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[IMG]http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2323/13132186/24495153/411378338.jpg[/IMG] [i]A launch cover for the Apollo 10 lunar mission and signed by Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot Gene Cernan on this desirable Heritage cachet cover on launch day, May 18, 1969, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. This is what transpired for the successful launch of the Apollo 10 mission that would qualify the next Apollo mission, Apollo 11, to attempt to land astronauts on the Moon. However, there is also a backstory for events that would have drastically interfered with and possibly would have cancelled the successful launch of Apollo 10. That backstory is this week's Space Cover of the Week's story.[/i] [IMG]http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2323/13132186/24495153/411378346.jpg[/IMG] [i]A crew signed launch cover on an Orbit cachet cover is a very difficult cover to find for the Apollo 10 mission, the mission that would provide a go or no go for the Apollo 11 lunar mission two months later that would take astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins to the Moon for America's manned spaceflight landing. The matter of fact cover pictured is cancelled on the Apollo 10 mission launch date of May 18, 1969, with a large circular hand cancel, at Cape Canaveral, Florida. But it does not explain the exciting events of the night prior to the launch of the Apollo 10 mission.[/i] [b]Space Cover #321: Astronaut Arrest Scrubs Moon Mission?[/b] The night before the launch, with special permission to go off base to tell his wife and daughter goodbye, Gene Cernan is admonished that serious consequences would result if anyone sees or recognizes him away from his astronaut quarters near the launch site. He travels on back roads to see his wife and daughter and gets back in his rental car to go back to his astronaut quarters later that night. Cernan is stopped by a police officer on Banana River Drive for speeding. After a few preliminary questions about driving over the speed limit, the officer notes he is driving a rental car, and asks him where he lives. Cernan says Houston. The police officer incredulously shakes his head, and then says, "You live in Texas and have a California license, and you are drivin' in Florida?" He questions, "Where y'all goin' in such a hurry?" Hoping to only get a moving violation ticket and a fine, with no one the wiser that he is the Lunar Module Pilot of the Apollo 10 lunar mission, Cernan hopes he can continue back to this astronaut quarters and get this mess behind him. But it isn't playing out this way. Trying to provide only minimal information, Cernan finally replies, "Officer, if I told you, you wouldn't believe me anyway." The police officer decides to take him back to the police station in order to understand all this. Cernan in his mind is stunned and visualizes the morning headlines in the newspaper, "Astronaut Arrest Scrubs Moon Mission!" The police officer says, "Step out of the car, please," and reaches for his handcuffs just as a battered Volkswagen abruptly stops on the other side of the road to see what is going on. It turns out to be the launch complex's "Pad Führer," Guenter Wendt, in charge of the launch pad during the Apollo 10 launch operation, surprisingly says to Cernan, "Cheeno! Vaht you doink out here?! You should be gettink ready!" After Wendt explains to the police officer that Gene Cernan is in the Apollo 10 crew to go to the Moon, the police officer is stumped and resignedly says, "I've heard a lot of **** -and-bull stories in my life, and if you think I'm gonna believe this one, you're crazy!" He walks away shaking his head, "...get the hell outta here! And go to your Moon!"
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