Search Results

Extent:

17.6 Cubic feet (50 containers)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Technical reports

Photographic prints

Newspaper clippings

Correspondence

Date:

1961-2008

bulk 1980s-2000s

Summary:

This collection consists of 17 cubic feet of papers relating to the life and career of astronaut Pamela A. Melroy.

Scope and Contents:

The Pamela A. Melroy Papers (acc. no. 2018-0034) reflect Melroy's extensive experience as a pilot, space explorer, Space Shuttle Columbia accident investigator and leader within various governmental/military roles. Her great contributions as an air force officer, astronaut and Space Shuttle commander are quite evident in this collection.

This collection encompasses Melroy's years spent as an officer with the United States Air Force (USAF), test pilot, Gulf War veteran, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut and one of the first female Space Shuttle commanders. The material contained in the collection ranges from the 1970s into the 2010s. It is a mixture of the following materials: correspondence, memoranda, notes, reports and briefings, technical manuals (mainly NASA/Space Shuttle-related), notebooks, photographs, presentations and speeches, books, booklets and guidebooks, brochures, pamphlets, journals, magazines, articles, newspaper clippings and miscellaneous materials. Additionally, there are newspapers, photograph albums and scrapbooks.

The processing archivist did discern some original order to these materials. This collection was already in a rough chronological order. The processing archivist did rehouse these materials utilizing archival-friendly file folders and legal-size document cases.

This collection is arranged into three series. The first series is composed of personal materials that include correspondence, photographs, postcards, business cards and transcripts. Each type of archival material is organized chronologically and then alphabetically. The second series consists of professional materials and is by far and away the largest segment of the Pamela A. Melroy Papers. This series is arranged as follows: Melroy's correspondence, memoranda, notes, reports, manuals (mainly Space Shuttle program-related), notes and notebooks, presentations and speeches, books, guidebooks and booklets, brochures, pamphlets and catalogs, newsletters, magazines and journals, articles, newspaper clippings and miscellaneous materials. All the above material is also arranged chronologically and then alphabetically. The third series is composed of oversize materials. This material consists of newspapers (mainly focused on the Space Shuttle Columbia accident of 2003), as well as Melroy's three Space Shuttle flights, (STS-92, STS-112 and STS-120), photograph albums and scrapbooks.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into three series. The first series is composed of personal materials that include correspondence, photographs, postcards, business cards and transcripts. Each type of archival material is organized chronologically and then alphabetically. The second series consists of professional materials and is by far and away the largest segment of the Pamela A. Melroy Papers. This series is arranged as follows: Melroy's correspondence, memoranda, notes, reports, manuals (mainly Space Shuttle program-related), notes and notebooks, presentations and speeches, books, guidebooks and booklets, brochures, pamphlets and catalogs, newsletters, magazines and journals, articles, newspaper clippings and miscellaneous materials. All the above material is also arranged chronologically and then alphabetically. The third series is composed of oversize materials. This material consists of newspapers (mainly focused on the Space Shuttle Columbia accident of 2003), as well as Melroy's three Space Shuttle flights, (STS-92, STS-112 and STS-120), photograph albums and scrapbooks.

Biographical / Historical:

Pamela Ann Melroy was born on September 17, 1961, in Palo Alto, California. As a member of a military family, she spent her childhood living in many towns but considers Rochester, New York her hometown. Melroy graduated from Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester in 1979. Four years later, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics and Astronomy from Wellesley College and subsequently, a Master of Science degree in Earth and Planetary Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1984.

Melroy was commissioned through the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program while still attending graduate school. Upon completion of her Master's degree program at MIT, she attended undergraduate pilot training at Reese Air Force Base in Texas. After graduating from this program in 1985, Melroy was sent to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. While stationed there from 1985 to 1991, she flew the Boeing KC-10 aircraft as a co-pilot, aircraft commander and instructor pilot. Also, she flew combat missions in Iraq during 1990-91 (Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm). In time, she also graduated from the USAF's exclusive test-pilot school. All told during her 24-year career with the USAF, Melroy logged more than 6,000 hours of flight time in more than 50 different types of aircraft. She reached the rank of Colonel upon her retirement from the service in 2007.

