Sixty years since its founding, NASA’s name is synonymous with mapping the galaxy, spearheading mankind’s exploration into space, and cutting-edge technology. NASA’s rockets have pierced the sky, its satellites mapped the stars, and its astronauts smuggled sandwiches and coinage on-board spacecraft. The astronauts also happened to walk on the moon if that’s of any major significance, but we digress.
Today, we’re honoring NASA’s 60th birthday, an organization consistently taking “reach for the stars” to new heights by looking back on the organization’s past highlights and the history of NASA’s galactic coinage accompanying astronauts into space from the first manned space flight.
A Brief Origin Story of NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) opened its doors for the first time on October 1, 1958, following legislative establishment by President Dwight Eisenhower through the National Aeronautics and Space Act. As the organization to first put a man on the moon, NASA is deeply ingrained into U.S. national pride for standing at the frontier of technological development and research. However, it’s sometimes forgotten the original conception of NASA was as much a military effort as it was a research and space exploration operation.
Formed as a result of Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, many of NASA’s first staff were selected from the military. NASA’s initial astronauts were pulled from the ranks of the U.S. Marines, Navy, and Air Force. In the context of the Cold War, NASA’s research and technological development was as much a battlefield between the Soviet Union and the United States as any of the numerous proxy wars of the time. The early militancy had a lasting influence on NASA’s traditions, including the adoption of commemorating their operations with custom-made coins.
NASA’s First Human Space Flights: Project Mercury and Gemini
Project Mercury and Project Gemini stand out as NASA’s first two human spaceflight programs sending pioneer astronauts like John Glenn and Alan Shepard into orbit for the first time in human history. During the first manned flights under Project Mercury astronauts began taking small personal effects and items including coins like dimes or dollar bills with them into orbit.
These odds and ends were largely commemorative mementos intended as personal souvenirs for the astronauts themselves and the flight staff. More for the novelty of having a “space-flown” item to show off than anything else. However, they hold the distinction of being the first man-made coins in space.
By the time of Project Gemini, NASA’s second human spaceflight program, NASA began commissioning custom coin medallions at the request of astronauts and staff, called the Gemini space-flown Fliteline Medallions after the presentation boxes they came packaged in. Each medallion is no larger than a quarter likely due to spacecraft weight concerns. These coins were officially commissioned by NASA, though the identity of their maker remains a mystery to modern times, with the only clue being the Fliteline name on the medallion’s boxes.
Project Mercury’s Galactic Currency
The first manned space flight performed by NASA nicknamed Freedom 7, not only took Alan Shepard, the first man in space, but also dollar bills signed by Alan Shepard and fellow staff members including fellow Mercury Seven astronauts Leroy Cooper and John Glenn to commemorate the first manned flight.
The second manned space flight performed by NASA, nicknamed Liberty Bell 7, took astronaut Vergil “Gus” Grissom into space and was known for a premature emergency hatch release leading to the spacecraft sinking into the ocean. Accompanying Grissom’s space voyage were Mercury Dimes, standard U.S. currency dimes, circa 1935 to 1945, he took onboard Liberty Bell 7 as space-flown souvenirs. When Liberty Bell 7 was later pulled from the ocean in 1999, 52 Mercury Dimes were recovered from the craft, some bearing personalized marks or initials from NASA staff who may have gifted them to Grissom before the flight.
Project Gemini Fliteline Medallions
After two unmanned launches to test equipment, the first manned space flight taken as part of Project Gemini was the Gemini 3, nicknamed Molly Brown. The Molly Brown was the first space flight to have an official NASA custom Gemini Fliteline Medallion struck. The first Gemini Fliteline Medallion featured the names of the two astronauts aboard the spacecraft a returning Vergil “Gus” Grisson and John Young, famous for smuggling a corned beef sandwich aboard the Molly Brown’s trip to space. Two versions of the medallions were struck one in sterling silver and another in plated sterling gold.
Every manned Project Gemini space flight would go on to have it’s own official Gemini Fliteline Medallion struck commemorating their operations and featuring the names of the astronauts aboard their respective craft along with the official launch date. It’s unknown how many of each medallion was produced as each coin was unnumbered.
The Gemini Fliteline Medallions by Spacecraft:
- Gemini 3
- Gemini 4
- Gemini 5
- Gemini 6
- Gemini 7
- Gemini 8
- Gemini 9
- Gemini 10
- Gemini 11
- Gemini 12
Landing on the Moon: The Apollo Program
"That's one small step for [a] man. One giant leap for mankind."
The most iconic words ever uttered by an astronaut were spoken by Neil Armstrong as he stepped onto the surface of the moon, accomplishing one the primary missions of NASA’s third human spaceflight program, the Apollo Program.
Tasked with landing a man on the moon within ten years by President John F. Kennedy, the program’s early conception was waylaid by the Apollo 1 tragedy where the entire astronaut crew including Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee lost their lives in an electrical fire in the command module during a test.
Despite the tragedy, the Apollo Program would continue working. First, by developing technology and procedures to prevent an accident of that scale from happening again, and then with several unmanned Apollo Program flights before once more sending manned spacecraft into space with the Apollo 7. Finally, with the Apollo 11 mission, NASA successfully landed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin onto the moon for their historic moonwalk.
The Apollo Mission Robbins Medallions
Starting from the first Apollo mission, NASA minted custom Apollo mission medallions, known as the Apollo Mission Robbins Medallions, after the Robbins Company who produced the coins. Continuing the tradition started by the Gemini Fliteline Medallions, the Apollo 1 medallions featured the mission’s insignia, the launch date of the mission to be added after a successful launch, and the name’s of the astronauts heading the mission. However, most of the Apollo 1 medallions never became space-flown following the tragic end of Apollo 1 and don’t have mission dates.
It wouldn’t be until Apollo 7’s launch, that new Apollo Mission Robbins Medallions would be made and every Apollo mission afterward hosted new medallions struck by the Robbins Company. Along with the earlier Fliteline Medallions, the Apollo Mission Robbins Medallions remain one of the most sought-after pieces of NASA memorabilia.
From Apollo 1 to the iconic Apollo 11 through to the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, custom coins were officially commissioned and given to the NASA astronauts. Here are the coins according to operation:
- Apollo 1
- Apollo 7
- Apollo 8
- Apollo 9
- Apollo 10
- Apollo 11
- Apollo 12
- Apollo 13
- Apollo 14
- Apollo 15
- Apollo 16
- Apollo 17
- Apollo-Soyuz
Sixty Years of Space Travel With NASA
Since the Apollo missions, NASA continues its mission to advance scientific study and research into the outer reaches by launching manned and unmanned craft into space. Even with the recent development of a private space industry, NASA’s name continues to bring images of national pride and Neil Armstrong’s famous walk on the surface of the moon. NASA’s historical line of coin medallions continues to chronicle their 60 years of work exploring the final frontier from tragedies like the challenger explosion to triumphs such as landing Mars Curiosity Rover.
Here’s to 60 more years of space travel and research from NASA!
