LOT #71012 |
Current Bid: $55
Mercury-Atlas 7 (Aurora 7): Scott Carpenter Signed Launch Cover [and] U.S.S. I...
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Description
Mercury-Atlas 7 (Aurora 7): Scott Carpenter Signed Launch Cover [and] U.S.S. Intrepid "Mercury Pickup" Recovery Cover. A pair of commemorative philatelic covers honoring this mission. As follows.Launch: A cover featuring a scarce two-color Goldcraft thermographic cachet, bearing a 4¢ "Project Mercury" stamp hand-canceled at Port Canaveral on May 24, 1962. Boldly signed in black felt tip: "Scott Carpenter". Unaddressed. Excellent.
Recovery: An Airmail philatelic cover with a printed "Fighting I" cachet, bearing two 4¢ "Project Mercury" stamps hand-canceled aboard the actual recovery ship on May 24, 1962. Signed in blue ballpoint: "M. Scott Carpenter" at upper left. Light stamped address. Tiny stain at left, otherwise excellent.
Mercury-Atlas 7, piloted by astronaut Scott Carpenter and also known as Aurora 7, was NASA's fourth crewed Mercury flight and marked a critical step in extending human time in space. Carpenter completed three Earth orbits during a nearly 5-hour mission, conducting scientific and technical experiments designed to test spacecraft systems and human performance. The mission advanced understanding of orbital operations, though it faced challenges with fuel consumption and re-entry accuracy, offering important lessons for mission control and astronaut training. Despite minor issues, Mercury-Atlas 7 reinforced NASA's ability to sustain human presence in orbit. The spacecraft splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, and Carpenter was recovered by the USS Intrepid. From the Family Collection of Jacques Bracke.
Auction Info
2025 September 27 Space Exploration Showcase Auction #33169 (go to Auction Home page)
Proxy Bidding Ends
September
27th
Saturday
9:50 am CT
Auction Dates
September
27th
Saturday
Proxy Bidding Time Remaining
7 Days
39m 4s
Internet/Mail Bids: 6
Lot Tracking Activity: 12
Page Views: 66
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% of the successful bid (minimum $29) per lot.
This lot is in: 1 -
Space Session
(Lots 71001-71528) - 10:00 AM Central Time, Saturday, September 27, 2025.
[Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session.]
Additional Location Info:
Heritage Auctions
2801 W. Airport Freeway
Dallas, TX 75261
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