|
|
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Multi-signed Apollo 11 descent chart print
|
Go4EVA!
New Member Posts: 8
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Jun 2011
|
posted 07-03-2020 12:02 PM
   
I inherited this print from an Apollo-era friend at NASA, and I am trying to figure out the history behind it. How did it get started? How many were printed? Approximate value? I'm hoping the members here can help. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3044
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
|
posted 07-03-2020 12:12 PM
So it's definitely a print and not an original as I have not seen one before? It does have some great signatures, including a few astronauts like Scott, Schweickart, McDivitt, Schmitt, Slayton, and Glenn. But I did notice autopen signatures were included of the Apollo 11 crew in addition to other autographs of a lot of key NASA pioneers and leaders from Headquarters and the Manned Spacecraft Center at the time. |
Go4EVA!
New Member Posts: 8
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Jun 2011
|
posted 07-03-2020 12:16 PM
I am pretty sure this is a print, as a buddy of mine said he had seen one of these before — but didn't have a lot of history on it. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 44177
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 07-03-2020 12:25 PM
I do not recall seeing this print before, but in addition to the autographs of many Apollo 11 flight control team members, some of the signatures point to the original having been signed in Mission Control on July 20, 1969.For example, John Glenn was five years retired from NASA in 1969, but was a guest in Mission Control for the landing. Where was Michael Collins' family for the landing? As there is a "Mike Collins" who signed (right of center) that could be his son. As Ken mentioned, astronaut signatures include Jack Schmitt, Dave Scott, Al Worden, Deke Slayton, Rusty Schweickart, Charles Conrad and Al Shepard. Were any of them known not to be in Mission Control that day? I wonder what became of the original? It really deserves a place of honor hanging in the Mission Control Center, if it is not already there. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3044
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
|
posted 07-03-2020 01:43 PM
It's a great "original" piece out there, wherever it may be and most likely, it had been signed during the mission on July 20th while inside the MCC. I did catch another astronaut signature, Charlie Duke, and even a few folks not from Headquarters or MSC, such as Dr. Eberhard Rees of MSFC and M. Phillips of NAA. Didn't see anyone from KSC, though, with the majority of the signers from the Houston space center. I did see a "_ Mike Collins," but it's another Collins altogether not related to the astronaut's family since there were no other crew family members included, it would appear to me. Perhaps someone during the flight, though, took the poster and had the autopen signatures of the crew applied. You can see Armstrong and Collins in the middle with Aldrin in the right-middle side area. It's a fascinating assembly of major players in Apollo 11's lunar landing. When I was a kid, I recall writing to so many people that have signed the poster. I would guess about 30 or more people I wrote letters to during 1970-71 or so, maybe even more, as I see so many familiar names. I do know that Glenn and Shepard were at the MCC during landing, and I think I do recall a picture of Rees inside the VIP observation area, but I wonder where Wernher von Braun was on that historic day. I guess he was busy at Huntsville along with Debus at KSC. If I can, I'll try to find out where some of these NASA icons or pioneers were on that special day. Like Robert said, the original certainly deserves a place of honor and recognition and what more than a better place than the MCC. It's too bad, though, the the chart wasn't hand signed by the crew before the mission, and on top of that, could you imagine if other assigned Apollo flight crews had signed? Most of the later Apollo flights were named by this time even though there were changes with Lovell, Shepard, Swigert, and Schmitt in their assignments. But Shepard and Schmitt were already on the print, therefore, future moonwalkers not included would be Armstrong and Aldrin (autopen instead), Bean, Haise (intended to land), Mitchell, Irwin, Young (why didn't he sign?), and with Engle (also intended to land) along with Cernan. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 44177
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 07-03-2020 02:35 PM
If indeed it is a record of who was in Mission Control for the moon landing, then I think it stands better as a testament to that event than a collection of autographs. So I do not think it is missing anything by not having future crew members or the Apollo 11 crew themselves.In essence, this is the ultimate sign-in sheet for one of the most momentous events of all of human history at the primary location associated with the event on Earth. (Again, assuming that is indeed what this is.) |
Go4EVA!
New Member Posts: 8
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Jun 2011
|
posted 07-03-2020 02:36 PM
I appreciate all the great comments and observations. I have pored over this print for many long periods of time, just wondering about the background. I am certainly not an expert, and I have never removed it from the frame, but I just can't believe that this is an "original" copy.I am a retired NASA-JSC employee and the person who left this to me was a former boss of mine. He worked in Engineering with space suits and life support systems in the Apollo era, but was never a front-room flight controller. I have often wondered if the "original" might have been left lying on a table for days/weeks prior to launch, so people could come in and sign it during sims and other training events. Then, on landing day, honored MCC guests were invited to add their signatures. Who knows? I had no idea some of the signatures were added by autopen, but I trust your expertise. Thank you all for your time and attention. |
Kevmac
Member Posts: 274
From: College Station, TX
Registered: Apr 2003
|
posted 07-03-2020 09:50 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Ken Havekotte:
I wonder where Wernher von Braun was on that historic day.
Ken, in the recent book "John Houbolt, the Unsung Hero of the Apollo Moon Landings," the Epilogue section on page 278 says that on July 20, Houbolt arrived early to the MCC Visitor Room and saw Wernher von Braun enter. He also spotted Gilruth, Brainerd Holmes, Joseph Shea, and George Low in MCC. One more thing that was fun to read here was that von Braun, a few minutes after the landing when the room quieted down, stood up and shouted "Where is John Houbolt?" who then received a round of applause from the audience in the room (a bit off-topic). |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3044
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
|
posted 07-03-2020 10:09 PM
That's good information to know, as I didn't know or had forgotten that von Braun was at the MCC on July 20th. I did see on the chart signatures of Gilruth, Houbolt, and Low, but did not see Shea, Holmes, nor von Braun included. That would seem to indicate that perhaps not all of the VIPs on hand for man's first lunar landing signed the chart. |
Andy Anderson
Member Posts: 89
From: Perth, Australia
Registered: Dec 2009
|
posted 07-04-2020 12:11 AM
Looking in the Apollo Program Flight Ops 35th Anniversary Reunion and Mission History book: ...the original of this autographed Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Trajectory chart may have originated in the Flight Dynamics Staff Support room and then picked up other signatures from those in the MOCR and the crew (autopen) later.  By the way, according to the Staffing List, the other "Mike Collins" signature was Mike A Collins Jr., who was responsible for Data Management in the Flight Dynamics SSR. | |
Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts
Copyright 2020 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.
Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a
|
|
|
 advertisement
|
