Apollo 8 Flown Beta Cloth Mission Insignia Directly from the Personal Collection of Mission Command Module Pilot James Lovell, Signed and Certified, with Original Packaging and Signed LOA. A 9" square piece of Beta cloth with the Lovell-designed mission insignia imprinted in the center, 5" x 4" overall. Lovell has signed beneath: "Apollo 8 Patch/ On board Apollo S/C in PPK on Flight Around Moon/ 21-27 Dec 1968/ James A Lovell/ Apollo 8 CMP". A wonderful flown memento from this important mission in which crewmembers Borman, Lovell, and Anders were the first humans to view the far side of the moon and the first to see earth from orbit around another celestial body. Included is a pink-hued plastic sleeve, 10.5" x 10.75" in size, in which Lovell's flown Beta patches were stored. "7 Apollo 8 Patches" is written by him with other numbers and notes crossed out. Excellent.

Included with this lot is a signed Letter of Certification from Lovell on his company letterhead stating, in full: "I hereby certify that this Apollo 8 beta cloth was in my PPK during my Apollo 8 flight. Apollo 8 was the first journey to the moon in December, 1968. This beta cloth is from my personal collection of space artifacts and has been in my possession since the mission."