Melroy started her career as an astronaut in late 1994 when she was selected as an astronaut candidate (ASCAN) by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She was initially assigned to various astronaut support roles such as tasks involving Space Shuttle launch and landings. She also performed Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) duties in Mission Control. In 2003, Melroy served on the ill-fated Space Shuttle Columbia accident reconstruction team as the lead for the crew compartment module and operated as deputy project manager for the Columbia Crew Survival Investigation Team.

Melroy was one of only two women to be in command of a Space Shuttle flight. She was the pilot of two Shuttle missions, STS-92 in 2000 and STS-112 in 2002. She served as mission commander on STS-120 in 2007. All three of her spaceflights involved assembling components on orbit for the International Space Station (ISS). Melroy logged a total of 924 hours in space.

Upon her more than 20 years of service to the USAF and NASA, Melroy assumed leadership roles with several public and private sector entities. This included organizations such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Lockheed Martin and Australia's Nova Systems, Ltd. She also worked as an advisor to the Australian Space Agency and as an independent consultant to the National Space Council's Users Advisory Group. In 2021, Melroy was selected as NASA's deputy administrator. In her current role, she assists the administrator in making final agency policies and decisions. Also, she acts for the NASA administrator in his absence by performing all necessary functions to govern agency operations.

Provenance:

Pam Melroy, Gift, 2018, NASM.2018.0034

Restrictions:

No restrictions on access

Rights:

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.

Topic:

Astronautics  Search this

United States Air Force  Search this

Astronauts  Search this

Space Shuttle Program (U.S.)  Search this

Technical manuals  Search this

McDonnell Douglas KC-10  Search this

International Space Station (ISS)  Search this

Genre/Form:

Technical reports

Photographic prints

Newspaper clippings

Correspondence -- 21st century

Citation:

Pamela A. Melroy Papers, NASM.2018.0034, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NASM.2018.0034

See more items in:

Pamela A. Melroy Papers

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2a22e1f52-ea7e-48df-9823-34270840f9ea

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nasm-2018-0034

Creator:

National Air and Space Museum  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2013-07-26T14:44:27.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Aeronautics;Flight;Space Sciences  Search this

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airandspace

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

YouTube Channel:

airandspace

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_4BHPOuwaPOw

Creator:

National Air and Space Museum  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2021-03-05T14:00:50.000Z

YouTube Category:

People & Blogs  Search this

Topic:

Aeronautics;Flight;Space Sciences  Search this

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airandspace

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

YouTube Channel:

airandspace

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_5FL80XK45AQ

Creator:

National Air and Space Museum  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2016-11-02T16:07:58.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Aeronautics;Flight;Space Sciences  Search this

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airandspace

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

YouTube Channel:

airandspace

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_BmPAUdVNmXE

Creator:

National Air and Space Museum  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2021-03-05T14:07:54.000Z

YouTube Category:

People & Blogs  Search this

Topic:

Aeronautics;Flight;Space Sciences  Search this

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airandspace

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

YouTube Channel:

airandspace

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_H90J_YZT6js

Creator:

National Air and Space Museum  Search this

Type:

Conversations and talks

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2022-09-02T18:05:16.000Z

YouTube Category:

Entertainment  Search this

Topic:

Aeronautics;Flight;Space Sciences  Search this

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airandspace

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

YouTube Channel:

airandspace

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_I7Ah-9K8qgo

Creator:

National Air and Space Museum  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2021-05-08T12:00:15.000Z

YouTube Category:

Science & Technology  Search this

Topic:

Aeronautics;Flight;Space Sciences  Search this

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airandspace

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

YouTube Channel:

airandspace

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_dBtm07e8Wf8

Creator:

National Museum of African American History and Culture  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2022-03-02T19:21:49.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

African Americans  Search this

See more by:

WatchNMAAHC

Data Source:

National Museum of African American History and Culture

YouTube Channel:

