[Apollo 14]

Lunar Surface Flown Bendix Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) Pin

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Description

LUNAR SURFACE FLOWN Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) Pin

Metal pin encased in a cube of lucite measuring 3.25 x 3.25 inches. The pin is labeled “APOLLO XIV / ALSEP” and dated “FEBRUARY 5, 1971.” The underside of the cube is inscribed with the following flight certification and the insignias of both NASA and Bendix: “This emblem of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package Being Carried to its deployment site on Fra Mauro was taken to the surface of the Moon and returned to Earth on the Apollo XIV spacecraft by astronauts Shepard, Roosa and Mitchell. February 5, 1971.”

From the Personal Collection of Apollo 14 CMP Stuart Roosa.

FLOWN TO THE LUNAR SURFACE ON APOLLO 14.

Developed by the Bendix Corporation in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the ALSEP was a series of modular experiments that could be left on the lunar surface by astronauts to transmit data back to Earth. Six ALSEPs were deployed in different regions on the Moon over the course of six successful moon landings.

Apollo 14 Commander Alan Shepard and Lunar Module Pilot Ed Mitchell deployed the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) on the Moon during their first extravehicular activity (EVA) in the Fra Mauro region. The ALSEP carried by the Apollo 14 astronauts was an improved model compared to the ALSEP used on the moon by Apollo 12, as changes were made to the ALSEP following Apollo 12 that never made it to the lunar surface due to the events of Apollo 13. Shepard and Mitchell deployed the ALSEP on February 5, 1971 as indicated on the underside of the present lot’s lucite display.

The Fra Mauro region of the Moon was originally intended to be the landing site of Apollo 13. After the explosion of a cryogenic oxygen tank on board the spacecraft in Apollo 13 caused the crew to abort their mission, the region was believed to be of strong enough scientific value that it was then adjusted to be the landing site of the following mission. Fra Mauro is a lunar formation made up of rocks that were ejected after a large asteroid impact formed the Imbrium basin, and a study of the rock in the basin allowed scientists to determine when the impact occurred in lunar history.

Because Apollo 13’s ALSEP never made it to the Moon, Apollo 14 was also the only mission to run the Charged Particle Lunar Environment Experiment (CPLEE), which looked for and discovered aurora radiation. The Apollo 14 crew also brought with them an improved Cold Cathode Gauge Experiment (CCGE), to measure the density and temperature of the Moon’s atmosphere. The Apollo 12 CCGE was combined with the Lunar Ionosphere Detector. Unfortunately, a power supply failure necessitated modification and a second attempt. Improvements were made and the CCGE was spun off as a separate unit for Apollo 13. Of course, the crew never landed on the lunar surface and that unit went unused. The Apollo 14 crew brought the improved CCGE and were finally able to successfully place the unit. They also corrected some earlier errors like initiating the instrument later to allow for dissipation of the gasses from the Lunar Module and switching the unit off during higher temperature periods.

While Mission Commander Alan Shepard and Lunar Module Pilot Ed Mitchell spent a total of 33.5 hours on the lunar surface, the ALSEP deployed by the astronauts continued to send data back to Earth until September 1977. Through this data, scientists on Earth measured thousands of moonquakes and solar wind.

REFERENCES

Lunar Planetary Institute. “Apollo 14 Mission Overview.” Accessed 7 May 2026.