Medal, Robbins, Commemorative, Apollo 9

This sterling silver medallion minted by the Robbins Company of Attleboro, Massachusetts commemorates the Apollo 9 mission and has the mission patch on its front. Apollo 9 was launched on March 23, 1969 and returned after a little over ten days in Earth orbit. It was the third human spaceflight in the Apollo program and had as one of its primary purposes the testing of the first piloted Lunar Module in flight. James McDivitt, David Scott, and Russel Schweichart were the astronauts.

Robbins medallions were only available for purchase through the NASA astronaut office. Like all Apollo 9 Robbins medallions, this medal, which belonged to NASA astronaut and National Air and Space Museum director Michael Collins, was carried into space on the Apollo 9 mission. Collins gave the medallion to the Museum for display in the "Apollo to the Moon" gallery when the National Mall Building opened in 1976. It became a permanent part of the National Collection in 1985.