Sale 937 — 2007 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Saturday, 16 June, 2007
Category — Space Flights
Apollo 6 Signed Cover. Cover bearing 1c and 5c stamps tied by "Kennedy Space Center, Fl. Apr. 4, 1968" machine cancel and addressed to Germany, signed by 18 astronauts incl. Alan Shepard, Buzz Aldrin, and other notablesVERY FINE. AN ATTRACTIVE SPACE MEMORABILIA ITEM, CANCELLED ON LAUNCH DAY OF THE APOLLO 6 UNMANNED FLIGHT INTO SPACE.
The Apollo 6 mission was the second (and last) unmanned test flight of the Saturn V launch vehicle. The flight lasted just over ten hours. Events of the launch were overshadowed, because Martin Luther King,Jr. was assassinated on the same day.
1970, Apollo 13 Moon Exploration Cover. No. 1371 tied by "Ellington Air Force Base, TX 77030 Apr. 19 P.M. 1970" datestamp on unaddressed flown cover, signed by the three astronauts -- James Lovell, Ken Mattingly and Fred Haise -- with blue pen "Flown aboard Apollo 13 in my ppk, James Lovell" and second strike of datestamp on reverseEXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB FLOWN APOLLO 13 SPACE COVER. THIS COVER IS NO. 41 OF 50 CARRIED BY LOVELL AROUND THE MOON.
The covers were prepared by M.I. Radnofsky, who gave them to Lovell to carry in his NASA approved personal preference kit (ppk) on the Apollo 13. After landing at Ellington AFB, Lovell gave the covers to Radnofsky, who took them to the base post office for handstamp cancels. Once they received the cancels, they were handed back to Radnofsky, who then returned the covers to Lovell. Of course, the story of how this mission almost ended in tragedy is well-documented and later publicized in the popular 1995 film. Also, Mattingly never participated in the flight. He was exposed to German measles prior to launch, and NASA officials feared he may develop symptoms during the mission. John Swigert replaced him.
With notarized letter by Radnofsky detailing his involvement, notarized letter signed by Lovell and a copy of a list of Lovell's ppk, also signed by Lovell.
Last offered in our Sale 826, where it realized $15,500 hammer.
1971, Apollo 15 Moon Exploration Cover. Pair of No. 1278 and 1371 tied by Kennedy Space Center Jul. 26, 1971 machine cancel, No. 1435a tied by "U.S.S. Okinawa (LPH-3) Aug 7, 1971 AM" datestamp on cacheted flown cover, numbered "115 of 300" and signed by the three astronauts -- David Scott, Al Worden and James Irwin -- two copies of printed enclosure, accompanied by a typed certification signed by Worden, Scott and Irwin, NASA serial no. 283 on backFRESH AND EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE GREAT ITEMS OF MODERN POSTAL HISTORY.
The card enclosure explains: "This cover is #[115] of 300 postmarked just prior to the launch of Apollo 15 on July 26, 1971 at Kennedy Space Center; stowed aboard the spacecraft in a sealed fireproof jacket; carried on the LM 'FALCON'; returned to earth in CM 'ENDEAVOUR'; and postmarked immediately after splashdown on August 7, 1971 by the U.S. Navy Postal Station aboard the recovery ship USS OKINAWA." A large number of the flown covers were held by the United States government and only released to Alfred Worden after litigation. This is one of those covers.
1971, Apollo 15 Flight -- Carried to the Moon -- 1928, December 17 Cover Commemorating 25th Anniversary of Wright Bros. First Flight. Cover bearing 5c Aeronautics Conference (650) tied by "Jackson Mich. Dec. 17, 1928" duplex on cacheted cover commemorating Wright Bros. First Flight, signed by Orville Wright, accompanied by letter from Alfred M. Worden on NASA stationery certifying that this was carried aboard the command module Endeavor during the Apollo 15 flight to the moonVERY FINE. A GREAT SPACE FLIGHT CURIOSITY AND CONVERSATION PIECE -- THIS COVER, SIGNED BY ORVILLE WRIGHT ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS FIRST FLIGHT, WAS THEN CARRIED TO THE MOON ON THE APOLLO 15 FLIGHT.
Orville Wright passed away on January 30, 1948 (his brother Wilbur having died in 1912).