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Lot #4006
Gordon Cooper Handwritten Meeting Notes with Chris Kraft on Mercury Rocket Abort System

Cooper’s meeting notes with Chris Kraft regarding the Mercury “Abort System” and a potential “catastrophic failure”

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Estimate: $2000+
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Description

Cooper’s meeting notes with Chris Kraft regarding the Mercury “Abort System” and a potential “catastrophic failure”

Handwritten notes by Gordon Cooper from a meeting he had with Flight Director Christopher Kraft during his Project Mercury training. The notes, which are penned in black ballpoint on an off-white 8.5 x 11 notebook page, are headed “15 Jun 59, Chris Kraft,” and contain several topics related to the possibility of aborting the Mercury flight. The notes read, in part: “Abort System / Redstone system (By ABMA) has been accepted / Atlas is still up in the air,” “Quantities to be measured in missiles that would indicate a catastrophic failure: Redstone: 1. Attitude 2. Rate 3. Power supply failure (control system failure) 4. Thrust / Atlas 1. Rate 2. Power supply 3. Thrust 4. Press in LOX tank 5. Diff press between fuel tank & LOX tank,” “will have a 30 second after pad delay on engine shut off so that RSO can allow missile to clear Cape before destruct (accel is so low here that abort system should be able to clear easily),” and “There will be a 3 second time delta between RSO engine cut off and destruct. This is the minimum and is not automatic — it may not destruct at all.” In fine condition. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Paul Hartunian.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Space Exploration and Aviation
  • Dates: #691 - Ended April 25, 2024





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