ABOUT HIS ROCKET TO THE MOON. ROBERT H. GODDARD. Historically Important TLS: "R.H. Goddard", 1p, 8¼x11. Clark College, Worcester, Mass., 1921 March 7. To William L. Straus, Jr., Baltimore. On stationery listing Goddard and C.E. Melville as Professors in the Department of Physics of Clark College. In full: "In reply to your letter of March 3, I might say: 1) The work at present is confined to the construction of a small model and there is no immediate prospect of financing anything more than this. 2) Regarding your second question, I admit that there is no oxygen in the atmosphere on the moon, but beg to call attention to the fact that any of the commercial flash powders contain an oxygen-carrying compound, which is usually potassium chlorate. The experiment which has been given considerable publicity took this fact into account, the flashes being exploded in a glass container in which the pressure had been reduced to about 1/60 of atmospheric pressure." Goddard began experimenting with rockets in 1908, when he demonstrated that rockets could operate in a vacuum. In 1914, Goddard received two U.S. patents. One was for a rocket using liquid fuel. The other was for a two or three stage rocket using solid fuel. read more...

CHARLES A. LINDBERGH Lindbergh's driver's license application signed by him twice and notarized, only three months before the kidnapping of his infant son. In the year after the kidnapping, with the baby found dead but no suspect yet apprehended, the New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commissioner (and future Governor) Harold Hoffman sent this application to a radio station which was closely following the case. Hoffman, later unmasked as a criminal himself, meddled extensively in the kidnapping case. Document signed twice: "C. A. Lindbergh", 2 pages (front and verso), 3¾x5. Mercer County, New Jersey, 1931 December 29. New Jersey Automobile Driver's Renewal Application, filled out by Lindbergh himself, giving his address (Hopewell, New Jersey) and physical description. He gives New York City as his place of (self) employment, and attests that he has never had his license revoked or suspended, nor had he been refused a license. Signed and attested as truthful by Lindbergh on verso and notarized by "Edward R. Whitehead". Light vertical crease at center (not affecting signatures). Signatures slightly smudged (still legible). Lightly worn at edges. Otherwise, fine condition. read more...

X-15 PILOTS A piece of space flight history, this 11x14 photograph of the powerful X-15 has been signed by eight of it's twelve pilots; Peter Knight, Milt Thompson, Bob White, Joe Engle, Bill Dana, Scott Crossfield, and first man on the moon Neil Armstrong! Photograph signed: "Peter Knight", "Milt Thompson", "Bob White", "Neil Armstrong", "Joe Engle", "Bill Dana", "Scott Crossfield", 11x14. The X-15 was an experimental rocket-powered aircraft operated by the US Air Force and NASA as part of the X-plane series. The X-15 set a large list of records, including 13 different flights that exceeded the altitude of 50 miles, making the 8 flight pilots qualified for USAF astronaut status. There were a total of 12 pilots for the powerful aircraft, including NEIL ARMSTRONG (altitude 39.2 miles), SCOTT CROSSFIELD (altitude 15.3 miles), BILL DANA (altitude 58.1 miles), JOE ENGLE (altitude 53.1 miles), PETE KNIGHT (altitude 53.1 miles), MILT THOMPSON (altitude 40.5 miles), and BOB WHITE (altitude 59.6 miles). read more...

MERCURY 7 ASTRONAUTS A Salute to Project Mercury by America's Original Space Pioneers Comprises: (1) Photograph signed: "Scott Carpenter", "Gordon Cooper", "John Glenn", "Wally Schirra", "Alan Shepard" and "Deke Slayton". B/w, 10x8. Official NASA photo. Fine condition. (2) Commemorative Envelope signed: "Virgil I. Grissom", 6½x3½, honoring Project Mercury, 7-cent U.S. Air Mail stamp affixed, postmarked Port Canaveral, FLA., July 21, 1961. He has also penned: "7:20 EST". Fine condition. GUS GRISSOM signed and revised the facts of his July 21, 1961 "Man Shoot No. 2" on this commemorative cover; during this mission, he manned the Mercury-Redstone 4 Liberty Bell 7 and became the second American in space. The event occurred only two months after the Project Mercury team successfully launched a man into space and safely returned him to Earth. ALAN SHEPARD became the first American hurled into space during his flight aboard Mercury's first manned capsule, the Mercury-Redstone 3 Freedom 7, on May 5, 1961. read more...

