MAJOR DONALD "DEKE" SLAYTON - AUTOGRAPHED INSCRIBED PHOTOGRAPH - HFSID 31499

DONALD K. SLAYTON
Official color NASA publicity photograph of Donald K. Slayton in his uniform.
Photograph inscribed and signed: "Best wishes to/Tom -/D K Slayton". Color, 8x10. Name imprinted at lower margin. Donald K. "Deke" Slayton (1924-1993), one of the seven original Project Mercury astronauts, was grounded during that period due to an irregular heartbeat and did not make a space flight until the mid-1970s. While he was grounded, Slayton served as Coordinator of Astronaut Activities (1962-1963) before resigning from the U.S. Air Force (he was a veteran WWII bomber pilot) to become Director of Flight Crew Operations (in these positions, Slayton was involved in choosing the crews for nearly all the Gemini and Apollo missions). Following a comprehensive review of his medical status, Slayton was certified eligible for manned space flights in March 1972, and the 51-year-old made his first and only trip into space as the Apollo docking module pilot of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission (which also included American crew members Thomas Stafford and Vance Brand) in the first joint U.S.-U.S.S.R. joint space venture (July 15-24, 1975). After his 217 hour and 28 minute journey into space, Slayton became Manager for Approach and Landing Test Project (1975-1977) before serving as Manager for Orbital Flight Test until his retirement from NASA in 1982. In his later positions, Slayton directed a number of operations for NASA's space shuttle program. Minor surface creases (not evident head on). Lightly soiled at lower margin to left of imprinted name. Fine condition.