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moonwatchuniverse · 7 days
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March 1963, Omega Speedmaster & Faith-7 training Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper is seen getting some help from NASA suit technician Al Rochford, during suiting up for preflight tests in Hangar S at Cape Canaveral. USAF Major Leroy Cooper choose to wear his personal wrist watches, an Omega Speedmaster CK2998-4 manual winding chronograph on a steel mesh bracelet over his left wrist, and an Accutron Astronaut GMT pilot watch. During the 22 orbits May 1963 mission, lasting 34 hours 10 minutes, Leroy "Gordo" Cooper compared these wrist watches and both worked flawlessly! Two years later, the Omega Speedmaster 105.003 chronograph was qualified for the upcoming Gemini and Apollo spaceflight programs. Pre-Apollo 11, 97 Speedies were delivered in 4 batches. MoonwatchUniverse has been working on the complete history of Omega deliveries to NASA and on the subject on internal distribution of the Omega Speedmaster chronograph within the Gemini and Apollo spaceflight programs! (Photo: NASA)
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moonwatchuniverse · 10 days
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Ad Astra ... LtGeneral Thomas P. Stafford 2024, March 18... LtGeneral former NASA astronaut Thomas Patten Stafford passed away aged 93. After graduating as an USAF pilot, Stafford finished first in class at the USAF Test Pilot School (class 58C) at Edwards AFB - California. In 1962, Stafford was selected in NASA Group 2 " The New Nine " and he flew in space onboard Gemini VIa, IXa, Apollo 10 and ASTP. Stafford became Brig General in 1974, Maj General in 1975 and Lt General in April 1978. In November 1979, USAF LtGeneral Thomas Stafford became member of USA Omega Corporate Board of Directors and has been an important Omega ambassador" ! Photo shows Thomas Stafford leaving aircraft carrier USS Wasp in a Grumman S-2 Tracker post-Gemini VIa recovery... (Photo: NASA)
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moonwatchuniverse · 11 days
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Ad Astra ... LtGeneral Thomas P. Stafford 2024, March 18... USAF LtGeneral former NASA astronaut Thomas Patten Stafford passed away aged 93. After graduating as an USAF pilot, Stafford finished first in class at the USAF Test Pilot School (class 58C) at Edwards AFB - California. In 1962, Stafford was selected in NASA Group 2 " The New Nine " and he flew in space onboard Gemini VIa, IXa, Apollo 10 and ASTP. Stafford became Brig General in 1974, Maj General in 1975 and Lt General in April 1978. In November 1979, USAF LtGeneral Thomas Stafford became member of USA Omega Corporate Board of Directors and has been an important Omega ambassador" ! (Photos: NASA)
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moonwatchuniverse · 11 days
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Ad Astra ... LtGeneral Thomas P. Stafford 2024, March 18... LtGeneral former NASA astronaut Thomas Patten Stafford passed away aged 93. After graduating as an USAF pilot, Stafford finished first in class at the USAF Test Pilot School (class 58C) at Edwards AFB - California. In 1962, Stafford was selected in NASA Group 2 " The New Nine " and he flew in space onboard Gemini VIa, IXa, Apollo 10 and ASTP. Stafford became Brig General in 1974, Maj General in 1975 and Lt General in April 1978. In November 1979, USAF LtGeneral Thomas Stafford became member of USA Omega Corporate Board of Directors and has been an important Omega ambassador" ! (Photos: NASA)
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moonwatchuniverse · 11 days
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March 1965... NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster In March 1965, NASA issued the very first Omega Speedmaster chronographs to the Gemini III prime & backup crews. During the spaceflight mission, prime astronauts Virgil Grissom and John Young wore their NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.003-63 chronograph together with an Accutron Astronaut tuning fork GMT pilot watch. Gemini III back-up pilot Thomas Stafford was also issued a NASA Speedmaster while back-up Commander Walter "Wally" Schirra already owned his personal Omega Speedmaster CK2998 (worn on "Sigma 7" flight in October 1962). Photo shows John Young in WSS during a weight & balance check for Gemini III. Note the Omega Speedmaster 105.003-63 on a flat link steel bracelet. (Photo: NASA)
