Flown spacecraft ID plates

The manufacturers of each manned spacecraft had a tradition of creating a special identification plate that was attached to the interior of the spacecraft but designed to be removed after the flight to incorporate into presentations for the crew. Multiple identical plates were produced for each crewmember on the Gemini and Apollo missions so that each astronaut could be given their own presentation.

These highly-collectible momentos are described below.

Spacecraft ID plates - Gemini

Mike Collins' Gemini 10 flown
spacecraft id plate presentation

The McDonnell Aircraft Corp. had two identical spacecraft identification plates fitted in each Gemini capsule during the manufacturing process as momentos for the crew. These brass plates measured 4" x 1.5" (102mm x 38mm) in size and were attached above the astronauts' heads inside the hatch openings, as visible in this photo (with thanks to Jay Rubin for spotting this).

After a flight the plates were removed, at which point the mission date was added and they were then attached to specially-made wooden plaques which included a small model of the Gemini spacecraft under a representation of the St. Louis Arch. These were then presented to the two crewmen by McDonnell.

The Gemini 10 spacecraft id plate was engraved as follows:

GEMINI SPACECRAFT NO. 10
PART NO. 52-00001-10
CMD. PILOT    CDR. JOHN W. YOUNG
PILOT    MAJOR MICHAEL COLLINS
MISSION DATE 18 JULY-21 JULY 1966
MFG. BY McDONNELL AIRCRAFT CORP.
FOR THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS
AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Spacecraft ID plates - Apollo Command Module

As the manufacturer of the Apollo Command Module, Rockwell created the identifcation plates for these spacecraft. The brass plates were attached to the interior structure of the spacecraft and removed by Rockwell during the post-flight inspection. The launch date was then added to each plate before being fixed to a specially-designed pen and pencil marble desk set produced by Sheaffer.

Jim Lovell's Apollo 8 Command Module
flown spacecraft id plate desk set

Each brass plate measured 3.25" x 1.75" (82mm x 44mm) in size and was mounted on a 10" x 5" x 0.75" (25cm x 13cm x 2cm) marble desk set.

The Apollo 8 spacecraft id plate, shown on the right, is engraved as follows:

APOLLO VIII
SPACECRAFT # 103
PART NO. V36-000002-501
COL. FRANK BORMAN USAF
CAPT. JAMES A. LOVELL USN
MAJ. WILLIAM A. ANDERS USAF
LAUNCH DATE - 12-21-1968

It is worth noting that the design of the desk set was apparently changed slightly for Apollo 16, as a lucite block containing a fragment of the spacecraft heatshield was mounted behind the ID plate.

Spacecraft ID plates - Apollo Lunar Module

As with Rockwell and the Command Modules, Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp. produced similar spacecraft identification plates for the Apollo Lunar Modules

Dick Gordon's Apollo 12Lunar Module
flown spacecraft id plate presentation

A spacecraft identification plate was fixed inside each Lunar Module when it was manufactured, and three identical copies were made as souvenirs. These three plates were stowed in the PPKs or Official Flight Kit at launch, although whether this was in the Command Module or Lunar Module is not entirely certain.

The three identical plates were returned to Grumman after the flight at which point the launch and splashdown dates were added and the plates were affixed to a wooden wall plaque for presentation to the astronauts.

Each brass plate measured 5.25" x 1.75" (133mm x 44mm) in size and was mounted on a 10" x 11" (25cm x 18cm) wooden shield-shaped wall plaque beneath a metal die-cut representation of the lunar module.

The text on the spacecraft identification plate from the Apollo 12 Lunar Module, affixed to the plaque shown on the right, reads as follows:

APOLLO XII LUNAR MODULE-6
CDR. C. CONRAD CDR. R. GORDON CDR. A.BEAN
PART NO. LDW280-54000-23     SERIAL NO. 001
DSGN CONT NO. 1ST LUNAR EXPLORATION     CONTR NO. NAS 9-1100
LAUNCH 11-14-69     SPLASHDOWN 11-24-69
MFD. BY GRUMMAN AIRCRAFT ENGINEERING CORP., BETHPAGE, NEW YORK

With thanks to Jay Rubin for additional research.