Apollo 11 Airstream

[3DogNight]

The History Channel ran a special on Apollo 11, the first manned trip to the moon, the other evening. Upon return the space capsule landed in the ocean and the astronauts were picked up by a US navy ship. It was mentioned that they were housed in an isolation trailer during the voyage back. Film showed what looked like an Airstream trailer on board the ship used for that purpose, Does anyone know the history of this?
Just interested, 3DogNight

[Condoluminum]

There are threads here in archives on subject. Search on woords "NASA" and "Astronaut" and "Apollo" and you'll find pictures and history....

Short Version: Airstream made several as quarantine chambers, kept on carriers with positive air pressure. One for sure resides now in new annex of Smithsonian Air and Space Museum near Dulles in Virginia. Trivia: Sits under hanging record-setting gliders designed and built by Willaim Hawley Bowlus, who worrked on Spirit of St. Louis, and designed Bowlus and original Airstream aluminum trailers. Wally took tooling after Bowlus bankruptcy and modified to make first Clipper in 1936...

[Goin camping]

Back in the early eighties I used to buy vehicles at Government Service Administration auctions.

I was in Nevada after a Rokon motorcycle and swung by an Air Force base to see two Airstreams. At the time I knew very little about them. These were long two axle ones. I didn't bid because the insides were stripped to the walls. They went for $250 and $270.

[walter1]

There's a great picture of President Nixon greeting the Apollo 11 crew through the window of their Airstream Mobile Quarantine Facility :
President Nixon welcomes the Apollo 11 astronauts aboard the U.S.S. Hornet


Goin Camping:
Do you still have the Rokon Trailbreaker? They were great fun, 2 wheel drive motorcycles. They could go places through the Rubicon trail we couldn't take Jeeps or trials bikes.

[Goin camping]

The Rokons (3) are gone. Sold them to a friend and still get to play with them though.

Have you ever seen the Rokon crossing the seven foot deep river video?

[walter1]

Nope, where can I find that video??

My first Rokon experience:
I was climbing a VERY steep hill in my WWII Dodge 4x4 when a Rokon came up the other side. We both stopped and at the same time said:
"Where’d you get that???"

I had to have one. Nice toys.

Oops, we changed the Airstream Astronaut tread.
Lots of good pictures of Apollo 11 Airstream on the net.


Walter

[Steve & Susan]

If you are in the area, the new Smithsonian Aerospace museum out by Dulles Airport has the ground de-contamination unit built by AS on display. There is a LOT to see there - plan on several hours!

[rickandsandi]

Speaking of Airstreams and Astronauts- The Astronaut Farmer - opening soon!



An astronaut is forced to leave NASA to save his family farm, but he continues to dream of space travel and sets out to build a rocket inside his barn. Though his neighbors consider him an oddity, the media considers him a story, and the government considers him a threat, nothing can deter him from his dream to break through the atmosphere and orbit the earth. You just can't get Airstreams away from Astronauts!