[Apollo 11]

Directly from the Personal Collection of Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin

FLOWN TO THE LUNAR SURFACE ON APOLLO 11, this checklist sheet from the Apollo 11 LM Systems Activation Checklist relates to the deployment of the landing gear of the Lunar Module Eagle for the first lunar landing, and the initialization of the Apollo Abort Guidance System.

Two copies of the Apollo 11 LM Systems Activation Checklist, the Launch Operations Checklist and the Entry Operations Checklist were were carried to the Moon in the Command Module Columbia, and then both copies were transferred from the Command Module into the Lunar Module Eagle and then carried down to the Lunar surface, were both Armstrong and Aldrin made notations on both copies. One of these two copies was supposed to have been jettisoned and left on the Lunar surface (and indeed the Apollo 11 Stowage List lists a quantity of 2 being loaded into the CSM for launch, a quantity of 2 being transferred to the LM from the CSM for the descent, and then a quantity of only one be transferred back into the CSM from the LM for the return ) but Aldrin decided to keep both copies. (The complete copy that was to be jettisoned was sold in these rooms in 2022, as lot 16 in the "Buzz Aldrin: American Icon" sale for $567,000)

BUZZ ALDRIN'S provenance letter reads "Enclosed with this letter is a sheet numbered ACT-46 and ACT-47 from the Apollo 11 LM Activation Checklist. The entire checklist was carried to the Moon on the flight of Apollo 11 during July 16 to 24, 1969. Then the checklist, including this sheet, was taken to the surface of the Moon in Lunar Module Eagle during the first lunar landing on July 20, 1969.

Side ACT-46 lists the end of Lunar Module Eagle’s landing gear deployment sequence in preparation for landing on the Moon, which was actually completed ahead of schedule at the Ground Elapsed Time (GET) of 98 hours and 14 minutes. I called off the checklist for Neil to ensure that the circuit breaker for Landing Gear Flag was closed and Logic Power-A open, located on Panel 11 in Eagle. Then I called for Neil to engage the Master Arm explosive device and fire the Landing Gear deployment switch. This action fully deployed the landing gear necessary for Neil and I to make the very first human landing on the Moon hours later.

ACT-46 also details the beginning of the initialization of the Apollo Abort Guidance System (AGS) scheduled for approximately the Ground Elapsed Time (GET) of 99 hours and 08 minutes.

Side ACT-47 relates to the setting the Digital Autopilot (DAP) and the Gimbal/Throttle Test, continuing the initialization of the Apollo Abort Guidance System. CAPCOM Charlie Duke gave us our AGS Abort Constants at 98:47 GET. In accordance with Step 1 on this page, I had the guidance control in PGNS (Primary Guidance and Navigation System) set to Auto. Because it was set to Auto and the circuit breakers were not closed on the thrusters yet, we received four out of eight red flags when we proceeded through the DAP. I confirmed with Charlie that the flags were because we were unable to fire the thrusters, and we were able to proceed through the throttle test.

This LM Systems Activation Checklist sheet from Apollo 11 is one of the few objects used both in lunar orbit and on the Sea of Tranquility. It is a rare example of an astronaut flight-certified object used on the first landing on the Moon."

REFERENCES:

NASA. Apollo 11 Stowage List. Mission AS 506 CM 107/LM-5. Houston, Texas: Manned Spacecraft Center, July 15, 1969, pp. 3, 51, 57, 74, and 83