posted 01-12-2025 09:55 AM               

Space Cover 788: The First Woman Launch Commentator

Paul Haney, NASA Public Affairs Officer, served as the Gemini and Apollo launch commentator. This cover he autographed marks Gemini I, the first launch of a Gemini spacecraft in 1964.

Gemini I was the first joint flight of the Gemini capsule and the Titan II launch vehicle. The unmanned flight lasted about 5 hours and the capsule was intentionally destroyed during entry.

Haney was the Voice of Mission Control for Gemini and Apollo after succeeding John "Shorty" Powers who was the launch commentator for Mercury. Haney nicely signed and inscribed this Gemini I "Orbit" cover as the Voice of Gemini.

Twenty-five years after Gemini I, another NASA launch commentator, Lisa Malone, became the first woman launch commentator with the launch of STS-29 in 1989. STS-29 was a 5-day flight and deployed the TDRS-4 satellite.

As Paul Haney did on the Gemini I cover, Malone also nicely signed this STS-29 launch cover and indicated that she was the first woman launch commentator. She also kindly added her words upon liftoff: "Liftoff of STS-29 and Discovery clears the tower..."

posted 01-14-2025 10:50 AM               

Continuing with launch commentators - the top cover is signed by long-time KSC Public Affairs Office Director and STS-51L launch commentator Hugh Harris and also Steve Nesbitt, who provided the public ascent commentary from JSC for 51L after Challenger cleared the tower (stunned, Nesbitt's words, "Obviously a major malfunction", will always be associated with 51L and Challenger.

I also asked astronaut Dick Covey, the 51L Ascent Capcom commentator, to sign a 51L cover (Covey communicated directly with the Challenger crew that was broadcasted to the public and made the famous last words spoken to the crew: "Challenger, you are GO at throttle up!").

I had sent Col. Covey a 51L crew emblem launch cover to sign and he returned it unsigned, but with a note informing me that he would sign any January 28 dated cover other than a crew emblem one. This Ken Havekotte/SCCS 51L rubber stamp cacheted cover was then sent that he did kindly sign and inscribe.

posted 01-14-2025 04:24 PM               

Not seen before for me covers signed by launch commentators.