[Apollo 11]

Directly from the Personal Collection of Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin

FLOWN TO THE MOON ON APOLLO 11 AS PART OF THE COMMAND MODULE, AND REMOVED BY ALDRIN FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF THE SUCCESSFUL APOLLO 11 MISSION

There were several metallic decals in the Command Module. These thin strips of durable, water resistant metal were made to survive a rugged environment inside the spacecraft, and were attached to equipment to provide instructions to the crew. They were also used to label stowage lockers so the crew could locate items needed during the mission. In this particular case, the “Press Close” label was an instruction on how to operate the Pressurization (“Repress”) valve inside the Command Module. The “Repress” valve, located on the left console next to the left crew coach, would start the re-pressurization of the spacecraft after a crewmate had returned from an EVA

BUZZ ALDRIN'S provenance letter reads: "On July 16th, 1969, Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins, and I lifted off from Pad 39A at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on our journey to perform humankind's first landing on the Moon at the Sea of Tranquility.

There were several metallic decals in the command module. These thin strips of durable, water resistant metal were made to survive a rugged environment inside and outside the spacecraft. They were used to label stowage lockers so the crew could locate items needed during the mission, and were also attached to equipment to provide instructions to the crew.

In this particular case, the “Press Close” label was an instruction on how to operate the Pressurization (“Repress”) valve inside the command module. The “Repress” valve, located on the left console next to the left crew coach, would commence the “repressurization” of the spacecraft after a crewmate had returned from an EVA.

In 2012, Congress allowed Apollo Era astronauts to keep disposable items like the Apollo 11 CSM “Press Close” metallic decal from their mission as personal mementos. This historic page has remained a treasured part of my private space collection for 50 years, ever since NASA presented it to me after my return from the Moon in 1969."  

CONDITION REPORT:

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