2007 Rarities of the World continued...

VERY FINE. AN ATTRACTIVE SPACE MEMORABILIA ITEM, CANCELLED ON LAUNCH DAY OF THE APOLLO 6 UNMANNED FLIGHT INTO SPACE.

The Apollo 6 mission was the second (and last) unmanned test flight of the Saturn V launch vehicle. The flight lasted just over ten hours. Events of the launch were overshadowed, because Martin Luther King,Jr. was assassinated on the same day. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB FLOWN APOLLO 13 SPACE COVER. THIS COVER IS NO. 41 OF 50 CARRIED BY LOVELL AROUND THE MOON.

The covers were prepared by M.I. Radnofsky, who gave them to Lovell to carry in his NASA approved personal preference kit (ppk) on the Apollo 13. After landing at Ellington AFB, Lovell gave the covers to Radnofsky, who took them to the base post office for handstamp cancels. Once they received the cancels, they were handed back to Radnofsky, who then returned the covers to Lovell. Of course, the story of how this mission almost ended in tragedy is well-documented and later publicized in the popular 1995 film. Also, Mattingly never participated in the flight. He was exposed to German measles prior to launch, and NASA officials feared he may develop symptoms during the mission. John Swigert replaced him.

With notarized letter by Radnofsky detailing his involvement, notarized letter signed by Lovell and a copy of a list of Lovell's ppk, also signed by Lovell.

Last offered in our Sale 826, where it realized $15,500 hammer. (Image)

FRESH AND EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE GREAT ITEMS OF MODERN POSTAL HISTORY.

The card enclosure explains: "This cover is #[115] of 300 postmarked just prior to the launch of Apollo 15 on July 26, 1971 at Kennedy Space Center, stowed aboard the spacecraft in a sealed fireproof jacket, carried on the LM 'FALCON', returned to earth in CM 'ENDEAVOUR', and postmarked immediately after splashdown on August 7, 1971 by the U.S. Navy Postal Station aboard the recovery ship USS OKINAWA." A large number of the flown covers were held by the United States government and only released to Alfred Worden after litigation. This is one of those covers. (Image)

VERY FINE. A GREAT SPACE FLIGHT CURIOSITY AND CONVERSATION PIECE -- THIS COVER, SIGNED BY ORVILLE WRIGHT ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS FIRST FLIGHT, WAS THEN CARRIED TO THE MOON ON THE APOLLO 15 FLIGHT.

Orville Wright passed away on January 30, 1948 (his brother Wilbur having died in 1912). (Image)