I don't know if this is the forum to put this but I'm having a problem with something and wondered if you guys could point me in the right direction.

As I mentioned when I arrived at these boards, I was born the day Apollo 11 landed on the moon and Armstrong took that small step. It has been a goal of mine for some time to meet as many astronauts as possible and get thier autographs.

So far I have just got John Glenn to sign a mercury photo. Really nice guy.

Anyway, the holy grail of my plan is to get the autographs of the A11 crew. It's very important to me personally to do so. I think you can understand why. I have tried to search the internet for some contact info... maybe to thier "defensive line", the people that control access to them.

I need to be able to find out how to contact anyone who can help me with this in a way that they know I'm not a HBer or trying to score a valuable autograph to turn around to sell on EBAY or something (I read an armstrong sig is very valuable). I can prove my DOB through my birth certificate.

Any help on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated. I already tried the main NASA site. They only accept emails regarding the site itself (no research Qs)

Thanks

I don't know about Aldrin and Collins, but it is my understanding that Neil Armstrong refuses to give autographs. This past summer Armstrong attending several events around my town of Dayton for the centennial of flight celebrations and I spoke briefly with one of the guys who chauffeured him around town. He had tried to get an autograph from Armstrong but was refused as a matter of policy.

Yes that is my understanding as well. This is part of my problem. I was thinking if I could just get in touch with someone to explain my reasons for wanting the sig then maybe, just maybe he would relent. My circumstances are a little different from the average autograph hound. I would never sell said autograph. On the contrary it would be my most valuable personal possesion and I would hand it down through my family when I die (to be provided for in my will with stipulations). I'm hoping he can be swayed by the fact that I'm a "moon baby".

In any event, all I can do is try, right? I just need to be pointed in the right direction so that I can start the process if only to find out if he will do this or not).

Maur

And be nice to Buzz Aldrin, or he'll slug ya.

Ya, I'll remember not to charge him with a microphone in my hand. Good advice.

You made your mom, and possibly your dad as well (depending on his priorities), miss the Moon landing?!? Bad newbie... err, baby!
I was in the womb myself at the time, so I missed all the fun.

LOL I did make my mom miss the whole thing (she's never let me live it down). My dad, on the other hand was watching the moon landing and the first steps. He just ran to the hospital in between (born 6:04pm: after the landing but before the moonwalk). Sounds horrible but I would have done the same thing if I were him. You can always have a kid but how often do you get to see man walk on the moon for the first time :P ?

"yeah great kid hun" *checks watch* "But I really have to run now, see you tomorrow"

Maur

I don't know, but you might trying getting something through NASA's PR people. Just a thought.

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One Earth, One Sky - IYA 2009
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I see letters written to astronauts at

Johnson Space Center
Astronaut Officce Mail Code AB (Will need to double check on the mail code)
2101 NASA Parkway
Houston, TX 77058

I do not know if they forward mail to former astronauts.

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--Niels Bohr, Danish Physicist.

Given the circumstances, find out which astronauts and other professional acquaintances still have regular contact with Neil, and send them letters explaining your true purpose. If you include the terms and conditions you've outlined, then have these letters witnessed/notarized with the same terms and conditions. In each case, ask, as a favor, that the letter be forwarded to Neil.

At the same time, keep the tone light and friendly. You might want to paint a picture of Neil as a young boy who shared your birth date (day/year) and you were the first woman on Mars. How would you treat him?

Take it from there.

Good luck.

8)

BTW, I was watching the Cronkite-narrated landing when you were born. I was a junior at Columbia at the time. Columbia...how appropriate!

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A person's name, or a mark representing it, as signed personally or by deputy, as in subscribing a letter or other document.

Thanks for the addy. Let me know when you have double checked and I will fire something off through snail mail.

Really good advise on the composition of the letter. Sort of ask him how important it would be to him if the situation was reversed. I like that. BTW, hard to tell by my screen name but I'm a dude... no big deal.

