaker should be "pushed in" or engaged to allow current flow. A white circle indicates the breaker should be "pulled out" to break the flow of electrical current, thus preventing operation of that part of Eagle's systems. Systems on this panel included our AC Buses, Flight Displays, Heaters, Communications, and Environmental Control.
Side ACT-65 has the diagram for panel 16 which was located on my side of the LM. Systems on this panel included our Propulsion, Stabilization and Control, Communications, and Lighting. A critical issue arose after our lunar landing and EVA. I noticed that the ascent engine arming breaker push/pull switch was broken. It is illustrated on side ACT-65 at the second row under 'STAB/CONT.' Apparently during movement wearing our large space suit 'backpacks,' either Neil or I bumped into this panel and broke off that particular switch. This switch was the direct means of arming our Ascent Stage engine which would allow us to leave the lunar surface. Mission Control verified that the switch was open, meaning that the engine was currently unarmed. If we could not get the engine armed, we would be stranded on the Moon. They advised us to leave the switch in the open position until the timeline called for it to be engaged. I started to think of ways to activate the switch if pushing it by hand failed. As it turned out, a pen I used to record notes in this and other checklists was the perfect tool to engage this circuit breaker.
This sheet has been in my private collection since 1969. On side ACT-64, I have written: 'Carried in Eagle to the lunar surface on Apollo XI' and signed it along the top. On side ACT-65, I have signed by name along the top and again along the bottom."
FLOWN Apollo 11 LM Activation Checklist, page ACT-64/ACT-65, a single sheet printed recto and verso. NASA/MSC, May 26, 1969, changed July 4, 1969. 5½ x 8 inches. With a Typed Letter Signed by BUZZ ALDRIN.
During this period of the mission, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are inside Lunar Module Eagle. They are verifying circuit breaker settings prior to undocking from Michael Collins inside Command Module Columbia. Within six hours, Armstrong and Aldrin would become the first men to land on the Moon.
BUZZ ALDRIN'S signed provenance letter reads: "Enclosed with this letter is a sheet numbered ACT-64 and ACT-65 from the Apollo 11 LM Activation Checklist. The entire checklist was carried to the Moon on the flight of Apollo 11 during July 16 to 24, 1969. Then the checklist, including this sheet, was taken to the surface of the Moon in Lunar Module Eagle during the first lunar landing on July 20, 1969. This sheet has the last settings for our circuit breakers prior to undocking from Command Module Columbia and Eagle's powered flight.
Side ACT-64 has a diagram defining the configuration of circuit breakers on panel 11. This panel was slightly behind and above Commander Neil Armstrong's position in Eagle. Panel 11 was set as illustrated when we undocked at about 100 hours and 15 minutes into the Apollo 11 mission. A black circle indicates the breaker should be "pushed in" or engaged to allow current flow. A white circle indicates the breaker should be "pulled out" to break the flow of electrical current, thus preventing operation of that part of Eagle's systems. Systems on this panel included our AC Buses, Flight Displays, Heaters, Communications, and Environmental Control.
Side ACT-65 has the diagram for panel 16 which was located on my side of the LM. Systems on this panel included our Propulsion, Stabilization and Control, Communications, and Lighting. A critical issue arose after our lunar landing and EVA. I noticed that the ascent engine arming breaker push/pull switch was broken. It is illustrated on side ACT-65 at the second row under 'STAB/CONT.' Apparently during movement wearing our large space suit 'backpacks,' either Neil or I bumped into this panel and broke off that particular switch. This switch was the direct means of arming our Ascent Stage engine which would allow us to leave the lunar surface. Mission Control verified that the switch was open, meaning that the engine was currently unarmed. If we could not get the engine armed, we would be stranded on the Moon. They advised us to leave the switch in the open position until the timeline called for it to be engaged. I started to think of ways to activate the switch if pushing it by hand failed. As it turned out, a pen I used to record notes in this and other checklists was the perfect tool to engage this circuit breaker.
This sheet has been in my private collection since 1969. On side ACT-64, I have written: 'Carried in Eagle to the lunar surface on Apollo XI' and signed it along the top. On side ACT-65, I have signed by name along the top and again along the bottom."