Glossy 8 x 10 photo of Gus Grissom entering the Liberty Bell 7 capsule, signed in silver ink by his brother, "Gus did not blow the bolts! Lowell Grissom." In fine condition, with a souvenir embroidered Mercury 4 patch applied to the lower right. Accompanied by a photo of Lowell Grissom speaking at the 2008 Bonne Terre Space Museum Conference, prior to signing this photograph.
The Liberty Bell 7 was equipped with an explosive hatch release which was triggered after splashdown, causing the capsule to sink and nearly costing Grissom his life. While Grissom insisted that he had not touched the hatch-activation plunger, speculation over his mishandling of the spacecraft persisted for years. Fellow Mercury astronaut Wally Schirra conducted a hatch-blow experiment during training with the Sigma 7, finding that the recoil of the plunger cut through his glove and into his hand—thereby vindicating Grissom, who came out of the Liberty Bell 7 unscathed. Further, a detailed study published in Astronomy magazine in July 2021 identified static electricity as the likely cause of the mishap. An interesting piece associated with one of Project Mercury's enduring mysteries.
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