WatchNMAAHC

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_-L_Bso7bFYM

Creator:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2023-07-04T01:06:12.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, Asian  Search this

See more by:

FreerSackler

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

YouTube Channel:

FreerSackler

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_MS-WhUjmg9k

Author:

Stevenson, William 1925-  Search this

Subject:

Israel Ḥel ha-aṿir  Search this

Israel Tseva haganah le-Yiśraʼel Ḥel ha-aṿir  Search this

Physical description:

vi, 344 p color map (on lining papers) 22 cm

Type:

Books

Place:

Israel

Israel (state)

Date:

1971

1947-1967

1948-1967

Topic:

15.75 history of Asia  Search this

Air force  Search this

History, Military  Search this

Call number:

UG635.I75 S84

UG635.I75S84

Data Source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_sil_6873

Author:

Rice, Berkeley 1937-  Search this

Subject:

United States Air Force Procurement  Search this

États-Unis (CaQQLa)201-0281491 Air Force (CaQQLa)201-0281491 Ravitaillement  Search this

Lockheed Georgia Company  Search this

Physical description:

xiv, 238 p 22 cm

Type:

Books

Place:

United States

États-Unis

Date:

1971

Topic:

C-5A (Jet transports)  Search this

Defense contracts  Search this

Galaxy (Jet transport)  Search this

Military-industrial complex  Search this

C-5A (Avion à jet)  Search this

Complexes militaro-industriels  Search this

Contrats de la défense  Search this

Armed Forces--Procurement  Search this

Call number:

TL686.L6 R495

TL686.L6R495

Data Source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_sil_7657

Creator:

National Air and Space Museum  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2020-06-07T14:30:01.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Aeronautics;Flight;Space Sciences  Search this

See more by:

airandspace

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

YouTube Channel:

airandspace

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_3wHfvUmO6oE

Creator:

National Air and Space Museum  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2021-05-09T12:00:04.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Aeronautics;Flight;Space Sciences  Search this

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airandspace

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

YouTube Channel:

airandspace

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_8nuuAPR88Nw

Creator:

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio)  Search this

Names:

McCook Field, Ohio  Search this

United States. Air Force  Search this

United States. Air Force Materiel Division  Search this

United States. Air Materiel Command  Search this

Wright Field, Ohio  Search this

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio)  Search this

Extent:

733.77 Cubic feet (1508 document boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Correspondence

Publications

Reports

Photographs

Date:

1915-1955

Summary:

Throughout its history the Engineering Division/Materiel Division at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, maintained a catalogued library of technical documents, which was turned over to the Air Force Museum and later donated to the National Air and Space Museum. The collection consists of reports and other documents on a variety of aviation-related topics, including general science (aeronautics, physics, chemistry, etc); military air service personnel, organization, and equipment for both US and foreign air forces; as well as operations, and so on. Currently, the finding aid only covers documents from the D52.1 subject code (Airplanes, arranged alphabetically) and only those that are physically located in the Wright Field Technical Documents Library.

Scope and Contents:

The collection consists of reports and other documents on a variety of aviation-related topics, including general science (aeronautics, physics, chemistry, etc); military air service personnel, organization, and equipment for both US and foreign air forces; as well as operations, and so on. Information on foreign services and equipment is usually from military intelligence reports, although some foreign documents or translations are included. The material also includes a large section of test reports from the Material Division itself.

Arrangement:

Every document in the collection has been assigned a multi-part Wright Field Number. This number is adapted from the Air Force central decimal correspondence filing system. Wright Field Numbers are written in the format:

[Subject Code] [Category Suffix] / [Sequence Number] [Sequence Modifier]

Subject Code: This number begins with an alpha-numeric subject code. For example, D52.1 (Airplanes, arranged alphabetically).

Category Suffix: A more specific textual subject reference. For example, in the D52.1 subjects, the suffix is usually a manufacturer name, aircraft name, or a general type of aircraft. (Original Wright Field cataloguers could be inconsistent in how they classified an airplane. For example, a document on a Japanese Mitsubishi A6M could be filed alphabetically under A6M, Mitsubishi, Zeke, Zero, or Misc. Japanese.) It is possible to not have a category suffix.

