Lot 98
  • 98

[PROJECT GEMINI]. COOPER'S FLOWN GEMINI 5 MISSION EMBLEM

Estimate
6,000 - 9,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • THE FIRST EMBLEM DESIGNED BY A FLIGHT CREW AND WORN ON THEIR SPACE SUITS
FLOWN cloth crew mission emblem approximately 4 inches in diameter, featuring a white and brown covered wagon with the crew members last names and flight name in red. Mounted between paragraphs on a Typed Letter Signed by GORDON COOPER on his personal stationery. Displayed with an approximately 10 by 8 inch color photograph of the Gemini 5 crew on the prime recovery ship. All mounted on and removable from a 12 ½ by 19 inch tan mat board.

Catalogue Note

The color photograph is INSCRIBED and SIGNED: "You need a shave, CHARLES CONRAD" and "Maybe tomorrow, GORDON COOPER." WITH GORDON COOPER'S signed provenance letter which reads: "This patch flew on the Gemini 5 mission during August 21 to 29, 1965. I was spacecraft commander with fellow astronaut Charles Conrad as pilot. Gemini 5 was the first flight to have a designed crew mission emblem for the United States space program.

The idea for the cover wagon came from a wooden model a family member had whittled. I felt it was the best way to symbolize the pioneering spirit of this early Gemini flight. The '8 days or bust' wording was not added to this run of patches due to a directive from NASA Administrator James Webb. He indicated that a flight time short of eight days could be viewed as a mission failure. We also had to cover that wording with cloth for the patches already sewn on our flight space suits. We did fly the group of patches with the “8 days or bust” in the spacecraft anyway! Our mission completed all eight days and Gemini 5 marked the beginning of the United States lead in manned space exploration."