Gemini Spacecraft Boilerplate

This is a very rare Gemini boilerplate that is a 1:1 scale model of the actual spacecraft. These boilerplates were made to train the astronauts, recovery crews, engineers and others, in all aspects of the Gemini spacecraft. The Gemini missions are often overlooked by many, but it was this program that taught NASA how do orbital mechanics, rendezvous between 2 spacecraft, long term spaceflight, walking in space, working in space and the other skills required to go to the moon and back.

A great website to see what happened to the US spacecraft and boilerplates is http://www.americanspacecraft.com/ .

This Gemini boilerplate is serial number MSC 312, it was used by the 79th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron and it trained the Gemini recovery divers in the N. Calif ocean. It weighs 3500 lbs, it's 8.5' long, the heatshield area is 8' in diameter and I found it in a N. Calif. cemetery. It was common for the Mercury, Gemini & Apollo boilerplate models to be sold for scrap or given to schools or playgrounds, after the program was completed.

I wanted to keep it because it's such a rare artifact, but when I offered it to museums for a loan, nobody was interested, so I ended up selling it. My wife told me that if I bought it home, there better be enough room for a bed, because I would be moving into it. As a result, it's headed to a good home back east.

Neil Armstrong Vintage Autograph 1962

Neil Armstrong Vintage Autograph 1962

This is a pristine NASA glossy autographed photo of Neil Armstrong when he was first selected to be an astronaut in 1962. This photo was inscribed to the wife of Grant Lathe, who was a NASA graphic artist and a friend to the astronauts. A funny thing about this photo, it was one of the earliest photos he autographed after his selection as astronaut.

Neil signed this photo on the black suit, which doesn't show up well, unless you look at it from an angle. I've been told bya few long time collectors, that this was one of the first autographs Neil did on this photo, because he didn't realize that it wouldn't show up well. After this photo was autographed, Neil always signed over his head or under the NASA logo. Regardless, the autograph is a gorgeous example of his vintage signature.

Armstrong Autograph 1962-63

Neil Armstrong Vintage Autograph 1962-63

This is a pristine 1962 NASA glossy photograph of the 2nd group (The New Nine) of astronauts right after their selection in 1962 and it's signed by Neil Armstrong on the front and Tom Stafford on the back.

I bought the collection of Grant Lathe from his family at the 2006 San Antonio UACC show. Grant was a NASA graphic artist and a friend to all of the Mercury, Gemini & Apollo astronauts. There were hundreds of vintage signed photos in Grant's collection, as well as dozens of examples of early NASA concept drawings, many hundreds of NASA photos and publications.

The beautiful Santa Claus poster shown here was done by Grant before John Glenn's Friendship 7 mission.

Apollo 17 Flown Cereal Cube

Apollo 17 Flown Cereal Cube