Apollo 7 (Cunningham, Eisele, Schirra)

Description

Autograph ID: 5095
Condition: Very good, very minor creasing
Description: “WALLY SCHIRRA (1923-2007) Original Mercury 7 astronaut, on Mercury 8, Gemini 6, Apollo 7 missions. During the Apollo 7 mission, Schirra caught what was perhaps the most famous cold in NASA history. He took Actifed to relieve his symptoms upon the advice of the flight surgeon. He soon passed the cold to Eisele, and the crew became known for their grumpy exchanges with Houston. Interaction with ground controllers became so strained that the crew was taken out of rotation for future missions, and none of the three flew for NASA again. DONN EISELE (1930-1987) USAF test pilot, joined astronaut corps 1963. Spent 264+ hours in space on 1968 Apollo 7 mission, 1st to use television camera to broadcast astronaut activities to Earth. Left NASA 1972, Peace Corps director in Thailand. Died of a heart attack in Tokyo 1987; WALT CUNNINGHAM (b. 1932) Lunar Module pilot on the Apollo 7 mission. He was NASA’s 3rd civilian astronaut (after Neil Armstrong and Elliot See), in 3rd group selected in 1963. Because Schirra, Cunningham, and Eisele ran afoul of NASA management during the flight, none of them were assigned to future missions. He then worked in a management role for Skylab and left NASA in 1971.

8 x 10 B&W NASA SP of the 3 astronauts in their NASA jumpsuits at a briefing table at the Kennedy Space Center after their 1968 flight, comparing notes at a mission debriefing. NASA caption printed on verso. Signed in black ink by Cunningham and in blue ink by Schirra and Eisele who adds “Apollo 7″.”
Type: Photograph