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moonwatchuniverse · 13 days
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March 1965 NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster February - March 1965 saw final training for the Gemini III mission. Here naval aviator and Mercury veteran astronaut Walter “Wally” Schirra training as backup command pilot for the first 2-men Gemini III mission. NASA suit technician Joe Schmitt assisting Schirra for a simulation run in the new white G3C space suit. It’s interesting to see that Schirra was still wearing his personal Omega Speedmaster CK2998-4 chronograph as the official NASA-issued Speedmaster 105.003-63 versions were given to John Young, Gus Grissom and Thomas Stafford (Gemini III back-up pilot). NASA received 4 Speedmasters to be tested and probably these 3 astronauts received one as Schirra had his personal Omega Speedmaster CK2998. Note that Schirra’s CK2998-4 Speedmaster was missing its bezel, but was still going strong after becoming the first Omega in space in October 1962. By 1968, NASA astronauts were asked how the Omega Speedmaster could be optimised and most requested a more legible "radial dial" and a "60 minutes" bezel for easier timing. Some of these requested features made it into the Alaska Project Speedmaster but by 1970 NASA has produced half-a-dozen bespoke "60 minutes" bezels which can be seen on the wrists of Apollo 15 astronauts and their backup as late as July 1975 ! Thus far the 1972 white dial Alaska Project II Speedmaster with 60 minutes bezel and a shot-blasted Titanium case was the closest chronograph tikking all boxes as requested by the Apollo era astronauts... (Photo: NASA)
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moonwatchuniverse · 15 days
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March 14, 1928... remembering Frank Borman November 7, 2023, Frank Borman passed away aged 95. Selected a NASA astronaut in 1962, USAF test pilot Frank Borman flew on Gemini VII and Apollo 8 the first circumlunar spaceflight mission. A West Point graduate, Borman choose for a commission in the USAF and was part of Experimental Flight Test school class 60C at Edwards AFB. After 8 years at NASA, 20 years in USAF and a long career at Eastern Airlines, Borman retired in 1998. In total, Frank Borman flew 19 days 21 hours 35 minutes in space. During Gemini VII, Frank Borman wore NASA issued Speedmaster chronograph n° 04 and during Apollo 8 n° 63. Borman enjoyed his wrist watches, wearing Rolex since 1960 and Omega Speedmaster chronographs since his NASA career in 1966. Note the Omega Speedmaster sat on a steel Rolex Oyster bracelet. (Photos: EAL/AP/NASA)
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moonwatchuniverse · 16 days
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First NASA astronaut onboard Soyuz... March 1995, physician Norman Thagard became the very first American astronaut to ride a Soyuz capsule to space. Nicknamed the "American cosmonaut", Norman Thagard's long-duration mission was the first of 7 long-duration flights onboard the Russian space station "Mir" in the Shuttle-Mir era (1995-1998). Although some of these NASA-astronauts, Thagard, Lucid, Blaha, Linenger, Foale, Wolf and Thomas, took a personal wrist watch, they were still issued an Omega Speedmaster chronograph. Thagard being the last long-duration NASA astronaut to wear a "Radial Dial" Speedmaster chronograph in the Shuttle-Mir program. (Photo: NASA)
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moonwatchuniverse · 17 days
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NASA astronaut chief Donald Slayton USAF Captain Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton (1924-1993) was one of the 1959 original NASA astronauts, the “ Mercury 7 “ before he was put on non-flight status on March 15, 1962 for medical reasons. He became senior manager of the astronaut office, selecting crew rotations. Fast forward to March 13, 1972 as Donald Slayton regained NASA flight status and was selected to fly as DMP - Docking Module Pilot to fly during the July 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. This 1965 photo show Donald Slayton wearing an Omega Speedmaster CK2998 chronograph, a watch he wore since 1962. Moreover, Slayton liked his wrist watches as he wore Breitling, Omega and the battery-powered tuning fork Accutron "Astronaut" pilot watches. Together with Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper, he was among the first NASA astronauts to wear an Omega Speedmaster because of their shared interest in racing cars. USAF Major Slayton officially retired from NASA in 1980 but continued to serve in an advisory role for the first Space Shuttle test flights in 1981. (Photo: NASA)
