Hidden gems from the NASA photo archive

1966, October 11 to 23
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Apollo era astronauts checking out the ergonomics of an early space shuttle orbiter cockpit lay-out.
Interestingly in this photo series we see Thomas Stafford wearing his Gold Apollo 11 tribute Speedmaster... James Lovell, Jack Swigert and Edwin Aldrin wearing their Rolex GMT-master pilot watch !
(Photo: NASA)
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A co-worker sent me this link today.

No watch content, but another interesting fact I was totally unaware of...

https://colombiacorners.com/colombia-helps-apollo-11/

cool read!

January 10, 1969 ... Apollo 11 prime crew announcement at MSC Houston
(Photos: NASA/UPI)
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50 years ago on this day... January 14, 1975
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project altitude chamber test (all info & details about the watches used on Moonwatchuniverse tumblr blog)
(Photos: NASA)
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I was just chatting with A-B emblem about some possible new items.

Here's Tom prepping for a training flight prior to ASTP in '75 (July 13th photo date). No watch visible, but he was issued two for the project.

60 years ago, NASA was almost ready for testing chronographs...
All Speedmaster aficionados know the story of the , although most photos are dated 1968 & later as these show "Professional" 321 Speedmaster chronographs being checked, cleaned & maintained : "Flight-Qualified by NASA for All Manned Space Missions"
(Photos: NASA/Omega)
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Just remarking users might have to register to Tumbr.com in order to see all photographs on the Tumblr blogs ( FREE registration )
https://moonwatchuniverse.tumblr.com/archive

THE END...
Gemini XII heralded the end of "space twins" manned spaceflight preparations for future lunar spaceflight missions, from now on Apollo hardware would be tested in altitude chambers and in low orbit. Production delays (LM at Grumman) and Soviet-Russian Luna flights lead to some changes in Apollo missions, but an amazing era was going to start....
Wristwatch-wise, between November 1966 and October 1968, NASA photographs show many of the astronauts wearing Accutron, Benrus and Rolex pilot watches. Remember by April 1966, after 5 NASA astronaut selections, there were 48 "astronauts" on active flight status and NASA had barely enough Speedmaster chronographs to distribute among them. During Gemini, prime crew members quickly received a Speedmaster after flight crew announcements but backup astronauts such as Alan Bean and William Anders didn't receive a Speedmaster, while at the end of 1968 the first badly battered Speedmaster chronographs appear in Alt Ch. equipment test photos.
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During the last 5 decades I have seen anything & everything about the Omega Speedmaster in manned spaceflight programs.
So now I have been focusing on engineers, support personnel, families and even journalists linked to the manned spaceflight programs.
60 years ago... Jules Bergman (1929-1987)
In 1965, American broadcast writer and ABC journalist Jules Bergman was full-on into NASA's manned spaceflight program having meet all Mercury 7 astronauts and now focusing on the Gemini program.
Bergman soon noticed the Omega Speedmaster chronographs on the wrist of astronauts and bought one for himself. This Speedmaster 105.012 can be seen on Bergman's wrist between 1966 and 1986 as he wore it to cover Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, ASTP, the space shuttle program and even a few unmanned spacecraft missions such as Pioneer & Voyager.
(Photos: NASA/ABC)
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50 years ago... 1975, March 24, the last in a long line of super successful Saturn launch vehicles rolled out from the VAB - Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at the KSC - Kennedy Space Center.
But...
Why did ASTP-pilot Vance Brand have a "60 seconds" bezel on his NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster ?
(instead of the standard "Tachymètre" bezel)... Answer at #MoonwatchUniverse
(photo: NASA)
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And Saturday was Tom Stafford day!