Apollo Boilerplate

Apollo "Boilerplate" #1210

From the placard:

"NASA often used "boilerplate" spacecraft as an economical way to evaluate designs when actual an spacecraft was not required.

"Originally Named for the thick boilerplate steel used to construct early units, boilerplates were built to simulate the same size, shape, structure, mass and center of gravity as the actual spacecraft they represented.

"Often heavily instrumented, these craft were used for many types of evaluations, including water impact tests, verifying parachute systems, perfecting flotation collars, and water upright bags. Boilerplates were also extensively used for training recovery crews, and to develop procedures on how to remove astronauts from their spacecraft after splashdown."