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Lot 525A
ORIGINAL BOILERPLATE GEMINI CAPSULE
5 December 2018, 14:00 EST
New YorkSold for US$32,500 inc. premium
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ORIGINAL BOILERPLATE GEMINI CAPSULE
Boilerplate Gemini Capsule, 9.5 feet tall by 7.5 feet wide, approximately 3500 lbs. Serial number "MSC 325," painted gray with Gemini & NASA logos, US flag, stenciled "United States" and "NASA," interior unadorned, painted white. With original towing skid. Lacking access hatch and one panel, restored.
A boilerplate Gemini spacecraft, one of seven produced for testing weight and flotation prior to mission. Also known as a DemoSat or mass simulator, it is a nonfunctional craft or payload used to test various configurations and basic size, load, and handling characteristics of rocket launch vehicles as a cost-saving measure. This particular example was purchased in the San Francisco Bay Area and was likely used at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo. The capsule would be the only portion of the Gemini and Mercury spacecraft to return to Earth after accomplishing their missions, and as such required the most stringent and varied tests in order to ensure crew survivability. These frequently included water impact, flotation, parachute, environmental control and high-dynamic-pressure tests, amongst others. In the event, this vigorous testing proved to be of great worth: there were no disasters resulting in injury or loss of life in flight during the manned Gemini and Mercury missions. The "MSC" section of the serial number stands for "Manned Spacecraft Center," the original name for the Johnson Space Center.
Please note that this capsule is being sold in situ, and is currently located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Interested parties who wish to view the capsule are invited to contact the department to make arrangements. The successful buyer will be responsible for the timely disassembly if required, removal and shipping of this lot from its current location at buyer's expense no later than one month after the date of this auction.
A boilerplate Gemini spacecraft, one of seven produced for testing weight and flotation prior to mission. Also known as a DemoSat or mass simulator, it is a nonfunctional craft or payload used to test various configurations and basic size, load, and handling characteristics of rocket launch vehicles as a cost-saving measure. This particular example was purchased in the San Francisco Bay Area and was likely used at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo. The capsule would be the only portion of the Gemini and Mercury spacecraft to return to Earth after accomplishing their missions, and as such required the most stringent and varied tests in order to ensure crew survivability. These frequently included water impact, flotation, parachute, environmental control and high-dynamic-pressure tests, amongst others. In the event, this vigorous testing proved to be of great worth: there were no disasters resulting in injury or loss of life in flight during the manned Gemini and Mercury missions. The "MSC" section of the serial number stands for "Manned Spacecraft Center," the original name for the Johnson Space Center.
Please note that this capsule is being sold in situ, and is currently located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Interested parties who wish to view the capsule are invited to contact the department to make arrangements. The successful buyer will be responsible for the timely disassembly if required, removal and shipping of this lot from its current location at buyer's expense no later than one month after the date of this auction.