In 1955, with both the United States and the Soviet Union building missiles that could be used to launch objects into space, the stage was set for the beginning of a competition that became known as the Space Race. On April 12, 1961, Soviet Union surprised the world by launching Yuri Gagarin into around the Earth in a space ship called Vostok 1. On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space, launching in Freedom 7 spacecraft.
Recognizing the need for international cooperation between the states, despite the political and social conflict between them, which became known as the Cold War, on May 10, 1962, Vice President Johnson addressed the National Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Space, revealing that the United States and the USSR both supported a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly in December 1962, which urged member nations to "extend the rules of international law to outer space" and to cooperate in its exploration.
With manned space flights becoming more frequent and with increased chances for spacecraft landing in areas not reachable by the recovery teams of the nation of origin, on December 19, 1967, the UN General Assembly adopted the text of "Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts, and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space".
A copy of that agreement was one of the few official NASA documents that were flown to the Moon on board the Apollo 12 mission. The document was printed on extremely thin velum, which was treated and sterilized by NASA prior to the mission launch. After the return from the mission, it was signed by Lunar Module Pilot Alan L. Bean. Later, a small tear developed in the material of the document, which had to be carefully repaired to stop it from getting bigger.
From the client:
Just a quick note of thanks and appreciation to let you know my document arrived back to me safely and soundly. I am extremely pleased with the result, and I wanted to acknowledge my complete satisfaction with your service and the end product. I've recommended your services to other friends in the space collecting hobby.
All the best,
Richard