Posts: 1522
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Feb 2006

posted 12-07-2011 04:21 PM               

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Is anyone aware of an astronaut gathering or reunion in JSC sometime between November 1975 and February 1977? Would there have been an occasion where all of the currently-active astronauts plus a couple ex-astronauts (specifically, Lovell and Conrad) would be in the Astronaut Office at about the same time? Maybe for the Bicentennial?

I realized the other day that a piece I have, signed by 34 astronauts at JSC, represented every astronaut currently active for NASA between the above-mentioned dates, except for Joe Allen, who was in DC as an Assistant Administrator for NASA that year. Also included were Conrad and Lovell, who had both left NASA by that point.

I've seen the photo of the August 1978 gathering, and this is a totally different gathering of fellows.

The 34 signers were: Conrad, Lind, Mattingly, Kerwin, Shepard, Henize, Truly, Carr, McCandless, Lovell, Swigert, Roosa, Peterson, Fullerton, Lenoir, Weitz, Bean, Bobko, Hartsfield, Brand, Overmyer, Crippen, Haise, Lousma, Evans, Slayton, Young, Musgrave, Cernan, Parker, Wm. Thornton, Pogue, Engle, and Schweickart.

Posts: 3811
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005

posted 12-07-2011 04:42 PM               

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If it's a typical presentation piece to a NASA worker, I suspect they gather signatures from whomever is available at any given time. Lovell and Conrad may have simply been "in the neighborhood" visiting the astronaut office when they were asked to sign some future presentations for employees. (I'm guessing they often prepare multiple presentations at any given time, so they would have a few of these on hand when they were needed.)

I witnessed a similar event at a KSC building last year. We were taking a tour of the ISS facility and an ex-astronaut on our tour (Hoot Gibson) was asked at the front desk to sign a presentation for a retiring employee (which he happily did).

Posts: 1522
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Feb 2006