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Hidden gems from the NASA photo archive

SpeedyPhill
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During ASTP, a total of 11 Speedmasters were space-flown, each NASA astronaut wore 2 " 321 " versions and the Russians wore 2 " 861 " versions with Russian Commander Alexei Leonov carrying a third " 861 " Speedmaster.
Remember Brig General Thomas Stafford loved his watches and became board member for Omega SA USA in November 1979.
In a couple of ASTP photos he obvious ly made sure to explitcitly showing the Omega Speedmaster chronograph towards the camera!
(Photo: NASA) #MoonwatchUniverse
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chiefenergy
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Jones in LA Jones in LA
When I first saw this image I wondered whether the chronograph was running, and if so, what was Armstrong keeping track of?
Time.
 
Omegafanman
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Apollo 11 landing - I Come across this very cool animation today. It brings home how very different and extremely professional characters worked together to achieve the landing. Colonel (Dr) Aldrin was very key to keep things on track.
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SpeedyPhill
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Another " Identify that wrist watch ? "
NASA pressmeeting with Skylab-4 astronauts, from Right to Left;
Gerald Carr = Movado Datron HS-360 automatic chronograph
Edward Gibson = Omega Speedmaster Mark II
William Pogue = ? ( Rolex ? )
. (Photo: NASA)
1972_Skylab4_crew.jpg
 
SpeedyPhill
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50 years ago... Skylab training: 1973 NASA Skylab space station mockup training for SL-3 aerospace engineer / astronaut Owen Garriott.
Besides the elaborate instructions label on the camera, note the bracelet clasp what looks like an Omega logo to me 1f914.png
(Photo: NASA)
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SpeedyPhill
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Another " Identify that wrist watch ? "
NASA pressmeeting with Apollo 7 astronauts returning to Houston. Note Donald Slayton wore two wrist watches, at his right hand an Accutron Astronaut tuning fork GMT pilot watch and on his left hand wrist a brown dial watch on bracelet with folded Timely calendar for October 1972...
Any ideas ?
(Photo: NASA)
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SpeedyPhill
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1971, NASA astronauts Eugene Cernan and John Young checking out an Apollo docking probe, while assisting the Apollo 14 mission from Houston.
Note John Young, with pipe, had the chronograph hand on his NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster running.
(Photo: NASA)
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SpeedyPhill
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Space Speedy photo-of-the-month February 2023
February 9, 1971... After a 9 days long lunar landing spaceflight mission, the Apollo 14 astronauts splashed down in the South Pacific Ocean to be recovered onboard USS New Orleans.
They were the last Moonwalkers crew to stay in the MQF - Mobile quarantine facility, NASA’s converted Airstream trailer and Houston Lunar Receiving Lab for a period of 16 days as it was proven the Moon was sterile and that the facilities were therefore unnecessary.
Inside the MQF, wearing Navy caps, Apollo 14 commander Alan Shepard, waved to press photographers with colleague Moonwalker Edgar Mitchel and Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa.
Besides their NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster chronograph, both Edgar Mitchell and Stuart Roosa wore their personal Rolex GMT-master 1675 Pepsi bezel pilot watch. Scan MoonwatchUniverse.
(Photo: AP/NASA)
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SpeedyPhill
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Space Speedy photo-of-the-month : March 2023
60 years ago... Faith 7 training, March 6, 1963 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 "Gordo" 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 a tuning fork Accutron Astronaut GMT pilot watch. During the 22 orbits May 1963 mission, lasting 34 hours 10 minutes, Cooper compared these watches and both worked flawlessly! Two years later, the Omega Speedmaster 105.003 chronograph was qualified for the upcoming Gemini and Apollo spaceflight programs.
(Photo: NASA)
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SpeedyPhill
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March 14, 1928... so Happy 95th birthday to Frank Borman, the longest living NASA Gemini-Apollo era astronaut (11 days older than Jim Lovell)
From remarks at #SpeedyTuesday, it looks like he wore his Speedmaster on a folded Rolex Oyster bracelet in this June 1983 photograph 🤔
(Photo: EAL/AP) scan #MoonwatchUniverse
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SpeedyPhill
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1969, April 3 ... official NASA photo ID portraits
The Apollo 10 astronauts, Thomas Stafford, John Young and Eugene Cernan had their photo taken to be used for their official photo ID cards at the Manned Space Center in Houston Texas. (Nowadays Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center)
Cernan didn’t wear a wrist watch, but both Stafford and Young wore their NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster chronograph on a steel mesh Jacoby Bender Champion bracelet. Note John Young had the chronograph running on his Speedmaster.
(Photos: NASA) #MoonwatchUniverse
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SpeedyPhill
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40 years ago... First EVA "Alaska III" Speedmaster
1983, April 7, during the 6th spaceshuttle flight, the 1st for orbiter "Challenger", NASA astronauts performed the first EVA - spacewalk wearing an Omega Speedmaster since the Skylab days of 1974!
On this 4 hours long EVA, both spacewalking astronauts Story Musgrave and Donald Peterson wore an Omega Alaska III "Radial Dial" Speedmaster chronograph, which was sewn-in the outer layer of their righthand spacesuit glove.
This kind of spacesuit gloves was used for ten years, up to STS-51 Discovery in September 1993. From then on, NASA astronauts didn't wear the Speedmaster any longer for EVAs, but the Russian cosmonauts did, strapped over their Orlan spacesuits... to this day!
(Photos: NASA)
#AlaskaProject #MoonwatchUniverse #SWFG
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SpeedyPhill
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60 years ago... Mercury-Atlas 9 “”Faith 7″“
May 1963, NASA astronaut Gordon Cooper choose to wear both his personal wrist watches, an Accutron Astronaut tuning fork GMT pilot watch at his right wrist and an Omega Speedmaster CK2998-4 manual winding chronograph at his left wrist.
Both watches had a Jacoby Bender Champion steel mesh bracelet and Cooper compared his timepieces during the 34 hours 3 minutes 30 seconds long mission (22 orbits). In fact, both these watches worked flawlessly.
All Mercury astronauts received at least one Accutron wrist watch and we've found photos showing 8 of the 12 X-15 testpilots, among whom Neil Armstrong, wore an Accutron GMT pilot watch during X-15 hypersonic research flights.
Accutron watches were worn during Mercury-Atlas 9, Gemini III, Gemini V, STS-7 and STS-51D spaceflight missions.
Accutron meaning “Accuracy through Electronics” ! ( 214 electronic tuning fork movement by Max Hetzel )
Last but not least, US NAvy LtCmdr Alan Shepard, acting backup for Gordo Cooper's MA-9 flight, lobbyed for an extra MA-10 mission, during which he was going to wear an Accutron Astronaut GMT pilot watch as seen in numerous training photographs. MA-10 was never flown.
(Photos: NASA)
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TLIGuy
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It appears Omega and the Speedmaster are back in business on board the Axiom Mission 2 to the ISS today.

