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Above the exhibit is the Billy Pugh rescue net used to recover the Apollo 13 crew. BBC correspondent James Burke discusses the use of the Billy Pugh net with the Apollo 13 recovery crew in this YouTube video.

I did not initially realize that the net was suspended from the ceiling and could rotate freely; I merely noticed that my photos were turning out blurry and it took a bit to realize that the movement of the basked combined with the length of the exposure to cause the blur. I resorted to using my flash and found that I could leave my camera in one place and simply wait for the basket to rotate.

Here is the accompanying sign, which reads

"Billy Pugh" Transfer Net ... Look Up!

Nets like the one above you were used to transport the astronauts from their life raft up to a recovery helicopter. The net was named after its inventor, Billy Pugh.

Panel image above:
A Navy frogman prepares the Billy Pugh rescue basket that will lift the Apollo 13 crew to a recovery helicopter, April 17, 1970.

Above:
Apollo 13 astronaut John Swigert catches a ride on a Billy Pugh up to a recovery helicopter.