Space News
space history and artifacts articles

Messages
space history discussion forums

Sightings
worldwide astronaut appearances

Resources
selected space history documents

  collectSPACE: Messages
  Hardware & Flown Items
  First space memorabilia collected from orbit

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   First space memorabilia collected from orbit
Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 44490
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 08-20-2020 12:00 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
collectSPACE
First American flag launched and returned from orbit 60 years ago

The first American flag to be flown into space and return to Earth intact did so 60 years ago this month — nine months earlier than another flag said to hold the same distinction.

Secretly stowed on board the first human-made object to be recovered from orbit, the U.S. flag was revealed during a White House ceremony on Aug. 15, 1960.

"Within this capsule, Mr. President, are a great many telemetering equipments and other scientific instruments, however there is one other package," Gen. Thomas White, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, said, addressing then-President Dwight Eisenhower before a small audience of military and government officials. "This is a national flag."

stsmithva
Member

Posts: 1976
From: Fairfax, VA
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 08-20-2020 08:54 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for stsmithva   Click Here to Email stsmithva     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Interesting! I wonder on which Discoverer mission they started adding a flag.

Here is a good article describing each one; it looks like a few landed on land. Could the real first American flag flown into space be found someday, in the Arctic or in a desert?

All times are CT (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts

Copyright 2020 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.


Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a





advertisement