Flown food clamp carried on board Gordon Cooper’s Faith 7 flight in May of 1963. Wire clamp measures approximately 2 x 3 with a one-inch tab of black Velcro attached to one end. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Gordon Cooper which reads, in part: “This food clamp was carried on my Mercury-Atlas 9 Faith 7 mission during May 15 and 16, 1963…The primary purpose of the clamp was to prevent leaks of water as I re-hydrated the new experimental food packs during my flight. There were some problems with the water supply nozzle during the mission which limited the amount of water that could be injected into the food packs. The clamp helped prevent leakage from the water supply which was a bit of a ‘twist’ in the planned use. The clamp has been in my personal collection since 1963.” Also accompanied by an official glossy NASA photo of Cooper’s space food and two of the clamps. In fine condition. Flown equipment from any Mercury flight is quite rare. RR Auction COA.