I noticed the Omega partnership on the Axiom website today.

"Axiom Space has partnered with Omega Watches to develop custom-made versions of their watches for Axiom Space crew and partners to be sent on Axiom Space Missions. Omega's Speedmaster watches have a long history with space exploration, as they were worn by astronauts during the first moon landing mission in 1969. The X-33 model is a newer version of the Speedmaster designed specifically for space missions and features advanced technology for use in zero-gravity environments. As part of the partnership, Omega will produce special editions of the Speedmaster X-33 and Moonwatch watches that will be exclusively available to Axiom Space crew members. The watches will be modified to withstand the extreme conditions of space travel and will be used during Axiom Space private missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and other destinations. The partnership aims to promote space exploration and inspire people around the world to pursue their dreams of space travel."

CREDIT - Axiom Space

Screenshot 2023-05-21 at 9.45.15 PM.jpeg

CREDIT - Axiom Space

I decided to take a hard look at the pre launch video and found a nice little gem starting at 48:20 in the video. You can see the crew technicians strapping on the Speedmasters with Omega black Velcro straps onto the arms of Rayyanah Barnawi and Peggy Whitson. I do find it interesting that the watches were not strapped on until the crew was seated and secured.

Screenshot 2023-05-21 at 9.42.02 PM.jpeg

CREDIT - NASA/SpaceX/Axiom Space

Watches at 48:20 into the video

CREDIT - NASA/SpaceX/Axiom Space
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TLIGuy
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Finally some nice pictures showing up on the NASA website of the Axiom 2 crew.

Judging by the large chronograph hand, it looks like the Co-Axial 3861 Speedmaster is making its way to the ISS.

(May 22, 2023) --- Axiom Space private astronaut and Axiom Mission-2 Pilot John Shoffner enters the International Space Station shortly after the hatches were opened between the orbital outpost and the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft.

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(May 22, 2023) --- Axiom Space private astronaut and Axiom Mission-2 Mission Specialist Ali Alqarni enters the International Space Station shortly after the hatches were opened between the orbital outpost and the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft.

iss069e013996~orig.jpeg
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SpeedyPhill
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50 years ago, Skylab-2 space station mission underway...
Skylab 2 science pilot / Doctor Joseph Kerwin aboard the space station with a liquid sphere on a straw. As a CapCom during Apollo 13, Joe Kerwin spoked the famous words: “” Farewell, Aquarius, and we thank you.””
Note onboard the Skylab space station, Kerwin was wearing a small rectangular dosismeter adorned with the Charles Schulz’ Snoopy character. The little unit was affixed on the black velcro strap of his NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster chronograph.
Also note the running chronograph hand. (in 1515 NASA photos we have spotted 130 photos showing a running chronograph hand !)
SL-2, the first Skylab mission lasted 28 days 49 minutes.
(Photo: NASA)
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SpeedyPhill
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June 13, 1993... remembering Donald “Deke” Slayton ... who passed away 30 years ago, aged 69.
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, and both Schirra & Cooper wore theirs during a Mercury spaceflight mission.
Although bezelless since June 1963, Slayton kept wearing his CK2298 untill June 1965. Note the running chronograph hand on the CK2998 and on his bezelless Gold Speedmaster chronograph in this 1974 official WSS - White Space Suit portrait.
(Photos: NASA)
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SpeedyPhill
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July 16, 1969... Apollo 11 launchday at Moonport Cape Canaveral
During suit-up on launchday, Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong wore his NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster chronograph on his righthand wrist. However, Armstrong left this Speedmaster wrist watch onboard Lunar Lander "Eagle" as a backup timing device.
During suit-up, Apollo 11 LMP Edwin Aldrin wore his NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster on his lefthand wrist. However, at the time of lunar landing, Aldrin wore his Speedmaster wrist watch on his righthand wrist as seen in NASA photo AS11-40-5903.
Omega didn't spot this and in their advertizing campaign drew a Speedmaster on Buzz Aldrin's lefhand wrist. So keen observers clearly noticed this in their drawing with Buzz wearing 2 Speedies! 🤔
(Photos: NASA/MoonwatchUniverse/Omega)
https://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11-5903history.html
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