Page 80 - The Appollo Story

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Apollo 14 (AS-509) A Very Tough Place
Apollo 14 was heading for Fra Mauro - the site where the unlucky Apollo 13 should have landed. In
command was Alan Shepard, the only Mercury 7 astronaut to get to the Moon. He had been grounded
after becoming the first American in space in 1961, because of a medical condition known as Meniere' s
disease, which affects balance. Put in charge of the astronaut corps, he controversially appointed himself
as commander of Apollo 14 the moment the doctors gave him the all clear. What with Shepard's fifteen
minutes of space time the cynics were quick to label Apollo 14 as an all-rookie mission. Flying with him
were newcomers Stuart Roosa, CM pilot, and Edgar Mitchell, LM pilot - signed cover below.

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I
Gunter Walter
Ortsstrasse 34
D-6759 Nerzweiler
West Germany

The object in the image, which is depicted heading for the moon from the Earth, is an astronaut pin.
Astronauts were given a silver version of this pin when they were accepted into the astronaut corps; and
were given a gold version of the pin after their first space flight. The designer was Jean Beaulieu.