WALTER CUNNINGHAM This is a stunning and very rare photo, taken during the Apollo 7 mission, of the S-IVB stage with its panels open and in orbit. It shows the Earth below the S-IVB stage and is signed by Apollo 7 astronaut Walter Cunningham in silver ink. Photograph signed: "Walt Cunningham/Apollo 7". Color, 9¾x8. Apollo 7 (October 11-22, 1968) was the first manned Apollo mission. It orbited the Earth for ten days 20 hours and eight minutes, accomplishing eight service propulsion firings and a rendezvous with the S-IVB stage. This is a photo of the S-IVB stage with the panels for its aerodynamic shrouds opened. As you can see, one of the four panels didn't fully open. These panels would have covered the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM). Having them only partially opened could have affected the Service Module's docking with the LEM, a vital maneuver during subsequent Apollo moon shots. The panels were redesigned to fall away during subsequent Apollo flights. This was the first flight since the original first manned Apollo crew, Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee, were killed in the Apollo 1 fire on the launching pad, January 27, 1967, while performing pre-flight tests. Walter Cunningham, (born in 1932) formerly a Marine Corps fighter pilot (1952-1956), graduated from UCLA with an M.A. in physics, and then joined the astronaut corps. He was LEM pilot on the Apollo 7 mission. Cunningham left NASA in 1971 for Harvard Business School. He has prospered since as an entrepreneur, radio talk show host and author. His astronaut memoir, The All-American Boys, was published in 1977, and he was a major contributor to the space history, In the Shadow of the Moon (2007). Lightly creased and bowed, otherwise in fine condition. - Please contact us if you have any questions or require additional information. DOCUMENT 280242

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Makes a memorable one-of-a-kind gift or unique centerpiece for your home or office!