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| A MA-9 launch cover from "SpaceCraft" postmarked at Cape Canaveral on May 15, 1963, signed by Gordon Cooper. |
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| Photo: Gordon Cooper exiting the transfer van as he arrives at the launch pad. |
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| Photo: On May 14, 1963, Cooper remained inside the capsule for nearly six hours before officials decided to postpone his planned flight. |
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| Photo: The MA-9 mission was rescheduled and successfully launched on May 15, 1963. | |
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| A MA-9 launch cover from "Swanson" postmarked at Cape Canaveral on May 15, 1963. This cover is signed by Christopher C. Kraft Jr., the flight director for all manned Mercury missions. |
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| Photo: Alan Shepard, the backup pilot for the MA-9 mission, acted as CAPCOM during Gordon Cooper's flight at the Mercury Control Center. |
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| A MA-9 tracking station cover postmarked at Waimea, Hawaii, on May 15, 1963. The reverse side of the cover features the signatures of the staff involved in the MA-9 space mission. During the Mercury missions, the capsule communicator (CAPCOM) served as the primary contact for the pilot. Scott Carpenter performed the role of CAPCOM in Kauai, Hawaii, during Gordon Cooper's flight. |
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| Photo: Five of the second-generation astronauts gathered to listen to Gordon Cooper's flight. Seated in the center row, from left to right, are John Young, James Lovell, Charles Conrad, Frank Borman, and Neil Armstrong. |
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| Photo: Cooper captured images of the Earth's curvature and China during his spaceflight. |
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| Photo: An illustration depicting the re-entry of the MA-9 spacecraft. |
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| Photo: The recovery of Cooper's "Faith 7" capsule by the USS Kearsarge. |
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| A MA-9 Captain's Cover from USS Kearsarge featuring the ship's cachet in magenta and a captain's corner card. The cover is machine canceled on May 16, 1963, and is signed by the commanding officer, Captain E. P. Rankin, and Gordon Cooper. |
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| Photo: Gordon Cooper emerging from the "Faith 7" capsule. |
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A MA-9 Captain's Cover from the USS Kearsarge featuring the ship's cachet in black and a captain's corner card. The cover is hand-canceled on May 16, 1963, and signed by the commanding officer, Captain E. P. Rankin. The 4¢ stamp used on the cover is recognized as a "Dag Hammarskjöld invert" stamp. |
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| Photo: Gordon Cooper waves to the enthusiastic sailors on the deck of the USS Kearsarge as he steps out from his "Faith 7" capsule. |
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| A MA-9 Crew Cover (Type 3) from the USS Kearsarge featuring the ship's cachet in magenta, hand-canceled on May 16, 1963, and signed by Gordon Cooper. |
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| Photo: Gordon Cooper walks along a red carpet, passing by saluting sailors on the hangar deck of the USS Kearsarge. |
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| A MA-9 Crew Cover (Type B) from "Morris Beck" featuring a USS Kearsarge machine cancel dated May 16, 1963, and signed by the commanding officer, Captain E. P. Rankin. Only 25 of these printed covers exist without the printed "B" number. |
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| Photo: Crew members aboard the USS Kearsarge are seen observing and photographing the charred "Faith 7" capsule. |
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A MA-9 recovery cover from "Carlson" featuring a "Salute to U.S. PACIFIC FLEET RECOVERY FORCE" cachet, the ship's cachet in magenta and a USS Kearsarge machine cancel dated May 16, 1963, and signed by the commanding officer, Captain E. P. Rankin. |
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| Photo: Gordon Cooper relishes Navy cuisine aboard the USS Kearsarge, sharing lunch with the ship's chief petty officers. The astronaut remarked, "It is a rare privilege to be invited to eat with the chiefs." |
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| A MA-9 Crew Cover (Type 3) from the USS Kearsarge, featuring the ship’s magenta cachet and both machine and hand cancels dated May 16, 1963. |
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Two MA-9 Crew Covers (Type 3) from the USS Kearsarge, featuring the ship's cachet in magenta and unique postmark variations. Both follow the "month / day / year / time slug" format, which contrasts with the more typical "day / month / time slug / year" format. Interestingly, the postmark on the bottom cover has the year inverted. |
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| Photo: On June 12, 1963, James Webb announced that there would be no further flights for Project Mercury. |
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| A MA-9 launch cover from "Swanson" postmarked at Cape Canaveral on May 15, 1963, and signed by James Edwin Webb, who served as the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from 1961 to 1968. |
