Project Mercury, Signed (7 results)

Hardcover, 311 pages. Condition: Very Good +. Signed on title page by J. L. Pickering and John Bisney. Light bumping to outer spine and to corners. Pages are clean. Binding is tight.

No Binding. Handwritten training journal of Project Mercury astronaut Wally Schirra while completing survival training in the Nevada desert, beginning July 12, 1960, with twenty pages of pencil entries, and five additional sheets of paper, previously laid in to the journal. Small (3.25" x 2.25") sheet size in leather wallet, with "Desert Survival Trng, 12 July" in Schirra's hand to front cover. As part of their NASA training, the Mercury Seven were left in the Nevada desert in order to prepare for the possibility that their capsule might land off-course in the desert at the end of a mission. The present journal accompanied Schirra and the rest of the astronauts as they were flown to a remote point in the Nevada desert and made their way back to base camp. The entries in the journal detail the preparations for this mission and his notes while traveling through the desert. With later signed accompanying note on Schirra's letterhead, providing provenance and his description of the origins of the journal: "The Project Mercury desert survival training diary (including five loose annotated slips of paper), that accompany this letter, come from my personal collection of space memorabilia. It was entirely annotated by my hand during my desert survival training at Stead AFB in Nevada, which commenced on July 12, 1960.". Signed by Author(s).

Large color semi-glossy photograph of the Project Mercury astronauts, signed by six of the Mercury Seven. This group shot was taken in front of a Convair F106-B aircraft at Langley Air Force Base on January 20, 1961. Inscribed or signed next to their respective images in black felt tip: "We are seven privileged men, Scott Carpenter"; "Space is spectacular! Gordon Cooper"; "'Beginnings' John Glenn"; "Wally Schirra A slow Mach II aircraft!"; "It was a pleasure to help start a new era! Alan Shepard"; and "The rudder is still working - DK Slayton." Matted. In fine condition. The photograph measures 13.75 inches by 10.5 inches. The entire piece measures 18 inches by 16 inches. A very sharp piece. In response to the Soviet Union's launch Sputnik 1 satellite on October 4, 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower created a new civilian space agency whose primary goal would be to compete with the Soviets in space. The following year Project Mercury was announced, with the stated aim of launching a man into Earth's orbit and returning him safely. The seven astronauts selected for the program, all members of the United States armed forces, were Gus Grissom, Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Jr., Gordon Cooper, Wally Schirra, and D.K. Slayton. In 1962 Glenn would become the first American to orbit the earth, while Grissom would tragically lose his life in the Apollo 1 disaster on January 27, 1967.

Unused decal honoring ProjectÂMercury; signed by three of the Mercury Seven. Four-cent Project Mercury stamp decal, depicting an illustration of the Freedom 7 capsule in space, surrounded by the surnames of theÂMercury Seven astronauts. Boldly signed along the outer border by Scott Carpenter and Gordon Cooper and by Wally Schirra. In very good condition. "The first seven American astronauts were an admirable group of individuals chosen to sit at the apex of a pyramid of human effortâĤ They chose to lead by following the opportunity that chance, circumstance, technology and history had prepared for them" (Swenson, Grimwood & Alexander). NASA introduced the seven astronauts in Washington on April 9, 1959. Although the agency viewed Project Mercury's purpose as an experiment to determine whether humans could survive space travel, the seven men immediately became national heroes and were compared by TIME magazine to "Columbus, Magellan, Daniel Boone, and the Wright brothers" (TIME 1959).

Envelope. Condition: Very good. Format is approximately 6.5 inches by 3.75 inches. This was issued in Cape Canaveral, Florida on February 20 1962 at 3:30 p.m. This is signed by J H Glenn Jr. on the upper left corner. This envelope may be unique and it certainly is RARE, in that is does not have the graphic and text in color on the left side showing Astronaut Glenn in his space helmet and the Mercury-Atlas rocket lifting off with day of launch and first day of issue text. The left side is unadorned (that is blank). John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 - December 8, 2016) was a U. S. Marine Corps aviator, engineer, astronaut, and politician. He was the third American in space, and the first American to orbit the Earth, circling it three times in 1962. After retiring from NASA, he served from 1974 to 1999 as a Democratic United States Senator from Ohio. Glenn was a distinguished fighter pilot in World War II, and Korean War. He shot down three MiG-15s, and was awarded six Distinguished Flying Crosses and eighteen Air Medals. In 1957, he made the first supersonic transcontinental flight across the United States. He was one of the Mercury Seven, military test pilots selected in 1959 by NASA as the nation's first astronauts. He received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 1962, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978, was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1990, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Aged 77, Glenn flew on Space Shuttle Discovery's STS-95 mission, making him the oldest person to enter Earth orbit, and the only person to fly in both the Mercury and the Space Shuttle programs. Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States. It ran from 1959 through 1963 with the goal of putting a human in orbit around the Earth. The Mercury-Atlas 6 flight on February 20, 1962, was the first Mercury flight to achieve this goal. The Post Office Department honored this first orbital flight of a United States astronaut on February 20, 1962, when it released the Project Mercury commemorative stamp, placed on sale throughout the country at the exact hour Colonel John Glenn's historic flight officially had returned to Earth safely. In case the mission failed or was canceled, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing kept word about the new press and the stamp issue's production a secret. The stamps, waiting at post offices around the U.S., were sealed and marked "Top Secret". Only after Glenn's trip were the postmasters allowed to open the packages and see what was inside. Right after Glenn's safe return, the Post Office released the Project Mercury stamp. It became the first U.S. commemorative stamp issued nearly at the same time as the event occurred, and was released the exact hour the flight was officially completed. Presumed one of multiple originals issued, uniquely signed.

