Details:

STS-61-C commemorative cover autographed by the entire seven-member crew: Robert L. Gibson, Charles F. Bolden Jr., George D. Nelson, Steven A. Hawley, Franklin R. Chang-Díaz, Bill Nelson, and Robert J. Cenker. Postmarked at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on January 12, 1986, the cover commemorates STS-61-C, the twenty-fourth Space Shuttle mission and the final successful Shuttle flight before the Challenger disaster later that month. Launched aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, the mission deployed the SATCOM Ku-1 communications satellite, conducted numerous scientific experiments, and featured future U.S. Senator Bill Nelson as a congressional payload specialist.

Fine condition.

Robert L. Gibson (b. 1946) is a former U.S. Navy aviator and NASA astronaut who flew five Space Shuttle missions, commanding four of them. He later served as Chief of the Astronaut Office’s Flight Crew Operations Directorate.

Charles F. Bolden Jr. (b. 1946) is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Major General, former NASA astronaut, and served as the 12th Administrator of NASA from 2009 to 2017. He flew four Space Shuttle missions during his astronaut career.

George D. Nelson (b. 1950) flew three Space Shuttle missions and performed several spacewalks, including work to retrieve and repair satellites in orbit. He later held senior engineering and management positions within NASA.

Steven A. Hawley (b. 1951) flew five Space Shuttle missions and played key roles in satellite deployment and scientific research. An astrophysicist by training, he later joined the faculty at the University of Kansas.

Franklin R. Chang-Díaz (b. 1950) is the first Hispanic American astronaut and one of the most experienced astronauts in NASA history, flying a record seven Space Shuttle missions. He later founded Ad Astra Rocket Company to advance plasma propulsion technology.

Bill Nelson (b. 1942) flew aboard STS-61-C as a congressional payload specialist while serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He later served in the U.S. Senate and became the 14th Administrator of NASA in 2021.

Robert J. Cenker (b. 1948) flew aboard STS-61-C as a payload specialist representing RCA, becoming one of the few private-sector astronauts to fly aboard the Space Shuttle. He was responsible for communications satellite experiments conducted during the mission.

Authentication:
Includes a full letter of authenticity from JG Autographs, Inc.

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Reference sku: 11519 1416865-1