posted 12-08-2013 12:15 PM               

I was 7 years-old when Sputnik was launched by the Russians in 1957. Their unexpected action caused a storm of concern in the West that the Soviet Communists would gain military and scientific superiority. Thus, the "space race" began, with President Eisenhower under intense pressure to do something. As a result NASA was formed a year later in 1958 and charged with regaining American leadership in space.

Engineers at NASA came up with Project Mercury as a way to get Americans into orbit. They chose the Redstone rocket for suborbital flights and the Atlas rocket for orbital missions. They started to design, with major contributions by Max Faget, a capsule to carry men into space.

NASA then needed to choose who would be the occupants of these new space machines. An early, and wise, decision was to limit the pool of applicants to test pilots, who by trade were both pilots and engineers used to putting new aircraft through their initial paces.

There was intense interest as to the identity of the first space pilots. I clearly remember in 1959 when the "Original 7" Mercury astronauts were introduced with great fanfare. That same year, one of my ninth birthday presents was an illustrated Disney book by Willy Ley called "Space Pilots," my first space book.

As the Mercury astronauts trained, the Soviets continued to progress launching larger unmanned satellites and then dogs into orbit. In April, 1961 I remember coming home from school at age 10 and my Dad pointed to the Chicago Daily News which headlined Yuri Gagarin's flight. I remember feeling distinctly disappointed that a Russian was the first man in space and not an American (this was the height of the Cold War).

Like other American kids at the time, I exulted in the pioneering U.S. flights by Shepard, Grissom, Glenn, Carpenter, Schirra (a favorite of mine) and Cooper.

In the Fall of 1963 I clearly remember reading an article in the Chicago Daily News about a teenage boy who had written all the astronauts at the time (the "Original 7" and the "Next 9"). He had a collection of letters and pictures from them.

With my already existing interest in space, I asked myself: why not me? So I hand wrote individual letters to the "Original 7" at the end of October, 1963 describing a 13 year-old's fascination with space exploration and what they had been doing.

A few weeks went by and then I received a thin envelope from NASA with a letter dated December 2, 1963 signed by four of the "Original 7" — Alan Shepard, Scott Carpenter, Wally Schirra, and Gordon Cooper.

This typed letter sheet (TLS) was the first piece in a space collection that later has encompassed photos, flight plans, books, prints, lithographs, and philatelic items — many of them autographed—over the last half century.

posted 12-09-2013 08:05 PM               

Through that summer of 1963, I read every space book that was in the Wichita library! And bought every magazine that had a space article in it (that I could afford on a 25 cents/week allowance...lol).

A year or two later I started collecting US stamps. Another year or two passed before I discovered the ultimate crossover...space stamps and covers! So I officially entered space collecting in about 1967.

I exhibited space stamps in the Wichita Stamp Show as a junior exhibitor in the early '70's. Then lost track of my space interest while in college in the late '70's.

posted 12-14-2013 07:28 AM               

I was interested in space/aviation prior to that (I remember watching the launch & landing of STS-1 on TV), but it wasn't until we got to Edwards that I recall owning any space "stuff." My mom worked in public affairs, and it was from watching the landing of STS-5 on that I started to accumulate NASA lithos, press kits, etc, and bought my first space patches. I was endlessly fascinated with the history of the high desert, X-planes, etc. and that's when I really caught the bug.

posted 12-17-2013 09:30 PM               

For me, it was 1959, I was taken to the local Raytheon plant that would build the Apollo Guidance Computer a few years down the road. My older brother was writing a report on rockets and missiles. While at the company, the manager who guided us through the plant gave each of a small piece of Mylar which was the same as the material used on the Echo satellite. I was hooked from then on and collected newspapers, toys, magazines and NASA related public relations pieces for then on.

Yes, college, sports and women took over until about 1995. Then I found out that one could buy flown artifacts at Superior and various dealers. I was off on the collecting binge again. Haven't stopped since.

The Chinese have landed on the Moon, Pad 39A has been privatized and I am working in antiquities.

posted 12-30-2013 01:19 PM               

I have always had a love for space. I don't know how it started, no one in my family follows it, but maybe it has something to do with my parents getting me a plastic model of the Saturn V for one of my early birthdays. I still have it today, only the American flag is scribbled out and coloured in with green, white and amber!

I started properly following the space programme during STS-135. I know what you're thinking- what a time to start! When I saw Atlantis calling into port at KSC for the final time, I knew I wanted to be involved in space flight, astronomy, EVERYTHING!

I started collecting autographs in January 2012, when I received my first success from Gene Kranz. I don't think I've ever been so excited to go home and check the mail than when I was told on my way home from school that day that there was a letter at home for me from Texas. At the time I only had one request out, so I knew it had to come from the man himself. I think I smiled for the rest of the week!

Since then I have gone on to write to a lot of astronauts, cosmonauts, flight directors, pilots and scientists, and let's just say my collection is filling up nicely! I have also made some really great friends during this time, all of whom have helped me out so much already. I know, and I hope they know that I would be nothing without them.

At the start I guess I was just a distant admirer and enthusiast of the space programme, and believe me, on the edge of Europe here in Ireland you really do feel distant from time to time! Many of you know that I have been writing my own blog about space exploration, and some of you may not. It's called Irish Space Blog and writing about space and astronomy is something I really enjoy doing. Check it out if you want!

posted 12-30-2013 01:44 PM               

But the discovery of a deep love for the Apollo Program took place in the 90's when I realized that the Apollo astronauts were beginning to die... I was afraid of not meet never!

Today I smile at the thought, I am a lucky man because I knew them almost all with a lot of them we are excellent friends.