posted 09-09-2007 11:13 PM               

quote:

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This is a fantastic item! I am selling this for the widow of a gentleman who was a collector of NASA and Air Force memorabilia. He purchased this in 1975 at a General Electric Space Division auction at the Valley Forge Space Center. I have the documentation which I will include with the suit. I am selling this suit as is. The outer suit is quite delicate especially the interior and may be damaged if put on or improperly cleaned. The suit is large regular in size and the gloves are sized Schirra which indicates that the suit was sized for astronaut Walter Schirra. I make no claims that this suit has been in space or was actually worn by Schirra as i have no proof of this.

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posted 09-10-2007 11:33 AM               

However given the sort of money it is likely to fetch it's worth mentioning a few questions I have over the likelihood of the whole suit being Schirra's.

The main suit itself and the blue suit liner look to be a genuine David Clark G4C suit as used on most of the Gemini flights. However, their serial numbers include an Air Force designation (AFGCL-4C5), suggesting this suit was not made for NASA's astronaut corps. Certainly none of the dozens of NASA Gemini suits I've found records for include an AF designation on any part of the suit. More obviously, the suit has an Air Force patch and 'Large Regular' on the chest where the NASA patch and astronaut's name patch should be. This is the first thing that raises a question mark if the suit is meant to be Schirra's.

The helmet is not a Gemini helmet. The mention of GE in the serial number suggests it is a General Electric item, possibly ground support (i.e. fuel handler's suit), possibly a prototype. The lack of a good clear photo makes it hard to say more.

The gloves marked Schirra look to be genuine NASA Gemini gloves - however, they are from a G3C suit which raises another doubt that they were originally associated with this G4C suit. Also, it appears from the photos that they maybe lacking the internal pressure layer i.e. they are TMG only. The fingers look a bit too flexible in the photos for there to be rubber layers underneath. The second set of gloves pictured look like they could be Gemini pressure bladders without any outer layers, but they also bear a resemblance to the sort of gloves seen on some fuel handler's suits. Better photos of both sets of gloves and more info about them would help.

The boots are standard Gemini G4C with no mention of Air Force in their part numbers, identical to typical NASA issue.

The urine collection device I leave to others with more inquiring minds than mine...

Certainly this is the best part of a David Clark spacesuit, built to the design used in the Gemini missions. What use it was put to by the Air Force could make for interesting research - possibly the MOL or the AMU program but I'm only guessing.

As someone who owns a few frail spacesuits already the description is very honest regarding condition; the mention of black beads leaking from the leg could suggest that the suit's rubber pressure layer has crumbled. A David Clark glove in my collection had fingers stuffed with fine black fragments - all that remained of the pressure bladder.

I'll post these comments onto the seller and see what he comes back with.

Cheers,
Matt

posted 09-13-2007 05:13 PM               

The "Size: Schirra" labeling is typical of all MGA era gloves and means the gloves were specifically made for that particular astronaut to use. As I said above, I don't see anything compelling to convince me that the suit that accompanies them in the auction is necessarily Schirra's though.

Cheers,
Matt

posted 09-13-2007 07:26 PM               

It is speculating I know, but it could explain the glove labels.

Edited by Jay Chladek on September 13, 2007 at 07:27 PM.

posted 09-14-2007 03:10 AM               

Cheers,
Matt