RONALD E. McNAIR - AUTOGRAPH - HFSID 255799

RONALD E. McNAIR
Striking matted display of the physicist and astronaut killed when the Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff in 1986
Signature: "R McNair" 3¼x¼. Slightly soiled. Otherwise, fine condition. Accompanied by photocopied newspaper page, unsigned, 9¼x13¾. Photocopy of the front page of the Wednesday, January 29, 1986 issue of "The New York Times". Headline: "The Shuttle Explodes". The seven astronauts who lost their lives in the tragedy are depicted at lower portion. Minor surface striations. Images slightly grainy. Otherwise, fine condition. Special Cover, unsigned, 6¼x3½. Special Cover honoring Ronald E. McNair, 22¢ flag stamp affixed. Postmarked Houston, Texas, January 28, 1986. Cachet is imprinted with a photograph, b/w, 1x1¼, of McNair, whose career bio is imprinted at left. Imprinted logo of the Challenger and an illustration of the space shuttle at lower margin. Slightly rippled. Otherwise, fine condition. Physicist Ronald E. McNair (1950-1986) was selected as an astronaut in January 1978. He first flew as a Mission Specialist on the space shuttle Challenger (STS 41-B), which was launched from Kennedy Space Center on February 3, 1984 and featured the first untethered "walk in space" by Bruce McCandless II. After logging 191 hours in space on that mission, McNair was one of the seven crewmembers killed when the Challenger (STS 51-L) exploded 73 seconds after liftoff on January 28, 1986. Three items. Matted by unknown individual: 13¼x25¼. Mat is slightly creased at corners. Otherwise. fine condition.