1972 Lithograph "APOLLO 16 LIFTOFF" [Saturn V & Swamp Tree]

1972 Lithograph "APOLLO 16 LIFTOFF" [Saturn V & Swamp Tree] is a vintage Lithographs / Prints artifact by NASA / U.S. Government Printing Office from 1972, preserved in The Record Institute Ephemera Archive.

Category: Lithographs / Prints

Brand: NASA / U.S. Government Printing Office

Year: 1972

Rarity Class: C

Last updated: October 27, 2026

This official 1972 NASA photolithograph documents the thunderous ascent of Apollo 16, humanity's penultimate mission to the lunar surface. Framed by a gnarled dead tree in the foreground, the image provides a striking juxtaposition between the untamed Florida marshland and the apex of 20th-century aerospace engineering.

Quick Read

Subject: Liftoff of the Apollo 16 Saturn V rocket from Kennedy Space Center. Mission Date: April 16, 1972 (explicitly detailed on the reverse down to the millisecond). Crew: John W. Young, Thomas K. Mattingly II, Charles M. Duke, Jr. Publisher: NASA / U.S. Government Printing Office (Imprint 1972—779-250/7, MSCL-87). Condition: Good, with a notable brown smudge on the front lower left margin and minor corner wear.

Summary

This official 1972 NASA photolithograph documents the thunderous ascent of Apollo 16, humanity's penultimate mission to the lunar surface. Framed by a gnarled dead tree in the foreground, the image provides a striking juxtaposition between the untamed Florida marshland and the apex of 20th-century aerospace engineering.

A vintage color photolithograph capturing the liftoff of the Apollo 16 Saturn V rocket. In the background, the white and black rocket ascends on a massive pillar of bright orange fire and smoke into a blue sky dotted with clouds. The midground features dark green marshland and a white domed structure. In the immediate foreground, a large, gnarled dead tree trunk rises from the water on the left, its twisted branches dramatically framing the launch. The water reflects the golden glow of the rocket's exhaust. The bottom white margin features the printed text "APOLLO 16 LIFTOFF" with a noticeable brown smudge on the left. The reverse side features the NASA logo and detailed printed text about the mission and crew.