Sequence Number: The individual number assigned to the document within its subject code and category. If a document was formerly classified as "Security Information," the sequence number starts with "S," for example "S-1." These are usually filed at the beginning of a range of documents. Sometimes technical manuals are filed using the technical order (TO) number. For example, 01-20EE-3 is the sequence number used for a Boeing B-17 Handbook of Overhaul Instructions, TO-01-20EE-3.

Sequence Modifier: If there is a revision or multiple parts of a document, this is reflected in a sequence modifier. Ex. Dates, revision numbers, etc.

The documents are arranged alpha-numerically by Wright Field Number in the order of:

Subject Code, Category Suffix, Sequence Number, Sequence Modifier

Example of arrangement by Wright Field Number:

D52.1 / 42

D52.1 Aeronca / 2

D52.1 Boeing / S-1

D52.1 Boeing / 422

D52.1 Boeing / 511 Dec 1, 1941

D52.1 Boeing / 511 vol. 2 March 1, 1943

D52.1 Misc. Japanese / 46

Each record contains the title and source from the index cards. Information from the subject field on the cards appears as a scope and content note.

Currently, the finding aid only covers documents from the D52.1 subject code and only those that are physically located in the Wright Field Technical Documents Library. Please contact the NASM Archives regarding additional documents. Some may be located in the Technical Reference Files, cataloguing information may be only on the index cards, or the document has been catalogued as missing from the collection.

Biographical / Historical:

In 1917, the United States Army Air Service established an aviation engineering section at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. In 1927, the Engineering Division, as it was then known, moved to nearby Wilbur Wright Field and remained there as the Air Force Materiel Division (AFMD) and Air Materiel Command (AMC) until Wright Field combined with Patterson Field to become Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1948. The Engineering Division was responsible for Army Air Services research and development and served as a clearinghouse for information on aviation development worldwide. Throughout its history the Engineering Division/Materiel Division maintained a catalogued library of documents, which was turned over to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson and was later donated to the National Air and Space Museum.

Provenance:

United States Air Force Museum, Transfer, 1962, NASM.XXXX.0428.

Restrictions:

No restrictions on access

Rights:

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests

Topic:

Military intelligence  Search this

Airplanes, Military -- Flight testing  Search this

Aeronautics, Military  Search this

Aeronautics  Search this

Aeronautics, Military -- Research  Search this

Genre/Form:

Correspondence

Publications

Reports

Photographs

Identifier:

NASM.XXXX.0428

See more items in:

Wright Field Technical Documents Library

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2124245c3-eb7c-495a-a446-e87ba26d8251

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0428

Creator:

National Air and Space Museum  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2020-06-25T15:47:38.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Aeronautics;Flight;Space Sciences  Search this

See more by:

airandspace

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

YouTube Channel:

airandspace

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_OMG6CH97niE

Creator:

National Air and Space Museum  Search this

Type:

Conversations and talks

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2019-10-08T19:05:47.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Aeronautics;Flight;Space Sciences  Search this

See more by:

airandspace

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

YouTube Channel:

airandspace

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt__au9eyQ_iUE

Culture/People:

Baffinland Inuit  Search this

Artist/Maker:

Wife of Aneelik, Baffinland Inuit  Search this

Collector:

Warren F. Buxton, Non-Indian, 1929-2018  Search this

Previous owner:

Warren F. Buxton, Non-Indian, 1929-2018  Search this

Donor:

Warren F. Buxton, Non-Indian, 1929-2018  Search this

Object Name:

Boots and socks/boot liners

Media/Materials:

Sealskin/fur, wool yarn

Techniques:

Sewn, braided

Dimensions:

27.5 x 15 x 49 cm

Object Type:

Clothing/Garments: Footwear

Place:

Padloping Island; Qikiqtaaluk Region (Qitirmiut, Baffin); Nunavut; Canada

Archipelago:

Canadian Arctic Archipelago

Island Name:

