Apollo 8 Flown & Signed Command Module Hatch Model

Apollo Command Module post-reentry hatch model coated in genuine Apollo 8 Command Module flown kapton foil and signed and inscribed by Commander Frank Borman. The foil comes from the collection of television director Rudolph Spoor.

Archive Id AP8-FKF-CMM

DESCRIPTION

This one-of-a-kind, engineering-grade Apollo Command Module Primary Access Hatch model has been coated in genuine Apollo 8 Command Module flown kapton foil. The model has also been signed and inscribed in silver on the base by Commander Frank Borman. The inscription reads "Apollo 8 CDR / 24 December 1968".

The hatch is modelled on a post-reentry hatch with the labels exhibiting re-entry scorch marks. The model itself is securely mounted on an executive-grade glossy base and has been designed so that the famous Apollo 8 Earthrise photograph can be seen through the hatch window, just as the astronauts would have seen it during the mission. The hatch is able to rotate 360 degrees so that the view through the window can be seen on both sides of the model.

Product Information:

  • Model is coated entirely in genuine Apollo 8 flown Command Module kapton foil
  • Engineering-grade 1:8 scale Apollo Command Module primary access hatch model
  • Designed and made based on the Apollo Command Module primary access hatch
  • Hatch without the base measures approx. 13cm x 10cm (5.1 inches x 4 inches)
  • Hatch including the base measures approx. 13cm x 14.5cm (5.1 inches x 5.75 inches)
  • Comes packaged and protected in an elegantly designed metal box
  • Includes a Letter of Authenticity with individual serial number from The Space Collective
  • Includes a Letter of Authenticity signed by Rudolph Spoor

About the Build:

The scale hatch has been expertly created from a full-scale CAD model of the Apollo Command Module hatch by a team of engineers and model makers to ensure complete technical and aesthetic accuracy. The main hatch body and outer window frame have been silicone tooled and moulded in high-quality PU prototyping resin from SLA 3D printed masters. The internal and external hatch windows are laser cut for precision. The rear workings of the hatch and external handle and purge port are centrifugally cast in lead-free white metal that has been barrel and individually polished to finish. Colour-matched automotive paints have been used for the main assembly, with smaller components being hand-painted to enhance the detail further. Genuine Apollo 8 Command Module kapton foil has been applied to the external surfaces with accurately scaled and digitally printed labels applied to complete the model. The model sits atop a CNC machined aluminium base echoing the shape of the Apollo Command Module bearing a laser engraved Apollo Program emblem.

Authentication Information:

The flown kapton foil came from the collection of Dutch television director Rudolph Spoor. In late 1969/early 1970, Rudolph Spoor visited the NASA Industrial Plant in Downey, CA, to make a documentary about the splashdown of the Apollo capsule. During this visit, NASA representatives at the factory gifted Spoor genuine kapton foil, identifying it as having been flown aboard the Apollo 8 Command Module. Spoor's first major directing job was the television report of the first moon landing as a result of this visit.

Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity:

All of our artifacts are thoroughly and extensively researched before being listed for sale, so much so that we're proud to offer a lifetime guarantee of authenticity for this and other artifacts listed throughout our website. We also hold a record of every piece we sell which can be identified and searched in our online database using the serial number listed on your certificate of authenticity.