Details:

Multi-signed Space Shuttle-era cover commemorating a Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) flight conducted from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The cacheted cover depicts a T-38 Shuttle Training Aircraft and lists the flight crews, including astronauts Vance Brand and Karl Henize aboard aircraft 906 and astronauts Gordon Fullerton and Jeffrey Hoffman aboard aircraft 903. The cover bears a White Sands Missile Range postmark dated July 9, 1979 and is signed by all four astronauts in ink.

The Shuttle Training Aircraft program played a critical role in preparing Space Shuttle crews for the demanding approach and landing phase of orbital missions. White Sands Missile Range, often referred to as the birthplace of America’s missile and space programs, served as an important testing and training site throughout the Space Age.

Fine condition.

Vance D. Brand (1931-2024) was a NASA astronaut who flew on four Space Shuttle missions and served as Command Module Pilot for the historic Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975, the first joint spaceflight between the United States and Soviet Union.

Karl G. Henize (1926-1993) was an astronomer, Air Force officer, and NASA astronaut. He flew aboard Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-51-F in 1985 and was known for his contributions to astronomy and stellar cataloging before joining the astronaut corps.

C. Gordon Fullerton (1936-2013) was a distinguished Air Force test pilot and NASA astronaut who flew aboard Space Shuttle missions STS-3 and STS-51-F. Prior to his orbital flights, he was one of the principal test pilots for the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Test program using Enterprise.

Jeffrey A. Hoffman (b. 1944) is a veteran NASA astronaut who flew five Space Shuttle missions and logged more than 1,200 hours in space. He is particularly remembered for his work during the Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions and his contributions to numerous scientific and operational spaceflight programs.

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

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Reference sku: 11519 1416236-1