posted 08-03-2022 01:30 AM               

Apollo 11 relics among 10,000 mementos flying on Artemis I to the moon

A small lunar sample and a piece of the rocket that enabled its collection more than 50 years ago are set to launch on NASA's next mission back to the moon.

The Apollo 11 artifacts are part of the Artemis I Official Flight Kit (OFK). They are just two items in the OFK, which has been filled with almost 10,000 mementos flying for NASA, its partners and contractors aboard the upcoming moon mission.

posted 08-03-2022 01:31 AM               

European Space Agency recruits Shaun (the sheep) for Artemis I mon mission

A popular stop-motion sheep is about to go from Mossy Bottom Farm to the moon.

Shaun, the title character from the animated television series "Shaun the Sheep," has been assigned a space on the Artemis I mission, targeted for launch later this month. The unusually clever Shropshire lamb — in plush doll form — will fly well-beyond the moon on NASA's uncrewed Orion spacecraft prior to returning to Earth in a little over a month's time.

posted 09-03-2022 08:18 AM               

Just released: the official ESA portrait of woolly astronaut Shaun the Sheep. Shaun was selected by ESA in 2021 and named to fly in early 2022 on the Artemis I mission to the Moon.

posted 11-21-2022 07:05 AM               

NASA's Artemis I spacecraft flies by moon with Apollo 11 lunar soil aboard

Four small pieces of the moon on board NASA's Orion spacecraft have come closer to the lunar surface than they have been in the more than 50 years since they were collected.

The lunar samples' return home — or, at least, their quick flyby of the world from where they came — was part of a larger journey to prepare for people to do the same. The quad of dust specks, which were first brought back to Earth by Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969, came within 80 miles (130 km) of the moon on Monday (Nov. 21) as part of NASA's Artemis I mission.

posted 11-21-2022 10:39 AM               

Before that, there were personal (or pilot) preference kits and flag kits. NASA, as an agency, did not fly items for its employees or partners.

posted 11-21-2022 05:59 PM               

The flags were vacuum packed in a pink transparent bag and placed in the tunnel area lockers. They kept a spreadsheet of all the flags, wings, patches, medals, pins, etc starting at Apollo 11. The only change was on Apollo 17 when they put 2000 US flags onboard. Skylab 2 and Skylab 3 flew 1429 flags with 500 being 4x6 US Flags.

As of May of 2008, NASA stated that they had 69 small US flags, 358 United Nations flags, and 283 state flags remaining in their inventory.

posted 02-16-2023 09:26 PM               

These flags are destined to be given to teams that participate in NASA Student Challenges.

posted 03-20-2023 06:27 PM               

Out-of-this-world news! We have just received the 90 Girl Scout Space Science Badges that were onboard Artemis I! Winners of the Girl Scouts "To the Moon and Back" essay contest will soon be receiving their extra special badge.

posted 03-25-2023 01:03 AM               

Girl Scout Brownie Kendall Smith won the national Moon and Back essay contest last year. As the winner of the contest, her patch was sent to space aboard the NASA Artemis I space shuttle. This mission is NASA’s step toward its goal of sending the first woman and the first person of color to the moon.

Smith was presented the patch during the Girls Scouts of Ohio's Heartland State of the Girl event on March 7.

posted 03-29-2023 09:36 AM               

'Baa'-ck from the moon, Shaun the Sheep to go on Artemis post-flight ESA tour

Europe's first lunar "lamb-assador" has returned home to a hero's welcome as he prepares to be herded off on a celebratory post-flight tour.

"Shaun the Sheep," the title character from a popular animated television series, arrived back in England on Wednesday (March 29), three and a half months after he splashed down aboard NASA's Artemis I mission to the moon. Shaun, in the form of a 6-inch-tall (16-cm) stop motion model, was hailed for his service to the European Space Agency (ESA) during an event held at Aardman Animations, where his official astronaut portrait, a commemorative plaque and the documents attesting to his flight were unveiled.

posted 04-27-2023 12:48 PM               

Unbeknownst to me, they put four copies of the law that are signed by the President and signed by the Speaker [aboard Artemis I] and I have one of those four to give to you all today. Not only has [this bill] flown 270,000 miles from Earth, but along with it this American flag.

[And here is] a picture of Artemis at its farthest point, where it is taking a selfie photograph of itself looking back and what's in the background? The moon, 40,000 miles from the spacecraft, and there is home, the bright blue marble, 270,000 miles from the spacecraft.

We wanted you Mr. Chairman and the committee to have one of the copies that has flown in space.

posted 04-30-2023 09:36 AM               

Around the Moon and back again! These three artifacts from our collection, including a bolt from one of Apollo 11's F-1 engines, traveled around the Moon on NASA's Artemis I mission and have returned home to Air and Space. They are now on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

posted 10-23-2023 01:59 PM               

Artemis "Medallion" gold seal stickers for certificates

We got a bit of a surprise today in FDO! I got my own little piece of Artemis I in a small medallion that flew around the moon from the comfort of the Orion spacecraft!

posted 03-25-2025 01:35 PM               

The gold foil attached to this certificate was flown aboard the Orion Spacecraft on NASA's Artemis I mission from November 16 to December 11, 2022, traveling 1.4 million miles around the Moon and back.