MAJOR DONALD "DEKE" SLAYTON - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 05/09/1978 - HFSID 152082

DONALD "DEKE" SLAYTON
Donald Slayton sends a letter with career advice.
Typed Letter Signed: "DK Slayton", 1p, 8x10½. Houston, Texas, 1978 May 9. On letterhead of National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center to Kathy Dalton, Port Washington, New York. In full: "in response to your recent letter, I am sending you a copy of the brochures used for the astronaut recruiting which we just completed. I have also enclosed the general requirements for other Civil Service positions. I believe these enclosures will be of interest to you. in giving career advice to young people, I strongly urge them to find an area that is of interest to them and then to become the best in the world in that area. I think all career fields will eventually find application in space. Good luck. Sincerely, ". Brochures not present. 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. Fold creases not near signature. Fine condition.