Padloping Island

Island Grouping:

Baffin Island Group

Date created:

1949-1950

Catalog Number:

26/5373

Barcode:

265373.000

See related items:

Baffinland Inuit

Clothing/Garments: Footwear

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6c4288e6a-bc76-431f-ae79-bf642cf39c8f

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_281597

Culture/People:

Iñupiaq  Search this

Artist/Maker:

Andrew Tingook, Iñupiaq, 1901-1981  Search this

Previous owner:

Captain Theodore T. Saxon, Jr., Non-Indian  Search this

Donor:

Captain Theodore T. Saxon, Jr., Non-Indian  Search this

Object Name:

Bracelet

Media/Materials:

Ivory, fossil ivory, ink, elastic band

Techniques:

Cut, drilled, etched, colored, strung

Dimensions:

6.1 x 2.0 cm

Object Type:

Adornment/Jewelry

Place:

Nome; Bering Straits Native Corporation; Alaska; USA (inferred)

Date created:

1968-1969

Catalog Number:

26/9251

Barcode:

269251.000

See related items:

Iñupiaq

Adornment/Jewelry

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws68c50f4fc-3b01-4ef4-a624-e0416f90c027

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_409852

Manufacturer:

Fiala Outfitters  Search this

Materials:

Wood, leather, sinew, steel, copper alloy, paint

Dimensions:

3-D (Each): 129.5 × 24.1 × 17.1cm (4 ft. 3 in. × 9 1/2 in. × 6 3/4 in.)

Type:

EQUIPMENT-Mission Support

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Date:

1933

Credit Line:

Transferred from the United States Air Force Museum

Inventory Number:

A19600014024

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

National Air and Space Museum Collection

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv989eddde0-021b-4699-8b8c-7e7750de8e28

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nasm_A19600014024

Creator:

Collins, Michael, 1930-2021  Search this

Extent:

.23 Cubic feet (1 box)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1973-1974

Scope and Contents:

This is the original manuscript of Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys, the book in which Collins describes his experiences as a test pilot and in the space program. It features hand corrections by his editor (in red) and Collins (in black) and includes passages which are crossed out and do not appear in the publiched version.

Biographical / Historical:

Michael Collins (1930 - 2021) served as a fighter pilot and an experimental test pilot at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base from 1959-1963. He was one of the third group of astronauts named by NASA in October 1963. Collins was pilot on the three-day Gemini 10 mission in 1966, during which he became the nation's third spacewalker and set a world altitude record. His second flight was as command module pilot of the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969. He remained in lunar orbit while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon. After leaving NASA in 1970, Collins became Assistant Secretaty of State for Public Affairs and, in 1971, became the Director of the National Air and Space Museum, where he remained for seven years. Collins has received numerous decorations and awards and is the author of several books, including this, Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys, which was released to critical acclaim by Farrar Straus Giroux in 1974.

A Chronology of Major General Michael Collins' Life

1930, October 31 -- Born to James and Virginia Collins in Rome, Italy. He is the youngest of four children.

1942, September 22 -- Enters St. Albans School in Washington, DC.

1948 -- Graduates from St. Albans School.

1952, June -- Graduates from the United States Military Academy in West point with a Bachelor of Science degree in Military Science.

1952, August -- Joins the United States Air Force (USAF) and begins basic training at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, where he learns to fly the T-6 Texan.

1953 -- At Connally Air Force Base, Waco, Texas, he learns to fly T-33A Shooting Star jet trainers.

1953, September -- Learns advanced day-fighter training on an F-86 Sabre at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

1954, January -- Joins the 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing at George Air Force Base, California, where he learns nuclear weapons delivery systems and ground attack.

1954, mid-December -- Transfers with the 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing at Chambley-Bussières Air Base, France.

1956 -- Wins first place in a gunnery competition.

1956 -- Deploys to West Germany during the Hungarian Revolution.

1957, April 28 -- Marries Patricia Finnegan, a social worker, in Chambley, France.

Late 1957 -- Enrolls in a nine-month aircraft maintenace officer course at Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois, that he finishes in six months.

