Largest flown part of an Apollo Lunar Module spacecraft, brought back by Commander Gene Cernan, last man on the moon

There are so many artifacts in the space collection than I need to share. My favorites are parts of the Lunar Modules that have landed on the moon. No part of those spacecraft are supposed to exist today if the astronauts followed NASA protocol as to what was and was not to be brought through the hatch as they shed weight before the return to Earth, and the upper stage of the LM was jettisoned to crash back into to moon.

By the end of the Apollo program, Commander Gene Cernan of Apollo 17, after taking the last foot step on the moon, felt a certain nostalgia. He detached this armrest from the lunar module and smuggled it back to Earth, contrary to protocol. By a law of Congress in 2013, the Apollo astronauts were granted clear title to artifacts like this that NASA let them keep upon landing.

In a magical moment recently, Rusty Schweickart, the first LM Pilot, showed me the way that he used this armrest while piloting the LM in the standing position (whereby they could look down through the triangular window to see the lunar surface).

Another interesting detail – the beige part looks like a soft pad, but it is rigid glass-reinforced plastic. More photos and letter from Cernan below.

Heritage Description:
Apollo 17 Lunar Module Flown Commander’s Armrest From the Personal Collection of Mission Commander Gene Cernan. This metal, right-side armrest has overall dimensions of 7.25″ x 10.75″ x 7″ including brackets. There is a label on the top, “Pull Down Armrest to Release From Stowed Position”, around which Cernan has certified and signed: “LM CDR Arm Rest – LM/ Flown as part of Apollo XVII Lunar Module Challenger Gene Cernan”. This was the last of the six manned lunar landings. Commander Cernan, the last human to step foot on the moon, used this armrest inside the LM Challenger for more than three days while on the lunar surface. An interesting and unique relic from this important mission.

Included with this lot is a signed Letter of Authenticity on Gene Cernan’s letterhead stating, in part: “I hereby certify that the Apollo 17 Lunar Module Flown Commander’s Armrest accompanying this letter was flown with me to the lunar surface aboard the Apollo 17 mission December 7-19, 1972… This was the last manned lunar landing to date and the mission where the most time was logged on the moon… I retrieved it prior to the jettisoning of the lunar module that was sent crashing into the moon. This armrest is from my personal collection and has been in my possession since the mission.”