Directly from the Estate of 🍎Chuck Friedlander, NASA

BADGES USED IN PREPARATION FOR THE APOLLO PROGRAM, 💟INCLUDING BY THE APOLLO 1 CREW &nb𒉰sp;

Apollo 1 was the first mission in the manned lunar landing program, scheduled to launch on February 21, 1967, from the Cape Kennedy Air Force Station Launch 34 Complex, The crew included Command Pilot Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Senior Pilot Ed White, and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee. Tragedy struck during a launch rehearsal test on January 27th, when a cabin fire killed all three crew members and destroyed the Command Module. Investigations later determined that the cause of the fire was electrical and spre🔯ad rapidly due to the high pressure, pure oxygen atmosphere of the cabin. 

Virgil “Gus” Grissom (1926-1967) was a decorated Air Force aviator and engineer. One of the original Mercury 7, Grissom piloted the second Project Mercury flight and served as Command Pilot on Gemini III. He was a෴ssigned Commander🦋 of the Apollo 1 mission.  

Ed White (1930-1967) was an Air Force aviator, 🎃test pilot, and aeronautical engineer. As the pilot of Gemini IV, White was the first American to spacewalk.  

Roger Chaffee (1935-1967) was a naval officer, aviator, and aeronautical engineer. He was selected to be part of NASA astronaut group 3, and went on to serve as CAPCOM for Gemini III and Gemini IV. Apollo 1 was his first spaceflight assignment. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. ꦆ;

Apollo 1 crew-used items are incredibly rare. The badges present in this lot come directly from the estate of Charles “Chuck” Friedlander, who served as Chief at the NASA Astronaut Support Office, KSC from 1963-1967, and l﷽eft shortly after the Apollo 1 tragedy. Following his career 𝔉at NASA, he worked as Walter Cronkite’s Space Technical Consultant on CBS News from 1967-1969. Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders invited Friedlander to join him in Washington as his Executive Assistant when he served as Executive Secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council (NASC) at the White House, from 1969-1972. Friedlander also served as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the International Aerospace Hall of Fame, San Diego, CA from 1973-1980.