Apollo 16 LM-11 „Orion“ spare Kapton foil – certified by Charlie Duke

Apollo 16 Lunar Module “Orion” – Spare Kapton Foil, Signed & Certified by Astronaut Charlie Duke

Offered here is an extraordinary relic of the Apollo program: an 8x7" fragment of original Kapton foil intended for use on the Lunar Module Orion (LM-11), hand-signed and certified by Apollo 16 lunar module pilot Charlie Duke. Duke has added the inscription: “Spare Kapton foil from Orion LM-11.”

Kapton foil was a vital component of every Apollo Lunar Module, used as a multi-layer insulation blanket to protect the spacecraft from extreme temperatures in space and on the lunar surface. During final preparations for Apollo missions, excess sections of this foil were carefully trimmed away from the lander before flight. These rare offcuts—removed just prior to launch—are among the very few Apollo hardware artifacts legally released into private hands.

Apollo 16, launched on April 16, 1972, was the penultimate lunar landing mission. Commander John Young and Lunar Module Pilot Charlie Duke spent nearly three days exploring the Descartes Highlands, conducting experiments, and collecting samples, while Command Module Pilot Ken Mattingly orbited the Moon in Casper.

This spare foil fragment, accompanied by documentation verifying its origin, represents a direct connection to the spacecraft that carried astronauts to the lunar surface. Combined with Charlie Duke’s signature and certification, it is both a museum-grade artifact and a rare opportunity for collectors to own an authentic piece of Apollo flight heritage.