9054

Edward H. White II 1965 Typed Letter Signed

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:5,000.00 - 6,000.00 USD
Edward H. White II 1965 Typed Letter Signed

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Auction Date:2017 Nov 16 @ 18:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
Location:236 Commercial St., Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts, 02109, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
TLS signed “Edward H. White II,” one page, 8 x 10.5, NASA letterhead, March 9, 1965. Letter to David Carlson, a fellow Texan. In part: "I am indeed proud to represent our great state of Texas as an astronaut in our national space efforts. You have asked a question, David, that man has pondered for centuries—what is courage? To me, courage is not the absence of fear, rather the presence of fear controlled, fear disciplined. All of us feel some fear and apprehension about exploring any unknown area, for fear is an inherently human quality. But ‘fear always springs from ignorance,’ observed Emerson. So, through the acquisition of knowledge we have been able to put fear in its proper perspective, recognized and controlled. We astronauts are the most completely and totally prepared explorers in the history of man’s explorations—we are, personally, most skillfully prepared, our equipment is of the most excellent, our preparations and plans are the most thorough. Being so armed, I feel there are no problems beyond our capabilities to effectively and successfully combat and control once we have arrived in an unknown realm such as the surface of the moon!" In fine condition, with a few spots of toning and two tiny edge dings. Only months later in June, White would take a courageous step toward advancing space exploration when he performed the first extravehicular activity by an American astronaut. White had to trust in his "most excellent" equipment—it was the first true test of the G4C spacesuit and its corresponding life support systems in the vacuum of space, and the EVA was a resounding success. His profound response to a simple question—"what is courage?"—lends exceptional insight into White's demeanor and the personality that enabled him to become America's first spacewalker.