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One of the signs near the Apollo boilerplate. It reads


Apollo 11 Flotation Collar

On July 24, 1969, at the end of its historic Moon landing mission, the Apollo 11 command module Columbia splashed down in the Pacific, about 24 kilometers (15 miles) from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. Navy swimmers jumped from a recovery helicopter into the water near the command module to stabilize it. They attached and inflated around it a custom-made flotation collar. To the flotation collar they fastened a large, seven-person raft. The three astronauts emerged from the spacecraft, climbed into the raft, and donned special Biological Isolation Garments in preparation for their transfer to a quarantine facility on the Hornet.

The flotation collar attached to this command module trainer is the actual unit deployed during the recovery of Apollo 11.


 
Sign accompanying Apollo Boilerplate BP-1102A's flotation collar at Udvar-Hazy Center
Time picture taken Mon Jun 18 13:51:44 2007
Location picture taken Ground Level
James S. McDonnell Space Hangar
Udvar Hazy Center
Chantilly, VA
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