1959, May 6 -- Birth of daughter, Kathleen.

1960 -- Commands a Mobile Training Detachment (MTD) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. This requires him to travel to airbases world-wide. He later becomes the first commander of a Field Training Detachment (FTD).

1960, August 29 -- Enrolls in the USAF Experimental Flight Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, as a member of Class 60C. While there, his flight test instructional aircraft are the F-104 Starfighter, F-86 Sabre, T-33 Shooting Star, B-52 Stratofortressand T-28 Trojan. He logs more than 5,000 hours of flying time.

1961, October 31 -- Birth of daughter, Ann.

1962, February 20 -- Collins' interest in becoming an astronaut is piqued after seeing coverage of John Glenn's orbit around Earth.

1962, October 22 -- Begins a postgraduate course on spaceflight at the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) (formerly the USAF Experimental Flight Test Pilot School) where he flew the T-38A Talon and the NF-101 Voodoo. Classmates include future astronauts Joe Engle, Charles Bassett and Edward Givens.

1963, February 23 -- Birth of son, Michael.

1963, May -- Returns to fighter operations at Edwards Air Force Base after having successfully completed the coursework at ARPS.

1963, June -- Applies to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to become an astronaut.

1963, September 2 -- Is interviewed by NASA in Houston, Texas.

1963, October 14 -- Receives a phone call from NASA's Director of Flight Crew Operations Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, asking if he would like to be an astronaut. He does.

1963, October 18 -- At the Manned Space Center (MSC). later renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC), Collins is selected as one of fourteen new astronauts (7 from the Air Force, 4 from the Navy, 1 from the Marines and two civilians), bringing the total number of NASA astronauts to 30. This third group includes Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. Each astronaut is assigned a specialization. His is extravehicular activities (EVAs) and pressure suits.

1965, July 1 -- Collins and Edward White II are named the backup crew for Gemini 7. Frank Borman and James A. Lovell Jr are the prime crew.

1966, January 24 -- Collins is assigned to the prime crew of Gemini 10, along with John Young as mission commander. This makes Collins the seventeenth American to fly in space.

1966, July 18 -- At 5:20 pm EST, Gemini 10 lifts off from Launch Complex 19 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Among the accomplishments on this three-day mission were the successful rendezvous and docking with an Agena target vehicle, conducting dual rendezvous maneuvers using the target vehicle's propulsion systems, conducting two EVAs, practice docking maneuvers, executing fifteen scientific experiments and evaluating various docked spacecraft systems.

1966, July 21 -- Gemini 10 splashes down in the Atlantic Ocean, 529 miles east of Cape Kennedy, and is recovered by the amphibious assault ship USS Guadalcanal. Gemini 10 attained an apogee of approximately 475 statute miles and traveled a distance of 1,275,091 statute miles. It was the second spacecraft in the Gemini program to land within eye and camera range of the prime recovery ship.

1966, late July -- Receives Air Force Command Pilot Astronaut Wings.

1966 -- Receives NASA's Exceptional Service Medal.

1967, January 27 -- While attending a meeting in the Astronaut Office in Houston, Texas, Collins and others hears of the tragic deaths of astronauts Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Roger Chaffee and Ed White. Collins went to the Chaffee home where he informed Roger's wife Martha that her husband died during a routine launch rehearsal test.

1967, November 19 -- NASA announces the crews for the first two manned Apollo/Saturn V flights. Collins (as command module pilot), Frank Borman (as commander) and William A. Anders (as lunar module pilot) are named the prime crew for AS-505, the second mission.

1968, July 22-23 -- At Wilford Hall Hospital at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, Collins undergoes surgery to fuse two vertebrae after a bone spur is found on his spine.. His role as prime Apollo 9 crew in jeopardy as his convalescence might take up to four months.

1968, August 8 -- NASA announces that James Lovell will replace Collins as prime command module pilot for the upcoming Apollo mission.

