Apollo 16 single lunar dust grain – ex Duke's cue card

Apollo 16 Lunar Dust Presentation

This 8 × 10-inch presentation contains a single, visibly larger grain of lunar dust recovered from a mission-used cue card formerly owned by Apollo 16 Lunar Module Pilot Charles M. “Charlie” Duke Jr.

The cue card was used inside the Lunar Module Orion during the Apollo 16 mission in April 1972. Cue cards were an essential part of Apollo spacecraft operations, giving astronauts quick access to procedures, timelines, checklists and technical information during critical phases of the mission.

This grain was found in the adhesive surrounding a Velcro attachment on the card. During lunar surface operations, fine Moon dust entered the Lunar Module on the astronauts’ spacesuits, gloves, equipment and sample containers. Some of this material became embedded in seams, fabrics, fasteners and exposed adhesive. After the crew returned from their moonwalks, individual particles were occasionally trapped in the glue around Velcro strips and other fittings.

Apollo 16 was the fifth successful crewed lunar landing and the second of NASA’s extended “J-class” missions. Commander John Young and Charlie Duke spent more than 71 hours on the lunar surface and explored the Descartes Highlands, while Command Module Pilot Thomas “Ken” Mattingly remained in lunar orbit. The mission greatly expanded scientific understanding of the Moon’s highland regions and returned approximately 96 kilograms of lunar material to Earth.

This presentation offers a tangible connection to that historic expedition: a minute particle carried from the lunar surface into the spacecraft and preserved on an authentic Apollo-era artifact.

Provenance

The lunar dust grain was removed from adhesive surrounding Velcro on a cue card formerly owned by Charlie Duke and used in the Apollo 16 Lunar Module.

Important Notice

This presentation is represented as containing lunar dust originating from a privately owned, officially released mission artifact. It is not material removed from NASA’s curated lunar sample collection.