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Author Topic:   Mercury Flights Manifest
RISPACE
Member

Posts: 67
From: Warwick, RI USA
Registered: Jan 2006

posted 07-25-2007 10:19 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for RISPACE     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Does anyone have any information on the 6 Mercury Flight manifests? I am curious as to what the astronauts carried with them on their flights.

For example, I know that on Gus Grissom's Liberty Bell 7, he carried 7 Mercury Head Nickels among other items, which were discovered when the capsule was raised in 1999.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 07-25-2007 10:33 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I am not aware that any such manifest exists for Mercury, nor for Gemini (other than PPK lists, which were private to the astronaut) or Apollo prior to Apollo 17.

In regards to the Liberty Bell 7 dimes to which you write, they were on-board without the knowledge of Grissom. Though he carried his own dimes, the dimes found upon raising the capsule (52 of them) were part of a roll of the coins stowed by the engineers behind a panel.

Similarly, silver notes were flown on some of the other missions, without involving the astronaut pilot (until after the flight, when the astronaut was asked to sign the note or the certificate on which it was placed).

Russ Still's Relics of the Space Race has a good chapter about the quantity and type of currency flown on the Mercury and Gemini flights.

RISPACE
Member

Posts: 67
From: Warwick, RI USA
Registered: Jan 2006

posted 07-25-2007 01:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for RISPACE     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for the info.

Yes, they were dimes not nickels. Did not know there were that many of them. I will check out the Relics book.

FFrench
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Posts: 3161
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 07-25-2007 01:49 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for FFrench     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Schirra's Gemini PPK was made public by him - here it is.

Lou Chinal
Member

Posts: 1306
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007

posted 07-25-2007 03:28 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lou Chinal   Click Here to Email Lou Chinal     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Gus Grissom carried in the left leg of his suit: two rolls of fifty dimes each, three one-dollar bills, some small models of the capsule and two sets of pilot's wings. (We Seven pp296-7) Shepard wore his Annapolis ring. A few of the technicians had placed one dollar bills behind Glenns couch in Friendship 7. Scott Carpenter had his Breitling Navitimer on his lift wrist.(24 hour version) Wally & Gordo both wore an Omega Speedmaster. Cooper also carried his father's leather belt. I hope this helps.

RISPACE
Member

Posts: 67
From: Warwick, RI USA
Registered: Jan 2006

posted 07-26-2007 09:49 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for RISPACE     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Amazing stuff. I wonder where these items are now?

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 07-26-2007 10:08 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
In addition to the items identified by Lou, there were also a couple of gag items placed on-board by their fellow astronauts.

Shepard hid a small felt mouse inside Glenn's Friendship 7. Cooper snuck a pack of Tareyton cigarettes aboard Schirra's Sigma 7.

poofacio
Member

Posts: 268
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2006

posted 07-27-2007 01:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for poofacio   Click Here to Email poofacio     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Gordon Cooper wore his father's Masonic ring on his Mercury flight.

Lou Chinal
Member

Posts: 1306
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007

posted 08-24-2007 08:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lou Chinal   Click Here to Email Lou Chinal     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Folling up on this thread a little more. I read somewhere (I think it was an old National Geographic) that tucked somewhere inside Freedom 7 was the Bible that President Eisenhower was sworn in on. Glenn still wears his wedding ring. I think Schirra also carried his Annapolis ring. Scott Carpenter still wears his Breitling Navitimer (he showed it to me). Gordon Cooper had a Bulova Accutron on his right wrist (in addition to the Omega). He said it kept perfect time. The Tareyton cigarettes that were in Sigma 7 were sold a short time ago (Wally drank the whiskey). A story Sam Beddingfield tells of drawing a line on the inside of Friendship 7's hatch so the Velcro could be glued in place. I had a chance to interview Robert Gilruth back in the 1980's. He told me many stories. He ended by saying he thought "Scott Carpenter was a very brave man".

RISPACE
Member

Posts: 67
From: Warwick, RI USA
Registered: Jan 2006

posted 09-04-2007 12:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for RISPACE     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thank you all for the information. I am continuing my search and will post here anything I find.

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