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Auction Name: 2025 September 27 Space Exploration Showcase Auction
Lot Number: 71029
Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/33169*71029
Gemini 12: Crew-Signed Launch Cover [and] U.S.S. Wasp Recovery Cover also Signed by Rear Admiral, Ship's Captain, and Helicopter Pilot. Two items commemorating Gemini 12, a mission that marked the successful conclusion of NASA's Gemini program, paving the way for Apollo lunar missions. As follows.
Launch: A philatelic cover with a two-color thermographic cachet bearing a 5¢ "Plant for a more Beautiful America" stamp, hand canceled at Cape Canaveral on November 11, 1966. Signed nicely in black inks: "James Lovell" and "Buzz Aldrin". Unaddressed. Excellent.
Splashdown: A philatelic cover with a stamped "U.S. NAVY Recovery Force" cachet bearing a 5¢ "John Fitzgerald Kennedy" stamp, machine canceled aboard the "Wasp" on November 15, 1966. Signed as above. Unaddressed. Excellent. In addition, the cover is signed by three key members of the recovery team, including:
Rear Admiral Percival W. Jackson was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy, particularly during World War II. He served with distinction, earning multiple awards including the Navy Cross, Silver Star, and Distinguished Flying Cross. He was Commander of the Recovery Force during the Gemini 12 splashdown.
Captain Melvin R. Etheridge had a distinguished naval career, serving aboard submarines in the Pacific during World War II, later becoming a naval aviator, commanding the USS Wasp during the Gemini 12 recovery mission.
Lieutenant Commander Sam Aydelotte served as officer-in-charge of the U.S. Navy's Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three (HAL-3), Detachment Three, during the Vietnam War, later as the helio pilot who picked up the Gemini 12 astronauts.
During Gemini 12, Lovell and Aldrin executed critical EVAs and precision docking maneuvers, validating technologies that would be essential for future spaceflight. Recovery operations were equally crucial, ensuring crew and spacecraft returned safely from Earth orbit. This cover offers superb association with both astronauts and Navy personnel central to the mission's success. A stellar relic tying together the conclusion of Gemini and the operational mastery of U.S. Navy recovery forces. From the Family Collection of Jacques Bracke.
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