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| Mercurypgm | Just wanted to remind folks that the space auction is on the 6th. I have a number of lots up for auction and many have very reasonable reserves on some very attractive items. Please take a look and remember you can bid now at their website or live on the 6th. There are bargains to be had so happy hunting. | |||||||
| stsmithva | Several cS members posted above about Lot 65, specifically how unlikely it is that it actually flew in space. I'll add that Lot 72, an Apollo 8 Mission Analyzer, has similar problems. I'll write below what I wrote in an e-mail to a couple of people at Regency-Superior. I haven't received a reply, but I did only write two days ago. Neither of these lots have writing on them, or a separate letter, from an astronaut describing them as flown. This was standard for mementos flown on the missions. Manuals actually used by the astronauts sometimes didn't have such documentation, but this is definitely not true in this case. Neither are items that would have been used by astronauts during a mission. Even though the Apollo 8 mission analyzer is described as "Interesting flight item that must have proved useful to the astronauts", these were in fact produced by the thousands as souvenirs. A wide, flimsy item showing the entire week-long mission would not have been handy when the astronauts had to use manuals with hundreds of events timed to the minute. As for the Saturn Rocket Data Book, you'll notice that it contained general information about several kinds of rockets - not at all the kind of thing astronauts would have carried on a mission when they would need very specific information about the rocket they were on board. To sum up, both of these items were produced in large numbers for general information for people on Earth, and would not have been useful for astronauts on a mission. If they had been flown as mementos (doubtful considering their size), there would have been documentation on them or accompanying them. There is not. There is no reason to think they were flown in space. If Kontaratos or his heirs say they were flown, he or they are mistaken. If someone who worked at NASA came to you with a NASA t-shirt and said that he thought Neil Armstrong wore it on the moon, you wouldn't believe him. I'm afraid this is a similar case. UPDATE: I received an e-mail saying that they had issued errata to read "NOT flown." | |||||||
| Sam Que | quote:I was watching this lot also since I have one that indicates flown to the moon but Dr. Mitchell's COA letter indicates lunar orbit. Did notice there was a correction to this lot recently. Through the years I have purchased several items from Regency. Makes me a bit concerned to purchase from Regency in the future. | |||||||
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