Original NASA Apollo Saturn Rocket, Instrument Unit (IU), Telemetry Oscillator AssemblyModel 270 MultiplexerCircuit Board
Historical Context:This is an exceptionally rare circuit board from a unique "First Article" configuration of the Instrument Unit. The IU is the control center, functioning as the "brain and digital nervous system" of the Saturn Rocket. That unique IU configuration is the Telemetry Oscillator Assembly, specifically described in the NASA Apollo MSFC technical manual shown in the reference photos. This circuit board originates from the bottom level of the Telemetry Oscillator Assembly Flight Box, Model A, Serial Number 001. The bottom level of this flight box assembly is the the Model 270 Multiplexer section(also shown in the reference photos).
While standard Saturn Instrument Unit telemetry configurations required the Sub-Carrier Oscillators and the Data Multiplexer to be housed in separate flight boxes, this specific architecture was a rare, high-density variant. It uniquely integrated the multiplexer logic and the oscillator array into a single, dual-stacked flight box to manage the rocket's F6 telemetry link. The assembly this board was removed from represents the baseline prototype for the integrated design and bore a Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Display marker, confirming its historical significance and preservation by NASA.
Flight Hardware Functional Significance:This telemetry circuit board was designed as a critical component of the Model 270 Multiplexer, the primary data-organization system for the Saturn rocket. Located at the base of this unique dual-stacked assembly, this board functioned as the "gatekeeper" for the vehicle's low-frequency health data.Its main role was to process critical flight data, sampling and sequencing "low-speed" measurements, such as propellant levels, internal pressures, and engine temperatures, into a pulsed data stream for real-time monitoring. By organizing these various physical measurements into precise sequential time-slots, this board ensured that Mission Control could track the status of hundreds of rocket systems simultaneously through every phase of the mission.This artifact stands as a physical piece of the Huntsville engineering legacy that successfully guided humanity to the Moon.
NASA Hardware (Flight Box Assembly) Data PlateProvenance:
NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center US
Telemeter Ass'y F6 802A459
Assembly Number 50M10679
Model Number A Serial Number 001Manufactured By Brown Engineering Co.Circuit Board:
Part Number M2815A
Serial Number 018RApproximate artifact dimensions: 4.25 inches x 3.25 inches.
NASA Apollo engineer, Charles H. Bell, originally obtained this artifact from the Kennedy Space Center.
Please Note Regarding This Sale:This listing is for ONE (1) individual circuit board only. The last 10 photos showing the complete black dual-stacked flight box, the interior levels, and the NASA technical manual pages are provided for historical provenance and reference only. The flight box that this circuit board originated from and the manual shown in the photos are not included in this sale. Everything included in this sale is shown in the first 6 photos of this listing.We require that all potential buyers read our 'FAQ and Terms of Sale' section, at the bottom of each listing, prior to purchase, offer or offer placement and inquiries.
A Sub-Carrier Oscillator from the top level of this same assembly is available for sale in this listing: https://www..com/itm/257494583215A 2nd Multiplexer Circuit Board from the bottom level of this same assembly is available for sale in this listing: IU, Computer Interface Unit Circuit Board is available for sale in this listing: & Terms of Sale:* Artifact Inquiries: Please submit all questions regarding listed artifacts, prior to purchase or offer placement, and allow at least 24 hours for a response. Write in anytime with all other questions or special artifact requests. We will try to locate any specific type of spaceflight hardware that you are interested in purchasing.
* Artifact Provenance: Artifacts that include provenance (or any documents, original receipts, part tags, certificate of authenticity / COA, etc) in the sale will specify this in the listing's written description and will be shown in the listing photos. If any of this type of provenance/paperwork is not shown in the photos and specified as "included" in the listing, then it is not available or included in the sale.
* Artifact Flight Status: FLOWN = Spacecraft hardware/components, crew equipment, scientific instruments, or other items/materials that have been flown. FLIGHT = Spacecraft flight-qualified spares or backup hardware/components and engineering test articles made of the same components as the flight article. These are items that could have flown but were not flown. Ground Support Equipment (GSE) = Non-flight space program hardware, equipment, and scientific Instruments used in direct association with the spacecraft, spacecraft engineers, and technicians. These are items that were used and made for ground support that may or may not have been in direct contact with the spacecraft prior to launch.
* All items listed here are being sold as collectible artifacts only, and although they may be in perfect working order, we are not able to test them for functionality.
Note: FAQ & Terms of Sale may be updated periodically. Please check for new information, before each purchase.