U.S. Flag - Apollo 10 Mission Control.

U.S flag from Mission Control from Apollo 10 recovery
Our achievements in space certainly rank among mankind's greatest technological and scientific achievements. In the United States these efforts have been the responsibility of the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) who's Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo Programs eventually led to landing men on the Moon.

However, in addition to the extraordinary technological feats involved in space launches, orbiting the Earth, travelling to and orbiting the Moon, landing men on the Moon, and returning safely to Earth; there was a second major accomplishment as well. This was America's victory in the continuation of the Cold War, known as the "Space Race", over the Soviet Union. Accordingly, no other space artifact is more symbolic of the nation that won this race than the United States Flag.

Fully-documented American space artifacts are extremely rare, when taken in comparison to almost virtually any other established category of historically notable "Earthly" object; and among collectors of such artifacts, flown flags from any mission are highly desirable. However, absolute rarity does not always equate to absolute desirability. Within the confines of space collecting there is an informal hierarchy of rarity:

1. Artifacts used in Extra Vehicular Activities (EVA) outside the Lunar Module on the actual surface of the Moon;
2. Artifacts landed on the Moon aboard the Lunar Module that stayed inside.
3. Artifacts flown to the Moon aboard the Command Module which did not land.
4. Artifacts flown in Earth orbit during the Mercury, Gemini & Apollo Programs.
5. Artifacts flown in Earth orbit aboard the Space Shuttle.
6. Artifacts from NASA Earth training and the Manned Flight Awareness Program

Weight and storage constraints limited the size and number of artifacts that could be carried on any of the Apollo missions, and flags from the Apollo Missions are extremely rare.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced a new NASA program: to complete a manned moon landing. Thus started the Apollo program which was NASA's human spaceflight program spanning the years 1961-1975 and which accomplished its primary objective by the 20th of July, 1969.

Four of the Apollo missions were preparatory and six Apollo missions also landed astronauts on the Moon, the last one in 1972. These six Apollo spaceflights are the only times humans have landed on another world. The Apollo program, and specifically the lunar landings, are often cited as one of the greatest achievements in human history.

Apollo was the third human spaceflight program undertaken by NASA and, whilst the goal of the program as articulated by President Kennedy was accomplished, the program did set other major milestones in the history of human spaceflight. The Apollo program remains alone in sending manned missions beyond low Earth orbit. Apollo 8 was the first manned spacecraft to orbit another celestial body, while Apollo 17 marks the time of the last moonwalk and also the last manned mission beyond earth orbit.

Apollo 10 was the fourth manned mission in the Apollo program; and was the first manned space mission to contain an all-veteran crew. The mission included the second crew to orbit the Moon and a stringent test of the lunar module (LM) in lunar orbit. The LM came to within 8.4 nautical miles (15.6 km) of the lunar surface during practice maneuvers. This dress rehearsal for a Moon landing brought Stafford and Cernan's lunar module, Snoopy, to 8.4 nautical miles (15.6 km) from the lunar surface. Except for that final stretch, the mission went exactly as a landing would have gone, both in space and on the ground; where Apollo's extensive tracking and control network was put through a dry run. Apollo 10 added another first by broadcasting live color TV from space.

According to the 2001 Guinness World Records, Apollo 10 set the record for the highest speed attained by a manned vehicle at 39,897 km/h (11.08 km/s or 24,791 mph). The speed record was set during the return from the Moon on May 26, 1969.

This Apollo 10 Mission Control Center American flag was flown during the mission and is signed by Mission Lunar Module Pilot Gene Cernan; from whose personal collection the flag originates. On the lowest white stripe, Cernan has certified and signed: "Flown in Mission Control- Apollo X Recovery Gene Cernan". The following text is printed beneath the flag on the mount: "Flag Flown in the Mission Control Center/ At Apollo X Recovery/ Presented to Gene Cernan by the Men of MCC-H". NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston manages all aspects of manned space missions. This is an interesting and unusual souvenir of the Apollo 10 mission as presented personally to Captain Cernan.

ZFC Significant Flag
Item is Framed

Sources:

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Apollo Mission Control Center, A National Historic Landmark Theme Study , Man in Space , 7 November 2011, from: http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/butowsky4/space23.htm

Apollo 10, Wikipedia, 7 November 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_10

Eugene "Gene" Andrew Cernan, Wikipedia, 7 November 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Cernan

Stars, stripes and space: NASA and the 50 star American flag, collectSPACE.com, 7 November 2011, from: http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-070410a.html

Frohman , David, An Overview of Flown Apollo Flags, Space Relics, 7 November 2011, from:
http://www.spacerelics.com/inventory/essay/flags.html

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin and David Frohman, President of Peachstate Historical Consulting, Inc., meet in Washington, D.C. to help pioneer new flight-certification standards for space artifacts, Space Relics, 7 November 2011, from: http://www.spacerelics.com/press32.html

FLOWN IN SPACE, Astronaut Central, 7 November 2011, from: http://www.astronautcentral.com/SINGLES/Flown.html

Leger , Donna L. , 7/20/2011 Interest in space memorabilia soars as shuttle era ends, USA Today, 7 November 2011, from: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2011-07-20-space-shuttle-collectibles_n.htm

Platoff, Anne M., Where No Flag Has Gone Before: Political and Technical Aspects of Placing a Flag on the Moon, NASA Contractor Report 188251, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, 7 November 2011, from: http://next.nasa.gov/alsj/alsj-usflag.html

Platoff, Anne M. , Flags in Space: Symbols of NASA and Use of Flags in the Manned Space Program." Presented to the North American Vexillological Association, NAVA 36 (Denver, CO, October 2002), Publication pending in The Flag Bulletin; 7 November, 2011, from: http://aplatoff.home.mindspring.com/~aplatoff/space/

Space Race, Wikipedia, 7 November 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Race

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection

Hoist & Fly
Width of Hoist	7.5
Length of Fly	11

Union/Canton
Width of Union/Canton	4.165
Length of Union/Canton	5.5

Stars
Comments on Star Measurements	6-5-6-5-6-5-6-5-6 horizontal rows
Size of Stars	0.5

Stripes
Width of 1st Stripe	0.675
Width of 3rd Stripe	0.675
Width of 8th Stripe	0.5
Width of Last Stripe	0.675
Size of Hoist	0

Frame
Is it framed?	yes
Frame Height	11
Frame Length	14

Stars
Number of Stars	50
Are there stars on obverse?	yes
Are there stars on reverse?	yes

Stripes
Number of Stripes	13
Color of Top Stripe	Red
Color of Bottom Stripe	Red
Has a Blood Stripe?	no
Comments on Stripes	On the lowest white stripe, Cernan has certified and signed: "Flown in Mission Control- Apollo X Recovery Gene Cernan".

Nationality
Nation Represented	United States

Fabric
Fabric	Cotton

Stitching
Stitching	Machine

Weave
Type of Weave	Plain

Attachment
Comments on Method of Attachmen	Framed 11" x 14"
Method of Attachment	None

Applica
Applique Sides	Single Faced = Mirror Image Reverse

Documentation
Documents	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Drawings	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.

Condition
Condition	Excellent
Damage	Used, Inscribed, faded
Displayable	yes

Date
Date	1968