South Carolina’s First Astronaut Charles Duke and the Apollo Missions

This new exhibition at the South Carolina State Museum explores South Carolina’s First Astronaut Charles Duke and the Apollo Missions. A native of Lancaster, South Carolina NASA selected Duke to join the Apollo Space Program in 1966. He served as part of the Apollo 10, 11, 13, 16, and 17 missions. In 1972, as lunar module pilot on the Apollo 16 mission, Duke became the tenth man to walk on the Moon.

Exhibit guests can trace Duke’s time at NASA during the Apollo missions through a wide range of objects on display, many of which were donated to the State Museum by Duke himself. Objects include:

Pressure suit worn by Duke while training for Apollo 16.

Duke’s Apollo 16 cuff check list and chronograph.

Apollo 16 helmet.

Apollo 16 final flight manual

Apollo Lunar Sample Return Container or, “rock box” used by Duke to collect samples on the moon.

Moon rock collected by Duke during Apollo 16.

Duke’s flight suits used for Apollo 16 training.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website