1968, December -- Collins serves as capsule communicator (CAPCOM) for Apollo 8

1969, January 9 -- NASA names Neil A. Armstrong (commander), Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr (lunar module pilot) and Collins (command module pilot) as prime crew of Apollo 11.

1969, May 24 -- Armstrong, Collins and Aldrin practice splashdown and anticontamination procedures they will use after returning from the moon in two months. They donned plastic-coated biological isolation garments and sprayed each other with Betadine disinfectant before leaving a test spacecraft in the Gulf of Mexico.

1969. July 3 -- Armstrong, Collins and Aldrin complete their final countdown rehearsal test. They achieved simulated liftoff at 9:32 am EST, the exact time of the scheduled July 16th launch.

1969, July 5 -- At MSC, the Apollo 11 astronauts hold a press conference where they are seated 50 feet away from the nearest reporters and were partially enclosed in a plastic booth to limit their contact 21 days prior to flight lest they get ill. Collins says that he doesn't not feel "the slightest bit frustrated" about going to the moon without landing on it. "I'm going 99.9 percent of the way there," he states, "and that suits me fine."

1969, July 11 -- The Apollo 11 crew undergo the last major preflight medical examination at KSC and are cleared for launch.

1969, July 16 -- At 9:22 am EST, Apollo 11 lifts off from launch complex 39A by Saturn V 506 booster at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff was relayed live on TV to 33 countries on 6 continents and watched by an estimated 25 million TV views in the United States. Onboard is command module pilot Collins, spacecraft commander Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, lunar module pilot. While the latter two descend to the lunar surface on the Sea of Tranquility in the lunar module Eagle, Collins orbits the moon alone 30 times for more than 21 hours in the command module Columbia. It takes 48 minutes to pass behind the far side of the moon and is the most distant part of space that humans have yet visited alone. During that time, Collins loses all means of communication; the moon's 2,100-mile rocky diameter stood between him and all other human beings. While the press would later shortsightedly dub him "The Loneliest Man in History" during this period of disconnect, Collins recalled in Carrying the Fire that he was not having an existential, solipsistic crisis. Instead, he was preoccupied with the very real problem of failure on a scale that was hard to fathom. He documented his fear on audiotape recorded at the time, saying, "My secret terror for the last six months has been leaving them on the Moon and returning to Earth alone; now am within minutes of finding out the truth of the matter." What if things went terribly wrong and he returned to Earth alone? "I will be a marked man for life, and I know it." His worries proved to be unfounded. After Armstrong becomes the first man to set foot on the moon, he and Aldrin collect 21 kg of lunar surface material and conduct scientific experiments. After spending 21 hours and 36 minutes on the lunar surface, Armstrong and Aldrin lift off the moon's surface using the Eagle's ascent stage and return to lunar orbit, where Collins successfully docks Columbia to it.

1969, July 21 -- After almost a full day on the lunar surface, Armstrong and Aldrin launch off the moon's surface using the Eagle's ascent stage and return to lunar orbit, where Collins successfully docks Columbia to it. After jettisoning the lunar module, Apollo 11 begins its journey home.

1969, July 25 -- The Air Force promotes Collins to the rank of full colonel. In a congratulatory message, General John P. McConnell, Air Force Chief of Staff, says the Apollo 11 mission was "indeed a momentous achievement" and the promotion was a "token of appreciation for the part you played."

1969, July 25 -- Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins splash down on July 24 in the Pacific Ocean and are retrieved by the USS Hornet. After donning biological isolation garments, they enter the Mobile Quarantine Facility along with the recovery physician, a recovery technician and the lunar samples where they remain until August 10, 1969.

1969, August 12 -- Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins hold their first postflight press conference at MSC, where they narrate a 45-minute film of the mission and answer questions. While discussing hte lunar landing, Collins says it was a "technical triumph for this country to have said what it was going to do a number of years ago and then, by golly, do it. It was also a triumph of the nation's overall determination, will, economy, attention to detail, and a thousand and one other fators that went into it."

1969, August 13 -- The three Apollo 11 astronauts attended parades in their honor in New York City and Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California. An estimated six million people attend.