ORVILLE WRIGHT. Photograph signed: "Orville Wright". B/w, 6¼x4½ overall, image 5x3¼ (one surface). Captioned at lower margin: "First Man-Flight, December 17, 1903/Kitty Hawk, N.C." Orville Wright (1871-1948) and his brother, Wilbur (1867-1912), made aviation history with their Flyer in Kitty Hawk, on North Carolina's Outer Banks, on December 17, 1903. While the Wrights had been testing their gliders on Kill Devil Hill for a number of years, this was their first test of their motorized, heavier-than-air flying machine. At 10:35 a.m., Orville Wright was at the controls of the 21-foot biplane with the 40.3-foot wingspan. The 605 pound craft, powered by a 12-horsepower engine that had four piston cylinders and revved to 1,090 rpm, left the ground, staying aloft for 12 seconds and covering 120 feet at an altitude of ten feet. Later that day, during one of their three test flights, Wilbur also manned the controls, traveling 852 feet in 59 seconds. In 1905, Wilbur and Orville decided to stop flying and tried to market their machine, first offering it to the U.S. government and then flying it in France. read more...

BUZZ ALDRIN He signs a flag which journeyed with him into space on the Gemini XII mission. Flag signed: "Buzz Aldrin, Flown on Gemini XII16 ½ x11. Signed on white stripe. Aldrin, a 1951 West Point graduate, had flown 66 missions in Korea, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross. He flew F-100s in Germany before persuading the Air Force to send him to M.I.T. for a doctorate. Aldrin's first space voyage was on Gemini XII, along with James Lovell (of later Apollo XIII fame). The mission included a successful manual rendezvous with an Aegina target vehicle and three space walks (EVAs) by Aldrin. These tethered trips outside the spacecraft, totaling 5½ hours, proved that astronaut's could perform successfully outside their spacecraft for long periods. During the Apollo 11 mission, Aldrin piloted the Lunar Excursion Module, Eagle, and became the second man to walk on the Moon (July 20, 1969). The Gemini XII capsule, which carried the flag signed here, is now on display at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Slight bleeding of  ink. Fading of blue at right edge between two top stars. read more...

CHRISTA McAULIFFE Very distinctive color photo inscribed to NASA food specialist Dr. Charles Bourland, who is shown giving her an orientation to "space food." Photograph inscribed and signed: "Dr. Bourland -/Thanks! /S. Christa/McAuliffe". Color, 8x10. SHARON CHRISTA McAULIFFE (1948-1986) taught junior high school in Maryland (1970-1978) and Concord, New Hampshire (1978-1979) and high school in Concord (1980-1985) before being selected as the primary candidate for the NASA Teacher in Space Project on July 19, 1985. She was a payload specialist on Challenger STS-51L which was launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 11:38 AM on January 28, 1986. McAuliffe and her six colleagues were killed when Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch. DR. CHARLES T. BOURLAND, shown in this photo inscribed to him, researched and designed food for astronauts from the Mercury program to the International Space Station. Here is a shown giving McAuliffe an edible orientation. After retiring from NASA in 2000, Bourland wrote The Astronaut's Cookbook and taught a read more...

CHALLENGER STS-51L: FRANCIS R. "DICK" SCOBEE, MICHAEL J. SMITH, RONALD E. "RON"McNAIR, ELLISON "EL" S. ONIZUKA, JUDITH A. "JUDY" RESNIK, GREG JARVIS and CHRISTA McAULIFFE Collection framed in the Gallery of History style to 42x28. Four of the astronauts signed envelopes postmarked the day they died Comprises: (1) DICK SCOBEE, JUDY RESNICK and RON McNAIR. Envelope signed: "Dick Scobee", "Judy Resnik" and "Ron McNair", 6¼x3½. 22¢ Abigail Adams stamp affixed. Postmarked Kennedy Space Center, FL, January 28, 1986 (the day of the Challenger tragedy). Typed at left margin: "Space Shuttle 51-L". The names of five members are typed below the heading. Scobee, Resnick and McNair have signed to the right of their names. Fine condition. (2) MICHAEL J. SMITH. Commemorative Envelope signed: "Michael J Smith", 6¼x3½. 15¢ stamp affixed, postmarked Pearlington, MS, May 20, 1980. read more...

AMELIA EARHART Writing from England two days after her trans-Atlantic flight, she tells an uncle how surprised she is by all the publicity, and hopes it hasn't affected the family too much. Autograph Letter signed: "Amelia", 1 page, 7x9, also initialed by her on a postscript in right margin. London, no written date, but 1928 June 20. On letterhead of Aldford House, Park Lane, to "Dear Uncle", in full: "As you saw this morning I haven't much time to myself. My program is filled for me and I have to adhere to it or be swamped with invitations. So ...[ellipses in original] I am sorry not to have been able to see you longer. There is hardly a chance that I shall be able to do so while here, as I leave so soon for home. I do hope the family does not feel the awful publicity too much. I had no idea people would be so interested, and am quite overcome. Sincerely". [signature] I hope I may drop in at 137 on my way to Boston, if I may. A. E." Amelia Earhart (1897-1937?), with Wilman Stutz and Louis Gordon, flew from Trepassy Bay, Newfoundland to Burry Port, Wales (June 17-18, 1928) to become the first woman to cross the Atlantic by air. read more...