Embedded Files
Lunar Receiving Laboratory Sample bottles
Lunar Receiving Laboratory Sample bottles
Acquired from Don Willis-Lunar Legacies
Acquired from Don Willis-Lunar Legacies
Date acquired 23rd Jan 2021
Date acquired 23rd Jan 2021
Collection # TSM0079
Collection # TSM0079
Five plastic screw top containers of 30CC capacity. This type of container was used in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL) to store samples of Lunar Rocks and dust returned to earth from the Apollo missions. The Lunar receiving Laboratory was constructed at the MSC (Marshal Space flight Center), and its primary purpose was to quarantine and analyse samples returned from the moon missions. It also housed the returning astronauts from the early moon missions in isolation as prior to visiting the moon it was not known if there were any “nasties” that were present there that might hitch a ride back to earth and wreak havoc in our biosphere. When it was ascertained that the moon was sterile of such bugs that requirement was dropped from the later missions.
Five plastic screw top containers of 30CC capacity. This type of container was used in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL) to store samples of Lunar Rocks and dust returned to earth from the Apollo missions. The Lunar receiving Laboratory was constructed at the MSC (Marshal Space flight Center), and its primary purpose was to quarantine and analyse samples returned from the moon missions. It also housed the returning astronauts from the early moon missions in isolation as prior to visiting the moon it was not known if there were any “nasties” that were present there that might hitch a ride back to earth and wreak havoc in our biosphere. When it was ascertained that the moon was sterile of such bugs that requirement was dropped from the later missions.
It can be seen that stamped on the label in black are additional texts. One being “LRL Tools” LRL being the acronym for Lunar Receiving Laboratory. This gives an indication that the bottles were to be used used in the LRL. Another text is WSTF W/O WSTF. Th acronym WSTF is the White Sands Test Facility which is located in New Mexico, well known as the location of the post-war V2 rocket testing station. WTSF were responsible for cleaning and packing the tools used at the LRL, a fact that i did not know at the time of buying the bottles. I posed the question regarding the connection between WSTF & MSC in the Collect Space forum, and the answer was provided by another member. As of 2002 White Sands curates approximately 14% of the total amount of lunar samples returned. They are contained in a quarantine area that was purpose built amid concerns that if there was a natural disaster the bulk of the samples could be damaged. The link below will take you to a NASA article outlining this arrangement.
It can be seen that stamped on the label in black are additional texts. One being “LRL Tools” LRL being the acronym for Lunar Receiving Laboratory. This gives an indication that the bottles were to be used used in the LRL. Another text is WSTF W/O WSTF. Th acronym WSTF is the White Sands Test Facility which is located in New Mexico, well known as the location of the post-war V2 rocket testing station. WTSF were responsible for cleaning and packing the tools used at the LRL, a fact that i did not know at the time of buying the bottles. I posed the question regarding the connection between WSTF & MSC in the Collect Space forum, and the answer was provided by another member. As of 2002 White Sands curates approximately 14% of the total amount of lunar samples returned. They are contained in a quarantine area that was purpose built amid concerns that if there was a natural disaster the bulk of the samples could be damaged. The link below will take you to a NASA article outlining this arrangement.
The question of the links between WSTF & MSC at the time of the date on the label was posed in the collect space forum, here are images from the forum. As mentioned above it turns out that WSTF did the cleaning and sterilisation of the tools used at the LRL. Also in the replies was a nice picture of some lunar samples being worked on with some of the same style bottles in the enclosure
The question of the links between WSTF & MSC at the time of the date on the label was posed in the collect space forum, here are images from the forum. As mentioned above it turns out that WSTF did the cleaning and sterilisation of the tools used at the LRL. Also in the replies was a nice picture of some lunar samples being worked on with some of the same style bottles in the enclosure
Lunar samples being worked on, the arrow points to containers of the same type and size
Lunar samples being worked on, the arrow points to containers of the same type and size
A screengrab of the NASA page showing the tie up between MSC and WSTF that came into operation in 2002
A screengrab of the NASA page showing the tie up between MSC and WSTF that came into operation in 2002
The description provided by the auction house
The description provided by the auction house
Jon Hancock very kindly sent me the series of images that shows the samples from Apollo 11 being worked on
Jon Hancock very kindly sent me the series of images that shows the samples from Apollo 11 being worked on
Google Sites
Report abuse