1969, August 17 -- Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins appear on CBS's "Face the Nation". Collins mentions that he would not fly in space again because he found it increasingly difficult "to keep up year after year" with the rigorous training required.

1969, September -- The three Apollo 11 astronauts embarked on a 38-day world tour. In all, they visited 22 countries.

1969, September 6 -- The Apollo 11 astronauts attend celebrations in their hometowns. Collins, who was born in Rome, Italy, chooses to visit New Orleans, Louisiana, as his adopted hometown, where he also visits NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility.

1969, December 15 -- Begins work as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. President Nixon announced his plan to nominate Collins on November 28th.

1970 -- Receives NASA's Distinguished Service Medal.

1970 -- After 18 years of Active Duty service in the Air Force, begins serving in the Air Force Reserve.

1971, February 22 -- President Nixon accepts Collins' resignation as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, effective April 11.

1971, April 12 -- Becomes Director of the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, DC. Collins tirelessly lobbied for funding from Congress to build the museum. $40 million was allocated for construction.

1973, April 6 -- The Senate confirms the nomination of Col. Michael Collins to be a brigadier general.

1974 -- Completes the Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.

1974, August 11 -- Publishes Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys to critical acclaim.

1976 -- Publishes Flying to the Moon and Other Strange Places.

1976, March 10 -- Is confirmed by the Senate as a reserve major general.

1976, July 1 -- The National Air and Space Museum opens to the public. Thanks to Collins' leadership, it is both under budget and three days ahead of schedule. The ceremony was presided over by President Gerald R. Ford and ribbon was cut by a signal transmitted by the Viking I spacecraft in orbit around Mars.to a large metal arm.

1976, November 16 -- Collins in one of 3 NASA employees to win the National Civil Service League's career service awards.

1976, December -- The Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) announce that Collins has been appointed mobilization assistant to the AFSC commander. This position was the top Air Force Reserve post in AFSC.

1977 -- Is inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame atthe New Mexico Museum of Space History.

1977, September 30 -- The National Aeronautic Association announces that the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) will present the gold space medal to Collins, at a ceremony to be held in Rome, Italy, on October 3rd. It is awarded yearly as the world's highest award for spaceflight.

1978 -- Becomes an Undersecretary of the Smithsonian Institution, a position he holds until he resigns on January 28, 1980.

1980 -- Is Vice President of Vought, Inc. (formerly Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) Aerospace and Defense Company) in Arlington, Virginia.

1982 -- Retires from the Air Force as a Major General.

1983, March 4 -- Asteroid 6471 Collins is named after him.

1985 -- Resigns from LTV Aerospace and starts his own consulting firm, Michael Collins Associates.

1987, March -- Aviation Week and Space Technology reports that the Space Goals Task Force of the NASA Advisory Council, headed by Collins, will recommend a crew-tended mission to Mars. Collins stressed that the development and operation of a US/international Space Station was a prerequisite for exploration of Mars and beyond.

1988 -- Publishes Liftoff: The Story of America's Adventures in Space.

1990 -- Publishes Mission to Mars.

1993, March 18 -- NASA announces that 14 astronauts who orbited the Earth during Project Gemini (which includes Collins) were inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame.

1993, March 3 -- Death of son Michael in Massachusetts.

2011, November 16 -- Collins, Armstrong and Aldrin receive the Precedential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.

2014, April -- His wife Pat passes away.

2020 -- The National Air and Space Museum Award, established in 1985, is re-named The Michael Collins Trophy.

2021, April 28 -- Michael Collin dies of cancer at his home in in Naples, Florida.

2023, January 30 -- Collins' ashes are interred in Arlington National Cemetery.

Provenance:

The manuscript and galley proofs were found in the Ramsy Room, October of 1992. The galley proofs were deaccessioned on 02/18/99.

Restrictions:

No restrictions on access

Rights:

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.

Topic:

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Citation:

Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys Manuscript, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0399, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NASM.XXXX.0399

See more items in:

Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys Manuscript

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg28c5dd05e-50f7-4cda-9cca-c730bd033867

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0399