Science & Technology and Toys & Dolls
Description:
Project Gemini Space Flight Capsule Floatation Ball, 1 1/4-inch dia. metal 'floatation ball', with card tag ink-stamped Project Gemini.
Note: Project Gemini was the second U.S. human spaceflight program, whose objective was developing the techniques for advanced space travel that would eventually facilitate a moon landing. Originally seen as an extension of the Mercury Program (see the previous lot),it fell historically between Projects Mercury and Apollo. There were ten manned flights between 1965 and 1966. The accompanying tag documents the ball's use on the flight of March 3 1965, which included astronauts Commander Virgi 'Gus' Grissom and Co-Pilot John Young, and lasted for three orbits. The ball, referred to on the tag as the "Unsinkable Molly Brown", was removed from the the GT-3 reaction control system on 26 March 1965.
Estimate $1,000-1,500