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THBApollo 17 Lunar Flown Communications Carrier Electronic Module Worn by Gene Cernan
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About Auction
LiveOct 20, 2022
RR Auction support@rrauction.com
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- Lot Description
Lunar flown Communication Carrier Electronic Module (CCEM) carried to the moon aboard the Lunar Module Challenger and worn throughout the duration of the historic Apollo 17 mission by Commander Gene Cernan, the last man to set foot on the surface of the moon. Manufactured by the David Clark Company, the CCEM is the hardware component of the Communications Carrier Assembly, more commonly known as the Snoopy Cap, and features blue molded rubber enclosures that contain earphones and microphones, with both sides bearing attached parts tags: “Harness Assembly, Electrical, 16647G-01, S/N 270” and “16495G-02, S/N 270.” The rubber earcups are connected with a 10.5″ wiring harness, and another 8.5″ wiring harness extends down from the right side, terminating with a port designed to attach to the spacecraft umbilical cable; the port is marked as “Assy 9329-1, SN-131, 13029G-01.” Both wire harnesses are covered with Teflon fabric, the same used for the Snoopy Cap, and the left earpiece is annotated with faded red felt tip that appears to read “Class III, WIF,” which stands for ‘Water Immersion Facility,’ the water-filled pool used before 1981 for astronaut weightlessness training. Moreover, the ends and interiors of the rubber enclosures have been sliced and repaired with a clear silicone sealant; this post-flight alteration corresponds with a section found in an included copy of the “Final Report, Skylab, Communications Carrier” by the David Clark Company, which, on page three, states that the “Communications Carrier Assemblies P/N 16536G-04 S/N’s 270, 275, 290, 294, 296 and 297, the units used as prime and back-up CCA’s for the Apollo 17 mission,” are contractually required to be re-encapsulated. In fine condition.
Accompanied by photocopies of the following NASA documents: the front cover of the “CSD/GFE Allocations and Schedules by Vehicle for Apollo 17, CSM 114/LM-12, Final Report,’ December 15, 1972, and its second page, which lists S/N 270 as one of the Communication Carriers for the mission; and a NASA memorandum dated October 11, 1972, regarding “Apollo 17 Chamber Runs,” which includes a page for section “II. EV Run,” which pertains to Cernan’s equipment and lists No. 12 as “Comm. Carrier P/N 16536G-04, S/N 270.”
This particular lunar-flown headpiece—worn by CDR Cernan during all three of his EVAs—was inventoried and placed into NASA bonded storage shortly after the Apollo 17 crew returned to Earth. After receiving an internal request, NASA reissued this CCEM in support of Skylab to be used during astronaut training; due to budget constraints, it was not unusual for NASA to use valuable flown items for critical mission tasks such as training. At this point, an Apollo Spacecraft Hardware Utilization Request (ASHUR), was issued and authorized a transfer, ultimately downgrading the unit from a Class I flight article to Class III. The artifact was deaccessioned from the Government via GSA auction. A copy of the auction paperwork will be included upon item sale and transfer to the winning bidder.
Provenance:
-The “16647G-01 Harness Assembly, Electrical” is a part of the overall CCA part number 16536G-04 (David Clark Final Skylab Report, with -04 and -07 applying to the Skylab parts)
-The ‘CSD/GFE Allocations and Schedules by Vehicle for Apollo 17, Final Report,’ December 15, 1972, lists S/N 270 as one of the CCAs for the mission
-Altitude chamber runs that were conducted on October 13, 1972, identify the S/N 270 CCA as belonging to Cernan
-Obtained as surplus from NASA - Shipping Info
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