dsc63274.jpg

View of the Lunar Sample Container Decontamination Bag.

Picture 3 of 3.

The following lettering appears near the zipper's slide

V36-601505-101
06362 AAJ844S

The lettering above the zipper (which is at this photo's left) reads, in part

Lunar Sample Container [obscured] in PGA B[obscured

The lettering below the zipper reads

Y ←       Insert V36-601642
Reinf. Plate

I would guess that the "Y ←" indicates the orientation in which to stow the bag with the Apollo Lunar Sample Return Container. If it refers to the command module, it would indicate that it would be stored parallel to the side hatch.

Based on the bag's part number (V36-601505), I traced the bag to Apollo 14 Stowage List, learning that it is actually a "Bag, Decon, Lunar Sample", which eventually led me to a Smithsonian "Bag, Lunar Sample Container Decontamination, Apollo 15" page.

This bag was not used to prevent contaminating the lunar samples, but rather was used to prevent the lunar samples from contaminating the command module. Prior to moving the Apollo Lunar Sample Return Containers from the lunar module to the command module, the ALSRCs were cleaned and placed in bags such as this. This limited the amount of lunar dust transferred to the command module.

The V36-601642 part number does not appear in the Apollo 14 or Apollo 15 stowage lists, but did appear in the Apollo 16 Stowage List, where it is listed as a "Plate, Reinforcement"; it also appears with the same nomenclature in the Apollo 17 Stowage List.

I was unable to locate additional information on the reinforcement plate.