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Vintage NASA Space Shuttle & Apollo Mission Decal Collection – 1960s–1980s – Sealed & Unused
Offered is a vintage collection of NASA and American space exploration decals and stickers commemorating the historic Apollo missions, early Space Shuttle Columbia flights, and the development of NASA's reusable spacecraft program.
Includes original sealed Space Shuttle decal sheets, a colorful Apollo mission insignia sheet, and two additional early Space Shuttle stickers.
An attractive collection of vintage space-age memorabilia covering some of the most important achievements in American aerospace history.
Collection Contents1. NASA Space Shuttle Decal Sheets – Circa 1982
Original vintage NASA Space Shuttle decal sheets featuring five colorful designs commemorating the first four orbital flights of Space Shuttle Columbia.
The sheets are unused and retained in their original clear packaging.
Featured Mission Insignias:
STS-1 – Young / Crippen (April 1981): The historic inaugural flight of the Space Shuttle program, commanded by John W. Young and piloted by Robert L. Crippen.
STS-2 – Engle / Truly (November 1981): The first successful reuse of an orbital spacecraft, commanded by Joe H. Engle and piloted by Richard H. Truly.
STS-3 – Lousma / Fullerton (March 1982): An eight-day orbital test mission commanded by Jack R. Lousma and piloted by C. Gordon Fullerton.
STS-4 – Mattingly / Hartsfield (June–July 1982): The final orbital test flight of Columbia before the beginning of operational Shuttle missions, commanded by Thomas K. Mattingly II and piloted by Henry W. Hartsfield Jr.
Official Space Shuttle Program Insignia: The distinctive triangular design depicting the reusable orbiter and representing NASA's Space Transportation System.
The reverse of the sheets features NASA's printed historical descriptions of the missions and their insignias.
The reference to STS-5 as an upcoming operational mission supports a circa 1982 production date.
2. Apollo Mission Insignia Decal Sheet – Space Associates, Houston, Texas
A colorful vintage decal sheet titled:
NASA Manned Space Exploration Program – Historical Flight Crew Insignias
Produced by Space Associates of Houston, Texas, this sheet features insignias commemorating important Apollo-era missions.
Featured Missions:
Apollo 7 (1968): Walter Schirra, Donn Eisele, and Walter Cunningham. The first crewed Apollo mission and the first crewed flight of the Apollo Command and Service Module.
Apollo 8 (1968): Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders. The first crewed spacecraft to orbit the Moon.
Apollo 9 (1969): James McDivitt, David Scott, and Russell Schweickart. The first crewed test of the Apollo Lunar Module in Earth orbit.
Apollo 10 (1969): Thomas Stafford, John Young, and Eugene Cernan. The full dress rehearsal for the first Moon landing.
Apollo 12 (1969): Charles Conrad, Richard Gordon, and Alan Bean. The second successful crewed lunar landing.
Apollo 13 (1970): James Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise. The dramatic lunar mission that returned safely to Earth following an onboard oxygen tank explosion.
Apollo 15 (1971): David Scott, Alfred Worden, and James Irwin. The first Apollo mission to use the Lunar Roving Vehicle.
Apollo 16 (1972): John Young, Thomas Mattingly, and Charles Duke. The fifth successful crewed lunar landing.
Apollo 17 (1972): Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans, and Harrison Schmitt. The final crewed lunar landing of the Apollo program.
The sheet also includes additional circular spaces for insignias.
An excellent display piece illustrating the evolution of the Apollo program, from early orbital testing through the final Moon landing.
3. Space Shuttle Enterprise – Orbiter 101 Overland Move Decal – 1977
Vintage decal featuring the Space Shuttle Enterprise, Orbiter 101, commemorating its overland movement during NASA's early Shuttle testing program.
Enterprise was NASA's first full-scale Space Shuttle orbiter. Although it never traveled into space, it played an essential role in atmospheric flight testing and validating the Shuttle's landing characteristics.
The 1977 Approach and Landing Tests helped establish the feasibility of the Shuttle's unpowered runway landings.
4. Space Shuttle STS-1 Launch Sticker – 1981
Colorful vintage rectangular sticker depicting a dramatic Space Shuttle launch.
Marked STS-1 Launch, commemorating the first flight of Space Shuttle Columbia on April 12, 1981.
STS-1 represented a historic milestone in human spaceflight and inaugurated NASA's 30-year Space Shuttle era.
Historical Significance
This collection spans two of the most important periods in American space exploration:
The Apollo Program (1961–1972)
NASA's Apollo program achieved the first human lunar landing in July 1969 and ultimately placed twelve astronauts on the surface of the Moon. Its missions established major advances in spacecraft engineering, navigation, orbital rendezvous, and lunar exploration.
The Space Shuttle Program (1981–2011)
Following the Apollo era, NASA developed the world's first operational reusable orbital spacecraft system. Space Shuttle Columbia's first four missions proved the capabilities of the new vehicle and established the foundation for three decades of Shuttle operations.
Together, these decals document the transition from the pioneering Apollo lunar expeditions to the reusable spacecraft era.
Condition
Vintage original-era collectible decals and stickers.
NASA Space Shuttle sheets unused and retained in original packaging.
Apollo insignia sheet appears unused and protected in a clear sleeve.
Two additional individual vintage Shuttle stickers included.
Some age-related toning, handling, and storage wear to paper backing and packaging.
Please examine all photographs carefully for exact condition, quantities, and contents.
A desirable collection for enthusiasts of NASA history, Apollo astronauts, Space Shuttle Columbia, early space exploration, mission patches, aerospace memorabilia, and vintage space-age ephemera.
Sold together as one collectible lot, exactly as pictured.
