May 2018 Auction Ends Thursday, May 31st, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/31/2018
Set of two memos handwritten by astronaut Gordon Cooper after his successful, but tenuous, flight on Mercury-Atlas 9 in 1963, where Gordon had to manually calculate re-entry into the atmosphere. From these memos, Cooper noticed a film on the Mercury spacecraft windows partly composed of ''human oil'', and after informing NASA of it, with no firm response regarding its mitigation, Gordon decided to write these memos to GPO (Gemini Project Office) and APO (Apollo Project Office), retaining this set for himself as copies.
The more lengthy memo to GPO spans 3.25 pages of 8'' x 10.5'' lined paper, on two sheets. Undated, but circa late 1963 or early 1964, according to Cooper's statement that ''a number of months'' had passed ''to determine if a firm plan has been established'' regarding the problem. Memo reads in full,
''MEMO: Spacecraft Windows
TO: GPO
1. It was found in Project Mercury that some substance apparently off gassed between the two outermost panes of glass to form a greasy scum on the inside of the outside pane. This scum was still apparent both to vision and to feel 24 hours after landing. Analysis showed that this scum contained 'Human oil.'
2. Unsuccessful efforts have been made by this office for a number of months to determine if a firm plan has been established to prevent this occurring in the Gemini Spacecraft windows. It is recommended that immediate action be taken to obtain some solution of pre-cleaning, sealing, nitrogen [?], and installing windows, as an entity to prevent this occurring again. Numerous experiments are involved in the visibility out the windows as well as the back up retro and reentry procedures. This same type of scum could prove rather costly in degrading all these.
3. It is believed that the windows in Apollo are extremely important to the success of the mission. They must be used for orientation in event of early aborts. They must be used for all types of observations. They may be used in back up mid course navigation devices. They must be used if C&SM is used in the alternative [?] method of [?] the CFM. Therefore this [?] feels that it is mandatory that the windows have no determent to visibility from any of the above named sources. It is further recommended that previous garnered data might be used by NAA [North American Aviation] when they are calculating times for normal or emergency operations.
4. It is believed that a visual orientation for aborts @ 100000 is perfectly [?] within the time constraints listed if the windows are not obscured.''
Additional memo to APO spans one page and reiterates some points of the GPO memo, with the additional notes, ''It is noted that NAA apparently has never read any of the Mercury reports since they are: a. Showing no evidence of preventing off gasses / b. [Showing no evidence] of preventing tower rocket smudge. / c. Illustrating orientation procedures suggested by Pre Mercury head shrinkers''.
Memos handwritten in pencil are in near fine condition, on four separate sheets measuring 8'' x 10.5''. Consigned by Darrell Miklos, Cooper's friend who received the memos from Cooper in 2000, and who is featured on the Discovery Channel docu-series ''Cooper's Treasure''.
Gordon Cooper Handwritten Memos From Circa 1964 Regarding Spacecraft Windows -- Cooper Warns NASA of Possible Dangers During the Gemini & Apollo Missions
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