|
|
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Alan Shepard and 'Freedom 7 II' marking
|
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2043
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
|
posted 01-11-2017 03:50 PM
   
Together with another couple of researchers, I am interested in finding out how the inscription "Freedom 7 II" came to be on the side of Mercury Spacecraft 15, and who authorised this. I can only find vague references to Alan Shepard having the name painted on the side of this modified spacecraft in the hopes of flying it on a final, long-duration Mercury mission, which never came to fruition. So the first question is, does anyone know how and when this inscription came to be painted on the spacecraft (presumably by someone at McDonnell), and under whose authority, and if any photos exist of this happening before the spacecraft was officially retired to museum status bearing this name? Did Shepard get official permission for the paint job, or did he simply have the authority and ego to put this through as a work order to the McDonnell people? It's an intriguing question, and I'm hoping someone might be able to shed further light on the subject, and perhaps point me to any reference material pertaining to this.  |
Fra Mauro
Member Posts: 1624
From: Bethpage, N.Y.
Registered: Jul 2002
|
posted 01-12-2017 10:50 AM
I can't find any direct evidence but I can make logical deductions as perhaps you have. I have sen photos of insignias being painted on Mercury spacecraft while on the launch pad. Since Freedom 7 II was never officially announced or put on the pad, I would think that Shepard had it done on his own, hoping that it would fly. Ego yes, plus the respect of the McDonnell people. I don't think NASA would allow photos of this for a mission that they didn't think would go. When was it done? Anytime before June '63 when NASA made the announcement about it. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 01-12-2017 01:20 PM
Maybe the inscription was painted on the capsule by the same McDonnell engineer who painted Faith 7 on Cooper's capsule.
|
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2043
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
|
posted 01-12-2017 04:09 PM
Yes, I agree; quite possibly the job went to B.R. Schuster from McDonnell as well (spacecraft artist Cece Bibby had moved on after Sigma 7), but hopefully someone can pinpoint a possible date it was painted onto Spacecraft 15B and whether the authority to do so came from Shepard himself. | |
Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts
Copyright 2020 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.
Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a
|
|
|
 advertisement
|
