60 years ago this month, August 1960
SkyMan
Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭✭✭
The first US space souvenir flew in space. It was a US flag. The flag flew on Discoverer XIII a US satellite (the "public" persona was of a scientific studies satellite) of the Corona spy satellite program. The flag was authorized.
Later on that year the first US coins flew in space in a Discoverer satellite. They were unauthorized, and were found when the capsule was opened up. The CIA Washington program office sent a sharply worded letter to the West Coast office (the satellites were launched from Vandenberg AFB in CA.) charging it with ensuring that no more souvenirs be launched. There were 3 coins flown on the mission, two quarters (Washingtons I assume) and a Buffalo nickel.
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What happened to the coins?
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Do you know what happened to the coins?
Interesting.
Perhaps @SkyMan has them
He has a lot of other Space items
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“Corona” was the secret name for America’s first spy satellite. To the public, it was known as the Discoverer program (its cover name). The government used this name in order to keep its reconnaissance missions a secret. Most people thought Discoverer referred to a research program.
The film return bucket of Discoverer XIII became the first human-made item recovered from space. Compared to today’s digital cameras and satellites that store or transmit information to us immediately, the Corona used actual film that had to be ejected from the satellite and recovered before it could be viewed.
FUN FACT When the Corona satellite camera was first used, it only had a resolution of about 40 feet. By the end of the program the satellite camera had a resolution of six feet. This means the camera could see your car parked outside your house, but not a basketball.
FUN FACT By the end of the Corona program in 1972, over 120 Corona satellites had flown and photographed around 750,000,000 square miles of Earth's surface.
WE WERE THERE
Name: Chuck Dorigan
Artifact: Corona
From: 1957-1964
What was your role in the Corona program? I was an aerial recovery specialist who maintained and operated the recovery gear in the back of the C-119 and C-130 aircraft. Both were cargo planes used to catch Corona capsules. I used the winch, recovery poles, and hooks to reel in the capsules after the pilot made contact. It was kind of like using a giant fishing line to catch the bucket.
What is your most memorable moment in the Corona program? Flying recoveries in general was neat. The back of the aircraft was wide open. It was cold, windy, and noisy, but the view was great. When the pilot caught the parachute, it sounded just like a big old fishing reel. We spent a lot of time on the very back end of the aircraft deploying recovery gear, hauling in capsules, or dropping objects out of the aircraft, and I never tired of seeing the world that way.
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@coinbuf @Jimnight @1630Boston I have no idea what happened to those coins. Given that they were found, I assume the people that put them in the capsule did not get them back. My best guess is that the local boss in the office confiscated them, and either sent them in to DC, where they were kept by his higher ups, or he kept them himself.
U.S. Type Set
Thank you for the reply.
Very cool that you were a part of the program @1630Boston And thanks for the reply @SkyMan sure does make you wonder if those coins are kept somewhere or spent on a pack of cigs.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
In regard to the coins on board. Would of been more appropriate to include a "Flying Eagle" cent.
Interesting bit of space exploration history... Thanks for your first hand inputs @coinbuf @Jimnight @1630Boston. Sure would like to know where that Buffalo nickel is....
Cheers, RickO