Any more advise is always appreciated guys. Keep it coming as I try out these options.

I have sent off an email to the Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Ohio to explain the situation and see if they had any contact info. Someone in that place should have something or know how to get it.

Maur

You may be interested in reading this:
http://www.collectspace.com/resources/home.html

As others said, Armstrong doesn't signs any longer since many years and I can understand this and I can understand why it is difficult for him to make an exception. But as already said, you can always try to write a nice letter with your story and as you are more for some contact to him than simply just for picking up an autograph, maybe you've luck that he replies.
AFAIK, Collins also lives a very private life. While Armstong appears on several public occasions, I don't know when Collins apeeared the last time in public. Buzz Aldrin shouldn't be a problem.
Maybe you can be lucky next year when Armstrong's autorized biography is published. Maybe Armstrong goes on a promotion and signing tour, but I doubt it.

Harald

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"Flying in space is risky business, but just staying on this planet is risky business too." - John Young, astronaut

I saw Michael Collins at an event in 1985 celebrating the 10th anniversary of Apollo-Soyuz. I hope that wasn't his last public appearance!

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Everything I need to know I learned through Googling.

Good news people!

The museum manager of the Neil Armstrong A&S Museum wrote back to me. I explained my circumstances and he replied with a PO Box address in Ohio.

SCORE!

I'm pretty confident that with documantation proving my story, Mr. Armstrong might be kind enough to do this for me. The major hurdle is out of the way, however: actually finding a contact addy for him.

OK I'm 1/3 of the way there. Now I need to start looking for contact info on "Buzz and Mike".

You guys have been very helpful so far. Thanks. If, in your surfing, you have some time to do some quick searches then please do. 5 people looking is better than one. You may pick up something that I might miss.

Any contact info or info about the other two A11 astronauts... post in this thread.

Maur.

Big plus on your side -- include SASE, so the man's not out anything. If there's a way to pull this off, all three sigs on the same piece of paper will be of immense historical value. These gentlemen won't be around forever. Include some sort of documentation to back your claim...photocopy of the birth announcements (including you) in the local paper indicating the day...a copy of your birth certificate might be pushing it, but ya never know...good luck on this one!

__________________
"If a tree is cut down in the rainforest, and is used to make paper to print a book, and the book is really bad, and there's nobody that will read it, do you still hear a sucking sound?"
Charlie in Dayton, A.AsC.

You mean Neil A. Armstrong PO Box 436 Lebanon, OH 45036 ? That's pretty well known, see http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/...armstrong.html

Harald

__________________
"Flying in space is risky business, but just staying on this planet is risky business too." - John Young, astronaut

I live about 15 miles from Lebanon, not that that helps you any. I hear Armstrong lives on a farm around here somewhere but I don't know were it is. Never cared really because I respect the man's privacy and have no intention to intrude on him ... I'm not Bart Sibrel you know.

LOL. I wish you were here 3 days ago. I tried many combinations of google searches and didn't come up with that addy. I had to get it form the museum manager. Would have saved me a lot of trouble :P

In any case the letter is out. I have my fingers crossed. Should know in 2 weeks or so what his decision is. I made it clear in the letter that if this is not something he is willing to do then I will respect his decision and attempt no further contact. In other words it's make or break with this letter.

Maur.

Did you ever get in touch with armstrong?

It would appear that Mauritania last posted on BAUT more than 5 years ago...not long after this thread went quiet. Although it's possible he could be extreme lurker, I wouldn't count on receiving answer.

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Brett
Peters Creek, Alaska
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It's probably far too late to be of any help to Mauritania now, but a little advice for autograph seekers:

If at all possible, send along with your request either a good mechanical pencil or a quality pigmented marker to sign with. Sharpie markers, although very commonly used and labeled as "permanent" are anything but. Even if stored in the dark under ideal conditions or framed under UV filtering glass, they will still fade. The ink simply is not stable.

I've known of a couple framers who were taken to court after signatures on customers' collectibles faded, even with the best possible materials and methods employed.