Apollo 11 Command Module Foil - 1 Square Centimeter

This specimen is an actual, mission-flown fragment of kapton foil from the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia. This material helped protect Apollo astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins on their journey from Earth to the Moon and back. Salvaged after splashdown, this is a unique collectible from one of the greatest achievements in human history.

This specimen was recovered at the Johnson Space Center when the Columbia was decommissioned. It comes from the personal collection of retired NASA Production Control Engineer William R. Whipkey, who oversaw the decommissioning process.

The kapton foil is enclosed in an acrylic cube with a magnified lid and includes a glass-topped display case, information card, and certificate of authenticity. The information card showcases images from the Apollo 11 mission, details about the journey, and a die-cut square that matches the size of the acrylic cube. Kapton foil is an aluminized polyimide film used for radiation reflection, and the specimen measures approximately 1cm x 1cm. The outermost layers of Columbia were installed with the aluminized side facing outwards to provide optimal reflection.