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Apollo 9 ablative plug
Apollo 9 ablative plug
Acquired from Facebook Memorabilia group member
Acquired from Facebook Memorabilia group member
Acquired 20th September 2024
Acquired 20th September 2024
Collection Number TSM-229
Collection Number TSM-229
Ablative heatshield plug No. 46 from Gumdrop, the command module of the Apollo 9 mission—originating from the collection of NASA engineer John Hirasaki
Ablative heatshield plug No. 46 from Gumdrop, the command module of the Apollo 9 mission—originating from the collection of NASA engineer John Hirasaki
Ablative heatshield plug from the Apollo 9 Command Module Gumdrop, 2.25˝ in length and 1.5˝ in diameter, engraved "46" on the metal end. The plug is housed in its original bag with an unfilled ‘Temporary Parts Removal Tag” from the Space Division of the North American Rockwell Corporation; the reverse of the tag is marked in felt tip, “CM 104, Apollo IX, Bolt Plug #46.” In fine condition. Accompanied by a signed biographical sheet from noted NASA engineer John Hirasaki, from whose personal collection this plug derives. Hirasaki is an American mechanical engineer (born 1941) who worked for NASA during the Apollo 11 mission. After the mission, he – along with Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and flight surgeon William Carpentier – became one of the first five known humans to view lunar rocks inside Earth's atmosphere when they were quarantined post-mission in the Mobile Quarantine Facility.
An exceptionally rare plug from the heatshield of the Apollo 9 Command Module (CM). This plug, #46, is one of 59 registered examples used to cover bolts attached to the blunt body ablative material on the ‘bottom’ of the CM. All plugs were removed post-flight to allow for analysis, processing, and decontamination of the module. Purportedly, 10 plugs were presented to VIPs, five to six smaller segments (about the diameter of a cigarette) were given to each crew member. Further augmenting the plug’s uniqueness is its unencapsulated state, as many heatshield components were later encased in resin and Lucite for presentation.
Ablative heatshield plug from the Apollo 9 Command Module Gumdrop, 2.25˝ in length and 1.5˝ in diameter, engraved "46" on the metal end. The plug is housed in its original bag with an unfilled ‘Temporary Parts Removal Tag” from the Space Division of the North American Rockwell Corporation; the reverse of the tag is marked in felt tip, “CM 104, Apollo IX, Bolt Plug #46.” In fine condition. Accompanied by a signed biographical sheet from noted NASA engineer John Hirasaki, from whose personal collection this plug derives. Hirasaki is an American mechanical engineer (born 1941) who worked for NASA during the Apollo 11 mission. After the mission, he – along with Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and flight surgeon William Carpentier – became one of the first five known humans to view lunar rocks inside Earth's atmosphere when they were quarantined post-mission in the Mobile Quarantine Facility.
An exceptionally rare plug from the heatshield of the Apollo 9 Command Module (CM). This plug, #46, is one of 59 registered examples used to cover bolts attached to the blunt body ablative material on the ‘bottom’ of the CM. All plugs were removed post-flight to allow for analysis, processing, and decontamination of the module. Purportedly, 10 plugs were presented to VIPs, five to six smaller segments (about the diameter of a cigarette) were given to each crew member. Further augmenting the plug’s uniqueness is its unencapsulated state, as many heatshield components were later encased in resin and Lucite for presentation.
The images below are of a similar plug that was removed from the Apollo 10 Command module, This plug also originated from the John Hirasaki collection
The images below are of a similar plug that was removed from the Apollo 10 Command module, This plug also originated from the John Hirasaki collection
The plug came with a signed biography
The plug came with a signed biography
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