Apollo 13- Second Attempt
George HW Bush presents Apollo 13 Lunar Bible
to Smithsonian Director, Apollo 11 Michael Collins, May, 1971
Multiple copies of the microfilm were then purchased by the Apollo Prayer League and 512 were packaged for stowing on board Apollo 13. The Bibles were personally presented to the Apollo 13 crew prior to launch by then-congressman George H.W. Bush accompanied by Reverend Stout.
On the outside of the package Stout placed a transparent American emblem signifying its origin on planet Earth. One particular gold-edged Bible, designated by Stout as “The First Lunar Bible,” was wrapped separately so that Apollo 13 Commander Lovell could leave it on the moon atop an altar of rocks.
Due to an on board explosion on the way to the moon, however, the Apollo 13 spacecraft circled the moon and returned to earth without landing. Since the Bibles never landed on the moon, Reverend Stout allowed the crew to keep them as mementos with only a handful returned to the Apollo Prayer League.
| 