Scarce original stapled NASA press kit for the "Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Mission," 250 pages, 8 x 10.5, dated June 26, 1969. The press kit, identified as "Release No: 69-83K," begins with a detailed and illustrated 17-page "General Release" section, which reads, in part: "The United States will launch a three-man spacecraft toward the Moon on July 16 with the goal of landing two astronaut-explorers on the lunar surface four days later. If the mission-called Apollo 11-is successful, man will accomplish his long-time dream of walking on another celestial body." Other sections include: Apollo 11 Countdown, Launch Events, Apollo 11 Mission Events, Mission Trajectory and Maneuver Description, Recovery Operations, Quarantine, Abort Modes, Photographic Tasks, Lunar Description, and more. In fine condition, with some light scattered marks and wear to the covers.
Accompanied by a NASA business card belonging to Joseph M. 'Joe' Jones, who spent nearly 30 years in Army and NASA positions in Huntsville, Alabama. For the eight years before retirement he was director of the public affairs office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Before that he was chief of the news branch of that office for 15 years and still earlier an employee of the public information office of U.S. Army elements at Huntsville, which became a part of NASA. He was the No. 3 employee of NASA in Alabama, and the first employee of Marshall's public affairs office.
Jones wrote the six-page press kit for the first American earth satellite, Explorer I, and also helped write the offered Apollo 11 lunar landing press kit, a 250-page volume whose size illustrates the increase in information made available to the public in the early years of space exploration.
From the collection of noted space and rocketry book dealer Dr. Donald Boggs.