Condition: Very good. Format is approximately 6.375 inches by 3.5 inches. RARE TRIPLE SIGNED POSTCARD. One side is fully illustrated, stating New Concord, Ohio Home of John H. Glenn, Jr. Lt Col USMC with images of the Mercury - Atlas blasting off, Lt. Col. Glenn in the space helmet; the outline of Ohio with an arrow pointing to the location of New Concord, an image of the globe with three orbital tracks, and an image of the space capsule in the water with the recovery vessel, the USS Noah, a destroyer, approaching it. This side is signed between his name in red letters and the outline of Ohio by J. H. Glenn Jr. The other side has the 4 cent Project Mercury stamp canceled with a stamp saying Home of Astronaut Glenn. This was issued in New Concord, Ohio on June 7, 1962 at 2 p.m. There is an address sticker for the recipient on the bottom right side. On the left side are the signatures of John H. Glenn Sr and Clara Glenn, the astronaut's parents!!! Astronaut Glenn returned to his home town and was given a welcoming parade on March 3, 1962, so this first day of issuance of this specially illustrated postcard was several months after his initial return to his home town and also several months after the February 20, 1962 first day of issue cover of the Project Mercury stamp from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Research up to the time of cataloguing this item has failed to identify any other items triple signed by Astronaut John H. Glenn, Jr and his father John H. Glenn, Sr. and his mother Clara Glenn. This may be a unique surviving artifact. John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 - December 8, 2016) was an American aviator in the United States Marine Corps, engineer, astronaut, businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space, and the first American to orbit the Earth, circling it three times in 1962. After retiring from NASA, he served from 1974 to 1999 as a Democratic United States Senator from Ohio. Before joining NASA, Glenn was a distinguished fighter pilot in World War II, Chinese Civil War and Korean War. He shot down three MiG-15s, and was awarded six Distinguished Flying Crosses and eighteen Air Medals. In 1957, he made the first supersonic transcontinental flight across the United States. He was one of the Mercury Seven, military test pilots selected in 1959 by NASA as the nation's first astronauts. On February 20, 1962, Glenn flew the Friendship 7 mission, becoming the first American to orbit the Earth. He received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 1962, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978, was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1990, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Aged 77, Glenn flew on Space Shuttle Discovery's STS-95 mission, making him the oldest person to enter Earth orbit, and the only person to fly in both the Mercury and the Space Shuttle programs. Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States. It ran from 1959 through 1963 with the goal of putting a human in orbit around the Earth. The Mercury-Atlas 6 flight on February 20, 1962, was the first Mercury flight to achieve this goal. The Post Office Department honored this first orbital flight of a United States astronaut on February 20, 1962, when it released the Project Mercury commemorative stamp, placed on sale throughout the country at the exact hour Colonel John Glenn's historic flight officially had returned to Earth safely. In case the mission failed or was canceled, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing kept word about the new press and the stamp issue's production a secret. The stamps, waiting at post offices around the U.S., were sealed and marked "Top Secret". Only after Glenn's trip were the postmasters allowed to open the packages and see what was inside. Right after Glenn's safe return, the Post Office released the Project Mercury stamp. It became the first U.S. commemorative stamp issued nearly at the same time as the event occurred, and was released the exact hour the flight was.

Condition: Very Good. JAMES ALTON McDIVITT is an American former test pilot, United States Air Force pilot, aeronautical engineer and NASA astronaut who flew in the Gemini and Apollo space programs. He commanded the Gemini 4 flight during which Ed White performed the first spacewalk, and later the Apollo 9 flight which was the first crewed flight test of the Lunar Module and the complete set of Apollo flight hardware. He later became Manager of Lunar Landing Operations and was the Apollo Spacecraft Program Manager from 1969 to 1972. Offering a first-day issue, Project Mercury, commemorating the first orbital flight by Astronaut John H. Glenn, Jr. postmarked Cape Canaveral, FLA., Feb. 20, 1962, signed by McDivitt in a bold signature. Excellent condition. Image is from the internet. Everything we sell is guaranteed authentic forever to the original buyer. We also offer a 30-day return policy. If you discover a problem or are dissatisfied with an item, please contact us immediately. Our goal is to please every customer. We are pleased to be members of The Manuscript Society, Universal Autograph Collectors Club, The Ephemera Society, the Southern New England Antiquarian Booksellers and the Preferred Autograph Dealers and Auction Houses. [AM 187].