APOLLO .... SOLD!

There's an auction going on right now for Leon Ford's extensive NASA/Apollo collection of flown artifacts. Ford was a professional photographer who had a passion for Space Exploration and NASA History. At the time of his death, he had amassed a rather impressive array of historical artifacts including flown bags, check lists from Apollo 12 and 13, and flown patches from just about every space flight. And it's truly amazing what his estate is fetching for these pieces of space history.

Check it out at http://rrauctions.auctionserver.net/view-auctions/live-sale/id/10.
Hat Tip - CollectSpace

Jack King, Apollo Launch Commentator, RIP

The voice of every Apollo launch has lifted off this mortal coil  I had the privilege of interviewing him for my Conversations with Apollo podcast before he died. And even listening to it now, three years later, he's got me on the edge of my seat. One of my favorites ...
http://conversationswithapollo.podomatic.com/entry/2011-12-28T16_55_14-08_00

Tower Clear, Jack King. You will be missed. ‪#‎adastra‬ ‪#‎viyacondios

F. Curt Michel, Astronaut from Apollo Era, Passes Away at 80

I'm a bit late on this one, but last March, NASA Apollo era astronaut F. Curt Michel has passed away. Having been selected as part of the fourth group of Astronaut/Scientists in 1965, along with Harrison Schmidt and Owen Garriot, Michel missed being selected for the moon and was assigned to the Apollo Applications Program which ultimately led to Skylab.

As an astrophysicist, Michel took a leave of absence from NASA to do research in radio pulsars and ultimately resigned from NASA one week before the Apollo 11 moon landing. And many believe it was his resignation that cemented Jack Schmidt's rise to the crew of Apollo 17. ""The National Academy of Sciences got all pushed out of shape when I left," Michel said in 2009. "I think that was largely influential in Jack getting his flight. When it looked like their primary idea of getting a scientist to the moon was going to flop, they finally started pushing their weight around.""

He spent the next 37 years at Rice University, resuming his duties as an assistant professor for space science for before retiring in 2000.

NASA Legend Dale Myers Passes ....

NASA Legend and Apollo Associate Administrator during Apollo 13 has passed away. Myers formed a committee to work to bring the doomed mission safely home, and worked to save the shuttle program after the 1986 Challenger disaster. He was 93.

I know I sound like a broken record when I say this, but this is why this site, and this podcast exist. To get these stories down before they pass. And we're starting to loose an Apollo vet almost every day now. So if you know anyone ... ANYONE who worked on the program that would like to share their Apollo experience, email me at apollotalks@gmail.com.

Hat Tip - Times of San Diego