Fascinating and comprehensive collection of official NASA material from the personal archives of storied flight director Gene Kranz, all of which relate to the essential Apollo 5 mission and the first unmanned flight of the Apollo Lunar Module (LM-1).
The collection is comprised of four large bracket-bound binders, each 9 x 11.5, amassing to hundreds of pages worth of reports, memorandums, packets, and manuals specific to the Apollo 5 mission, with handwritten observations and emendations located throughout, and Kranz adding his ownership surname to an abundance of title pages. The front covers are respectively labeled and marked as follows: “Network, Safety and Procedures, LM-1” and “Apollo 5/1, 1-3-2,” with back cover annotated: “Flight Control Operations Handbook”; “LM-1 CDDT, and misc.” and “Apollo 5/2, 1-3-3,” with spine marked “A5”; “LM-1 Mission Rules and Constraints” and “Apollo 5/3, 1-3-4”; and “LM-1 Systems Handbook,” “A 5/4, 1-3-5,” and “Apollo 5/6, 1-3-7.”
Also included is a compact folder marked “Flight Director Report-A5, 1-3-8,” which includes a “Mission Operations Review” packet for “AS-204/LM-1,” dated November 15, 1967, marked “Kranz” at the top; a packet marked “LM-1 File”; an apparent supplementary packet marked on spine “Apollo 5,” which contains various reports and memorandums; several memorandums from Kranz related to mission reports and operation reviews; two handwritten pages of notes; a “Flight Director’s Report” for “Premission Operations LM-1”; and various loose sheets, some bearing pencil and ballpoint notations.
The binder marked “Network, Safety and Procedures, LM-1,” is the most condensed of the four, and includes the following: a packet entitled “Terminal Countdown for Launch, January 19, 1968,” marked “FD Console”; a NASA manual entitled “Flight Controllers Operations Handbook, Part I MCC-H, Part II MCC-H/Remote Site, Part III Remote Site, 204/LM-1,” dated October 18, 1967; an updated list of “outstanding AS-204L problems”; a 10-page group of notes, handwritten by Kranz in felt tip and pencil, with first page headed “Cape to T.C.’s”; a packet headed “Part II MCC-H/Remote Site, Section 2 Command, SOP II-2-11, MCC-H/Launch Complex Command, Activation/Deactivation”; and a pink NASA manual entitled “Apollo 5 Mission Requirements, 204/LM-1, ‘B’ Type Mission, LM Development,” Revision 5, dated December 4, 1967.
The binder labeled “LM-1 CDDT, and misc” contains an astounding 60-plus pages for a “Flight Director’s Mission Log,” first dated to January 18 [1968], accomplished neatly in blue ballpoint by Kranz, which chronicles a wide array of concerns, fixes, and departments related to the looming launch date of January 22, 1968; Kranz’s notes are indicative of both his formidable genius in addition to the wealth of issues inherent to such a costly, dangerous, and highly complex Saturn IB liftoff. The binder also includes the following packets, with titles as follows: “MPAD Verification of Apollo 5…Flight Mission Rules”; “Apollo 5 Mission…Spacecraft Operation Trajectory, Volume I—Mission Description”; “Apollo 5 Mission, 3-Day Report”; and “Apollo 5 Mission, 10-Day Report.” Also included is a NASA manual entitled “Spacecraft Operational Abort and Alternate Mission Plan for AS-204/LM-1, Volume II—Alternate Mission.”
The LM-1 Mission Rules and Constraints binder contains: a partial NASA packet entitled “AS-204/LM-1, Saturn Launch Vehicle, Flight Control Mission Plan”; and an outwardly complete NASA manual entitled “Flight Mission Rules, Apollo 5, 204 LM-1, Final,” dated December 29, 1967, which contains 17 chapters and an assortment of tables and graphs, with some annotations found therein.
The LM-1 Systems Handbook consists of: a “PRA Program Control Document for AS206A Mission and Prelaunch Checkout,” dated May 19, 1966; a packet for “Apollo Mission AS-204/LM-1, Spacecraft Dispersion Analysis,” dated December 11, 1967; a “Supercritical Helium Data” packet; an “LM EECOM Status Report,” marked “LM-1 Systems”; a packet headed “DFI In Flight Status Monitoring & Calibration Requirements for Apollo 1 (LM-1) Mission,” dated May 9, 1967; and a seemingly complete NASA manual entitled “Lunar Module Systems Handbook, Vehicle LM-1, AS-206, REV B,” dated March 16, 1967,” with notes by Kranz to front cover, which includes 15 detailed sections and an assortment of tables, graphs, and fold-out schematics bearing handwritten remarks and emendations. In overall very good to fine condition.
Accompanied by a signed letter of authenticity from Kranz, which reads: "The Apollo 5 manuals with mission materials that accompany this letter are from my personal space archives. Apollo 5 was the first unmanned flight of the Lunar Module and for this reason, critically important to the success of the lunar landing program. Contained within is a compilation of information for my personal use as Flight Director. The material included, reflected what I determined most useful to have at my fingertips in order to efficiently and successfully manage the aspects of Apollo 5 that I was responsible for...This material was used at my console throughout Apollo 5 as a primary resource for coordinating that mission. These materials were maintained and kept on top of my console during the actual mission."
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