August 2020 Auction Ends Thursday, August 27th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/27/2020
Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke signed handwritten essay on the tragic Apollo 1 fire, and the steps undertaken afterwards to provide emergency escape routes for the astronauts. As one of the astronauts assigned to develop such a plan after the accident, Duke had inside knowledge about what was being considered, which he writes about here. Composed on his personal Apollo stationery, essay reads in full,
''After the tragic fire of Apollo 1 on the launch pad that had killed Grissom, White, and Chaffee in January 1967, a team had been formed to work out escape procedures for Apollo on the launch pad. If the main engine tanks sprang a leak, or if a problem started in the electrical system that resulted in a fire or if a multitude of other problems occurred, then we had to make an emergency egress out of the spacecraft and leave the launch pad. Stu Roosa and I were assigned to be the astronauts on the team, and after months of work, we had developed two escape routes in case of an emergency on the pad. One way we developed was to exit the spacecraft as fast as possible and to run back across the swing arm to the elevator. The elevator in a high speed free fall would take you to the bottom of the pad. Then you would rush through an automatic sprinkler to wet down your spacesuits, jump into a slide tube and go down the tube to the blast room. The whole vehicle could explode right on top of you and you would be okay as the room was about a hundred feet below the surface of the pad. It was like being in a big bank vault. There was food and supplies for 30 days in case they had to dig you out. The other way off the pad was to exit the spacecraft, then jump into a big basket attached to a slide wire. Then cut loose and go sailing down the wire to a bunker about one fourth of a mile away. Nobody ever had to use either one! / Charlie Duke / APOLLO 16 MOONWALKER''. Essay measures 8.5'' x 11'', composed in black felt-tip. Near fine condition.
Apollo 16 Pilot Charlie Duke After the Apollo 1 Fire -- ''...you would rush through an automatic sprinkler to wet down your spacesuits, jump into a slide tube and go down the tube to a blast room...''
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