A boilerplate is a mockup of a space capsule design used in simulations. After testing, many boilerplates were sold off for scrap. It was in a Grove City scrapyard that Kim Rogers, owner of the Dairy Queen in Franklin along Pennsylvania Route 8 and space travel enthusiast, found two boilerplates from the Apollo command module in the early 80s. He bought one and transported the 3-ton piece of spaceflight history up to his franchise location, and mounted it in front of the building.
Years later a former Navy man recognized the boilerplate as the same one he had used for underwater demolition training in preparation for the Apollo missions. It was the same model they rescued from the Apollo 16 mission.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/dairy-queen-apollo-space-capsule
Where in the world did people get this stuff? The NASA flea market?
ReplyDeleteI drive by it often, even stopped at this DQ a few times. The module is quite a draw.
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