FLOWN TO THE MOON ON APOLLO 13

FLOWN King James Bible on microform, (Cleveland and New York: World Publishing Company, ca. 1964 and produced in microform by NCR, 1964), the microfilm measuring 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches, edition no. 715. Mounted on NASA letterhead on a typed letter signed by JAMES LOVELL, JOHN SWIGERT, AND FRED HAISE.

Jack N. Payton

Typed letter uniformly browned.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

After the tragic fire that killed all three crew members of the Apollo I mission in 1967, Reverend John M. Stout, who had joined NASA in 1962, along with his family established the Apollo Prayer League. The group’s primary purpose was to pray for the safety of the astronauts, and membership rapidly grew to embrace over 40,000 NASA employees. Its goals, among others, were to provide humanitarian relief worldwide and to land the Bible on the Moon. Size and weight restrictions mandated by NASA meant that the only printing format of the Bible that could be taken was in Microform. Hundreds of Bibles were taken along on the aborted Apollo 13 mission of April 1970, many of which were reissued following the spacecraft's miraculous return.  

This Microform bible is mounted on an affidavit signed by the crew of Apollo 13, which states: "This bible was flown to the moon April 11-17, 1970 on Apollo 13 spacecraft."