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Author
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Topic: Value or rarity of shuttle NAA flight certificates
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billewald
Member Posts: 89
From: Stafford, VA, USA
Registered: Jan 2012
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posted 09-05-2014 04:27 PM
   
I have a number of certificates from various space shuttle missions. They are beige, and on fine linen paper. They read: "FLIGHT CERTIFICATE" and "Was flown on STS FLIGHT 51-E". They are certificates of appreciation, and are signed (facsimile) by the crews and project managers. I am trying to determine if they are rare, valuable, or if they were actually flown as stated. Thank you for your help and knowledge.  |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 09-05-2014 07:40 PM
Gee, I'd really be interested in that one, because 51E was canceled a week before launch (and thus, was unflown)... |
tnperri
Member Posts: 452
From: Malvern, Ohio
Registered: Jun 2011
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posted 09-05-2014 07:42 PM
I found this statement on the Jefferson Space Museum site. By 1973, currency and coins, which could be commercialized on the secondary market, were banned by NASA from being taken along on US space flights — forever altering the tradition on post-Apollo flights. (Even official NAA flight certification dollars were changed to flown certificates on later flights to comply with this regulation.) |
dragon001
Member Posts: 47
From: Allentown, PA, USA
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 09-05-2014 10:43 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Hart Sastrowardoyo:
Gee, I'd really be interested in that one, because 51E was canceled a week before launch (and thus, was unflown)...
Interesting, nasaspaceflight.com shows the cancelled mission saw its payload reassigned... (TDRS-B would later be remanifested for launch on Challenger's STS-51E flight before additional problems with the satellite pushed its launch to the fateful STS-51L/Challenger mission.) While STS 51-E never flew, it's payload was manifested to STS 51-L. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 09-06-2014 12:41 AM
Slightly off-topic, but the cancelation of 51E among other factors, affected other missions. Mary Cleave (whose flight went from a five-person crew to seven) told me she must have worked on 20 different payloads, reflecting the different missions as the schedule moved to the right before she launched on 61B.And speaking of Challenger... Greg Jarvis got bumped from Brandenstein's crew to 51I, to 61C and then to 51L. And wasn't TDRS-B manifested originally as far back as STS-8 before IUS problems from STS-6's deployment of TDRS-A saw its removal? |
JasonB
Member Posts: 1091
From:
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 09-06-2014 09:24 AM
In just reading Mike Mullane's book "Riding Rockets", one of the more sickening parts is his recalling how Garn and Nelson forced their way onto flights using their political pull. The fact that NASA higher ups allowed themselves to be bullied so two useless politicians could score political points, and made room for them by pushing Jarvis back to his death on a Challenger flight he had little business being on, is one of the saddest most maddening things I've read. |
billewald
Member Posts: 89
From: Stafford, VA, USA
Registered: Jan 2012
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posted 09-06-2014 12:56 PM
I enjoyed reading all the posts (whether on topic or not). Along with the 51-E, I have flight certificates from 41-C (STS-13), the third Skylab mission, Apollo-Soyuz ("First International Mission"), STS-4, STS-6, the first Skylab mission, and the second Skylab mission. But, what I understand is that these certificates would have been flown. Thanks again! |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-06-2014 01:21 PM
My guess, Bill, and it is only guess, is that these certificates are souvenir copies of the original NAA flight certificates flown (or, in the case of 51-E, prepared for flight).But maybe they did fly. Perhaps contact the National Aeronautic Association for help? |
billewald
Member Posts: 89
From: Stafford, VA, USA
Registered: Jan 2012
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posted 09-06-2014 03:55 PM
Thanks. Robert |
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