LOT #71032 |
Starting Bid: $1
NASA / Air Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL): Two Signed Launch Covers for the Mission's Only Uncrewed Test Flight.
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Description
NASA / Air Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL): Two Signed Launch Covers for the Mission's Only Uncrewed Test Flight. Two covers, as follows.(1) An Airmail philatelic cover featuring a NASA "meatball" logo stamped in blue and "USAF MOL PROJECT" stamped in red, canceled aboard the U.S.S. LaSalle on November 3, 1966. Signed in black felt tip: "Bob Lawrence Jr/ Manned Orbiting Lab". He was the first African-American astronaut, killed in 1967 in an F-104 jet crash at Edwards AFB (a very rare signature). Excellent.
(2) A philatelic cover featuring a colorful SpaceCraft by Swanson cachet, bearing a 5¢ "Flag" stamp machine canceled at Cape Canaveral on November 3, 1966. Signed in black inks: "Karol J. Bobko/ MOL Flight Crew", "Don Peterson/ MOL Astronaut/ Col USAF", and "Dick Lawyer/ MOL Astronaut". Informative stiffener card included. Tiny address. Excellent.
Included, for purposes of display or matting, is a glossy color print of the MOL Astronauts.
The Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) was a joint NASA and U.S. Air Force program initiated in the 1960s aimed at developing a crewed military space station for reconnaissance and defense purposes. Designed to orbit Earth with specially trained Air Force astronauts, MOL's mission was to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence from space, leveraging advanced optical and electronic sensors. Despite significant investment and technological progress, the program was ultimately canceled in 1969 due to shifting defense priorities and the rapid advancement of unmanned satellite technology, which proved more cost-effective. MOL remains a notable example of early military ambitions in human spaceflight.
November 3, 1966, marked a pivotal moment in the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) program, as it witnessed the sole uncrewed test flight of the MOL mission. A Titan IIIC-9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 40, carrying a MOL mockup and a refurbished Gemini B capsule. This mission, designated OPS 0855, was designed to validate the MOL's launch configuration and test the critical hatch in the heat shield of the Gemini B capsule, which would allow astronauts to access the laboratory module in orbit. The flight was successful, demonstrating the viability of the hatch during reentry and providing valuable data for future MOL missions. OPS 0855 remained in orbit for 30 days, conducting various experiments before ceasing operations. This test flight was the only operational launch of the MOL program, highlighting its significance in demonstrating the feasibility of crewed military space missions. 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
10 Days
13h 11m 18s
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This lot is in: 1 -
Space Session
(Lots 71001-71528) - 10:00 AM Central Time, Saturday, September 27, 2025.
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