THE PROJECT MERCURY ASTRONAUTS Rare full signatures from the 7 astronauts instrumental in the success of America's space program. FDC signed: "John A. Glenn, Jr.”, “Donald K. Slayton”, “Walter W Schirra Jr”, “Leroy G Cooper Jr”, “Alan B. Sheppard Jr”, “M. Scott Carpenter” and “Virgil I. Grissom”. 6¼ x 3¾, circa 1962. Fine condition. Framed to an overall size of 30 x 22. The seven astronauts of Project Mercury signed this cover to commemorate John Glenn's full orbit of the earth while aboard the Mercury-Atlas 6 Friendship 7. Thirteen minutes before this cover was postmarked on the momentous day of February 20, 1962, Glenn was launched into orbit: he travelled 83,450 miles in 4 hours and 55 minutes and completed three revolutions around the Earth. Project Mercury had been designed to place the first American into outer space. This goal was attained two years after these seven astronauts were chosen (April 1959),

NEIL ARMSTRONG Two years before his first spaceflight, and five years before he set the first human foot on the moon, Armstrong fills out a flight plan, preparing to pilot a NASA jet from Ohio to Texas. Document signed twice: "N. A. Armstrong", 1 page, 8x12¾. Port Columbus, Naval Air Station [Ohio], 1964 June 25. Department of Defense flight aircraft clearance form. Details filled in by another hand, including mileage, transponder code, and equipment, but Armstrong has penned this notation: "Request radar vector climb on course." Armstrong plans to pilot a T-33 ("Shooting Star") aircraft from Port Columbus to Ellington Air Force Base in Texas, by way of Dayton. The co-pilot is J. F. Stegall, another NASA employee. Civilian Neil Alden Armstrong (1930-2012) had entered the U.S. space program as a senior NASA research pilot in 1962. A fan of aviation from the age of nine, Armstrong had his pilot's license by the age of 16, and, after studying aeronautical engineering at Purdue for two years, went to Pensacola, Florida for Navy flight training. Serving in Korea at the age of 21, Armstrong flew 78 combat missions and won three Air Medals.