Virgo II

The Virgo II lunar lander is the spacecraft that served the "Valiant 11" mission to land the first humans on the Moon.
==Background==
Valiant 11 was used in the first manned lunar landing mission,Museum of Technology terminal entries; museum information, exhibit guide, Spaceflight Exhibits and made contact with the lunar surface on July 16, 1969. The crew of this USSA spacecraft consisted of Captain Richard Wade, Captain Mark Garris and Captain Michael Hagen. These American astronauts became the first humans to walk on a celestial body other than Earth.Museum of Technology placard: "On July 16, 1969, the Virgo II Lunar Lander 'Valiant 11' became the very first manned space vehicle to touch down on the moon. The Valiant 11's crew consisted of Captain Richard Wade, Captain Mark Garris and Captain Michael Hagen of the USSA. We salute these brave and noble men who took the very first steps on a planetary body other than our own."
The Virgo II lander was followed by the Virgo III lander Valiant 12, which landed on the moon on November 14, 1969. The crew left behind a flag that was later picked up during the final manned flight to the moon and brought back down to Earth in 2052.Museum of Technology placard: "This unusual flag was recovered from the surface of the moon by the very last manned flight to its surface in 2052. The flag is from the old 'Valiant 12' Virgo III Lunar Lander that touched down November 14, 1969. It's remarkable condition can be attributed due to its construction; the flag is actually made of special materials to withstand the harsh environment of space."
By January 2077,This is the approximate time of the Fallout - A Special LIVE Report from Galaxy News video; see the respective article for references. the Virgo II lunar lander had been placed on display in the Museum of Technology,Fallout - A Special LIVE Report from Galaxy News news ticker: "VIRGO II LUNAR LANDER NOW ON DISPLAY AT MUSEUM OF TECHNOLOGY IN WASHINGTON, D.C." alongside a flag used during the mission. The flag was stolen shortly thereafter, which was reported on by Galaxy News Network approximately a week following the Battle of Anchorage.Fallout - A Special LIVE Report from Galaxy News news ticker: "FLAG FROM VIRGO II LUNAR LANDING STOLEN FROM MUSEUM OF TECHNOLOGY"
==Characteristics==
The Virgo II was on display in the Museum of Technology in Washington, D.C. at the time of the Great War in 2077, and remains there during the events of Fallout 3. In the quest Galaxy News Radio, Three Dog sends the Lone Wanderer to recover the communications relay dish from the lander in order to improve the signal strength of the Galaxy News Radio broadcast.
Valiant 11 is seen on a Museum of Technology poster, found in multiple locations in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.
A Virgo series lander can be seen in the mural in the Museum of Freedom (see below) in Concord, depicting a battle near the Sea of Tranquility.
==Appearances==
The Virgo II appears in Fallout 3. It is also mentioned in Fallout - A Special LIVE Report from Galaxy News, a promotional video for the Fallout TV series.
==Behind the scenes==
* The Virgo II mission is the Fallout world's counterpart to the real world Apollo 11. The date given for the Virgo II landing is the launch date for Apollo 11, four days before the latter landed on the Moon. The same is true for Virgo III, having landed on the launch date for Apollo 12.
* In design, the lander is an almost exact replica of the Soviet ЛК, pronounced "LK." It was to be the Soviet moon lander as part of their Soyuz moon program, but the program was cancelled before any ЛК were ever flown to the moon. Unlike the Virgo lander, the ЛК was only capable of carrying one occupant.
==Gallery==
Virgo Lunar Lander.jpg||With relay dish
FO3 Museum of Tech interior 21.jpg
FO3 Museum of Tech interior 20.jpg
FO3 Museum of Tech interior 19.jpg
FO3 loading museumtech01.jpg|Loading screen
MuseumTechnologyPoster.png
Mussign3.png|Texture file
Virgo2.png|Texture file
Museum of Freedom Mural.jpg|Museum of Freedom mural, seen in the background of the moon section
FreedomVirgo.jpg|Close-up
Lunar lander note image.png|Image in a note given to the player during Galaxy News Radio
==References==
Non-game
Category:Spacecraft
Category:Fallout 3 miscellaneous world objects
Category:United States Space Administration
Category:Museum of Technology
es:Valiant 11
it:Virgo III
pl:Virgo II
ru:Луноход «Вирго II»
uk:Місяцехід «Вірго II»