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Questions about Command module Columbia

Short answers, pulled from the story.

What is Command module Columbia CM-107?

Command module Columbia, designated CM-107, was the spacecraft that carried the Apollo 11 crew to lunar orbit and back to Earth in 1969. It is the only piece of Apollo 11 hardware that returned from the mission.

How did Command module Columbia get its name?

The name Columbia was suggested by Julian Scheer, NASA's assistant administrator of public affairs, to astronaut Michael Collins in a phone conversation before the mission. Collins initially found the name "a bit pompous" but accepted it partly because of its resemblance to Columbiad, the space gun in Jules Verne's 1865 novel From the Earth to the Moon.

Where is Command module Columbia on display?

Command module Columbia is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Since the fall of 2022, it has served as the centerpiece of the museum's Destination Moon exhibit.

What did the 3D scan of Command module Columbia reveal?

The 3D scan, produced by the Smithsonian's Digitization Program Office and released in July 2016, revealed that the Apollo 11 crew had written directly on the interior walls of the capsule. The writings include a calendar and a warning on one of the lockers about smelly waste stored there.

When was Command module Columbia given to the Smithsonian?

Command module Columbia was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution in 1971, following the Apollo 11 mission and a tour of American cities. The Smithsonian designated it a "Milestone in Flight" and placed it in the National Air and Space Museum alongside the 1903 Wright Flyer.

What cities did Command module Columbia visit for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11?

For the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing in 2019, Command module Columbia traveled to museums in Houston, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Cincinnati.