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moonwatchuniverse · 28 days
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March 1, 1924... remembering Donald “Deke” Slayton Would be 100th birthday for USAF pilot/astronaut Donald "Deke Slayton, selected a NASA astronaut in 1959, USAF Captain Donald Slayton became one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts. However centrifuge training electrocardiodiagrams pointed out he had a heart condition, so he became chief of the astronaut office, deciding on crew planning for the Gemini and Apollo programs. In March 1972, NASA announced that Slayton had returned to flight status and in this way he became DMP - Docking Module Pilot for the historic Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in July 1975. Wristwatch-wise, Donald Slayton wore a lot of watches (Accutron, Breitling, Bulova, Omega,...)  and he was the first of the NASA astronauts to be spotted wearing an Omega Speedmaster CK2998-4 in December 1962. By June 1963, three NASA astronauts (Donald Slayton, Walter Schirra & Leroy Cooper) had a personal Speedmaster CK2298. Although bezelless since June 1963, Slayton kept wearing his Speedmaster CK2298 untill June 1965. Note in this 1991 portrait, Donald Slayton wore his Gold "Apollo 11" tribute Omega Speedmaster BA 145.022-69 n° 27 chronograph on yellow Gold bracelet awarded in November 1969. (Photo: Pam Francis portraits)
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moonwatchuniverse · 29 days
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Ad Astra Richard Truly… On February 27, 2024, US Navy Vice-Admiral & NASA astronaut Richard “Dick” Truly passed away aged 86. In 1965, Truly was among the first military astronauts selected to the MOL space station program. In 1969 he joined NASA astronaut group 7 and acted as CapCom on the 1973 Skylab and 1975 ASTP missions, before flying in space on shuttle missions STS-2 and STS-8. Between May 1989 and May 1992, Truly was the first former NASA astronaut to head the American space agency. For his service to the United States' efforts in space Truly was awarded two NASA distinguished service medals, the NASA outstanding leadership medal, two NASA exceptional service medals and two NASA space flight medals. This November 1981 photo shows Richard Truly onboard space shuttle Columbia mission STS-2, the first crew to wear the Omega Alaska Project III “radial dial” Speedmaster chronograph. (Photo: NASA)
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moonwatchuniverse · 1 month
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55 years ago... February 26, 1969 The Apollo 9 astronauts in the very last stages of NASA training and spaceflight preparations. Apollo 9 Command Module Pilot David Scott checks out a 16mm Maurer Motion Picture Camera to be used during the upcoming Apollo mission during which both the Command/Service module, “Gumdrop” built by North American Aviation, and the Lunar Excursion Module, “Spider” built by Grumman aircraft, would be tested for the very first time in Low Earth Orbit. During a break from training for their upcoming space mission, Apollo 9 crew got a haircut before overgoing final procedures & checklists. Each of the astronauts wore a NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster chronograph, David Scott in particular a Speedmaster with a foldable timely bracelet calendar. (Photo: NASA)
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moonwatchuniverse · 2 months
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55 years ago... Goodwill tour Between February 4 & 23, 1969, Apollo 8 commander Frank Borman took his family on a European Goodwill tour, visiting London, Paris, Brussels, The Hague, Bonn, West Berlin, Rome, Madrid and Lisbon. A military academy West Point graduate, Borman choose to be commissioned as a USAF fighter pilot, following the test pilot course by 1960. Selected a NASA astronaut in 1962, Borman flew on Gemini VII and Apollo 8, the first circumnavigation of the Moon. Note the NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.012 on a steel mesh Jacoby Bender Champion bracelet, had its bezel missing. (Photo: NASA)
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moonwatchuniverse · 2 months
