Distress beacon from pilot survival vest owned by Charles F. Bolden
date: label: Date
content: ca. 2000
name: label: Manufactured by
content: Fedcap Rehabilitation Services, Inc., American, founded 1935
label: Owned by
content: Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr., American, born 1946
notes: label: Caption
content: Charles F. Bolden graduated from the Naval Academy in 1968 and become a Marine Corps aviator, flying more than 100 combat missions over Southeast Asia. In 1980 he was selected a NASA astronaut and flew four space missions. Bolden was eventually appointed the 12th Administrator of NASA. He retired in 2003 as a major general.
label: Description
content: An MS2000 strobe IR/visible distress beacon attached to the survival vest (2014.243.34.1) owned by Charles F. Bolden. The beacon is drab olive green plastic with a black cover and a length of yellow nylon tied to its base. There is a large sticker on either side at the top of the beacon detailing the manufacturing information and safety directions. There is a metal slide switch on one side and a piece of black velcro on the other. The cover of the signal is movable and slides away to reveal the lights. The text [CB5603] is etched into one side of the beacon. The plastic casing near the switch is stamped with battery information and directurs to turn the light on and off. The beacon is attached to a length of white cordage which is tied to a velcroed pocket on the PR side of the vest.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Aeronautics
label: Topic
content: Military
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Tools and Equipment
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr., USMC (Ret)
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2014.243.34.2
objectType: label: Type
content: beacons
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: plastic, metal, nylon
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Beacon): 4 7/16 × 2 3/16 × 1 5/16 in. (11.3 × 5.6 × 3.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (Strap): 7 3/4 × 1 in. (19.7 × 2.5 cm)