Apollo 14 Delayed By North Star State

For Apollo 14, crossing the final frontier was easy than crossing the Minnesota border.

The command module that carried American astronauts into space got stalled Friday on the final 15-minute leg of its journey to St. Paul.

The reason the convoy carrying the 12,000-pound spacecraft got stopped at the state line was that the truck company’s permit didn’t allow the oversized load to travel on Minnesota highways until after 4 a.m. Saturday.

The module is part of the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit that opens in the city Oct. 16.

Despite urging from state troopers, the truck-scale operator stood firm. So the spacecraft waited until Saturday to complete the trip.