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55 years ago... busy times for Apollo 9 The Apollo 9 astronauts went from briefing to briefing as the press was informed on January 25, february 8 and 14, 1969. Commander James McDivitt, CMP David Scott and LMP Russell Schweickart. The Apollo 9 mission was planned to flight test both Apollo spacecraft for the first time in Low Earth Orbit as the Command & Service Module was going to dock with the Lunar Module. All aspects critical to landing on the Moon including the lunar module's engines, astronauts’ backpack life support systems, navigation systems and docking maneuvers were on the busy flightplan. Note all astronauts wore a NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.012 chronograph on a steel mesh Jacoby Bender Champion bracelet. The latter was choosen as it could be easily broken if an astronaut’s wrist got trapped inside the spacecraft. David Scott had a lightweight foldable "Timely" calendar pleated around the steel mesh bracelet. Note the running chronograph hand at Scott's Speedmaster 10:25. (Photo: NASA)
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moonwatchuniverse · 2 months
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55 years ago... busy times for Apollo 9 The Apollo 9 astronauts went from briefing to briefing as the press was informed on January 25, february 8 and 14, 1969. Commander James McDivitt, CMP David Scott and LMP Russell Schweickart. The Apollo 9 mission was planned to flight test both Apollo spacecraft for the first time in Low Earth Orbit as the Command & Service Module was going to dock with the Lunar Module. All aspects critical to landing on the Moon including the lunar module's engines, astronauts’ backpack life support systems, navigation systems and docking maneuvers were on the busy flightplan. Note all astronauts wore a NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.012 chronograph on a steel mesh Jacoby Bender Champion bracelet. The latter was choosen as it could be easily broken if an astronaut’s wrist got trapped inside the spacecraft. David Scott had a "Timely" calendar pleated around the bracelet. (Photo: NASA)
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moonwatchuniverse · 2 months
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Apollo 14... Playing golf on the lunar surface During the 1971 Apollo 14 lunar landing mission, commander Alan B. Shepard played a few golf shots in the Fra Mauro region on the Moon! NASA astronauts and sports always went together... 5 decades ago “Golf” became the sport of almost every astronaut as in 1968, astronaut chief Deke Slayton requested that he could play with other astronauts  and approached Golf-pro Danny Lawler to give the Apollo astronauts some  private lessons. Veteran-astronaut Alan Shepard was a keen golf player since the Mercury days and had the idea to play golf on the Moon ! On Apollo 14, Commander Shepard carried a make-shift Iron-6 attached to a geologic sample stick and hit two golf balls on the Moon. The make of the Golf balls was never revealed but the actual Golf stick sits in the U.S.G.A. museum in New Jersey - USA. Note astronaut/Admiral Alan Shepard wore an Omega Speedmaster "Moonwatch" chronograph in the photo holding the make-shift Iron-6 assembly geologic sample tool. (Photo: USGA/UPI)
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moonwatchuniverse · 2 months
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Apollo 14… Omega & Rolex together to the Moon ! February 9, 1971 the Apollo 14 crewmen photographed aboard the recovery carrier USS New Orleans following their safe return from the Nation’s third manned lunar landing mission. Stuart Roosa, left, Alan Shepard, centre, and Edgar Mitchell are housed in the MQF - Mobile Quarantine Facility, a long trailer with living quarters, which they entered shortly after arriving aboard the prime recovery vessel. Once at mainland, this MQF was flown in a C-141 Starlifter cargo plane to Houston, where the astronauts served the remainder of the 21 days of quarantine in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory. In the middle, Apollo 14 commander Alan Shepard clearly wearing his NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 145.012 chronograph on a black velcro. (NASA #75). Besides their NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster, both CMP Stuart Roosa and LMP Edgar Mitchell had choosen to carry their personal Rolex GMT-master 1675 Pepsi pilot watch on this mission. (Photo: NASA)
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