[Apollo 10]

Ex. Charles "Chuck" E. McKim, Operational Team Leader on the recovery and deactivation/decontamination team from North American Aviation (later North American Rockwell) for all Apollo missions.

FLOWN TO THE MOON AND EXPOSED TO THE VACUUM OF SPACE ON THE FASTEST SPACECRAFT TO TRANSPORT HUMANS, APOLLO 10 COMMAND MODULE "CHARLIE BROWN"

Launched from from Cape Kennedy on May 18, 1969, the Apollo 10 spacecraft was made up of three parts: the Command Module, nicknamed “Charlie Brown,” and the Service Module (both manufactured by North American Aviation, later North American Rockwell); and the Lunar Module, nicknamed “Snoopy” (manufactured by Grumman Aircraft Company). Crewed by Commander Thomas Stafford, Lunar Module Pilot Eugene Cernan, and Command Module Pilot John Young, the Apollo 10 mission was the first flight of a complete Apollo spacecraft to operate around the Moon with a crew on board. The mission objective was to test all aspects of an actual crewed lunar landing, with the exception of the landing itself. All objectives were completed successfully and paved the way for Apollo 11 to take place a few months later.

The "BOOST COVER RELEASE" decal was used to indicate to the NASA ground crew where to insert their tools to release the boost cover on the primary access hatch in the event of an emergency on the pad. This system would allow the crew to escape the vehicle as soon as possible, a safety precaution designed and built into all command modules after the tragic deaths of the Apollo 1 crew.