2007 CANAL ZONE NASA DANGEROUS SPACE WALK CONNECTION ASTRONAUT DR SCOTT E PARAZYNSKI SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY Start Price USD 12.00 Current Price USD 12.00 Time Left 10 days 19 hours 31 minutes Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, October 22, 2008 End Time Tuesday, January 20, 2009 Location venice, florida See more about ' 2007 CANAL ZONE NASA DANGEROUS SPACE WALK CONNECTION' Description ONLY KNOWN COVER DEDICATED TO A NASA SPACE WALK, AND IT HAS A DIRECT CONNECTION WITH THE THE PANAMA CANAL ZONE AND THE ROOSEVELT MEDAL.   OFFERED IS A NASA SPACE COVER PREPARED TO POSTALLY DOCUMENT THE MOST DANGEROUS SPACE WALK EVER CONDUCTED BY AN ASTRONAUT.   THE PURPOSE AND NECESSITY FOR THIS MISSION IS ADEQUATELY DESCRIBED BELOW, AS EXCERPTED FROM THE INTERNET. THIS EXTRAORDINARY WALK WAS PERFORMED BY DR. SCOTT E. PARAZYNSKI, A CIVILIAN ASTRONAUT, GRADUATE FROM THE STANFORD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL, MOUNTAINEER, AVIATOR, AND ONE OF THE MOST EXPERIENCED SPACE WALKERS EMPLOYED BY NASA. THE COVER WAS DESIGNED IN ANTICPATION OF DR. PARAZYNSKI'S MAKING THE WALK, ONCE THE DAMAGE TO THE SOLAR PANEL WAS DISCOVERED, AND THE DECISION MADE TO ATTEMPT TO MAKE ITS REPAIR. BUT THE COVER HAS A FURTHER SIGNIFICANCE: A CONNECTION WITH THE AMERICAN COMPLETION OF THE  PANAMA CANAL, WHICH DR. PARAZYNSKI CONSIDERED AS THE EQUIVALENT  TO BEING THE SPACE STATION OF ITS ERA, OR THE MOON SHOT OF THAT DAY. "A MOON LANDING.   HIS INTEREST IN THE PANAMA CANAL STEMMED FROM HIS ANCESTOR, COLONEL DAVID D. GAILLARD, US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, HAVING BEEN THE OFFICER-IN-CHARGE OF DIGGING THE CULEBRA CUT THROUGH THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE.  (TODAY THAT CUT IS REFERRED TO AS THE GAILLARD CUT, IN MEMORY OF COLONEL GAILLARD.) IN MEMORY OF HIS GREAT GREAT GRAND UNCLE GAILLARD, DR. PARAZYNSKI THOUGHT ENOUGH OF HIM AND THE ENORMOUS ENGINEERING EFFORT REQUIRED TO BUILD THE PANAMA CANAL, FOLLOWING THE FAILURE OF TWO FRENCH COMPANIES TO DO SO BETWEEN 1881-1904, TO, WITH THE PERMISSION OF NASA, CARRY TWO ROOSEVELT MEDALS INTO SPACE AND BACK. COLONEL GAILLARD WAS THE RECIPIENT OF THE ROOSEVELT MEDAL FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE ISTHMIAN CANAL COMMISSION, WHICH WAS CHARGED WITH BUILDING THE PANAMA CANAL FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE COVER'S COLORFUL, ALL-INCLUSIVE, DESIGN DEPICTS: DR. PARAZYNSKI IN HIS SPACE SUIT, A ONCE VALID CANAL ZONE STAMP PORTRAYING A SHIP PASSING THROUGH GAILLARD CUT, THE ROOSEVELT MEDAL, WITH THE PORTRAIT OF PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT, AND A CANAL ZONE STAMP WITH THE PORTRAIT OF COLONEL GAILLARD. IN ADDITION TO AFFIXING A REGULAR ISSUE OF THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, THE SELLER ADDED ALONGSIDE,  FOR SENTIMENTAL REASONS, A REAL STAMP OF THE FORMER AMERICAN CANAL ZONE POSTAL SERVICE. THIS COVER HAS FURTHER SIGNIFICANCE SINCE IT WAS GRACIOUSLY GIVEN A NOVEMBER 3, 2007 POSTMARK BY THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER POST OFFICE, WHICH IS THE ACTUAL DATE OF DR. PARAZYNSKI'S DANGEROUS SPACE WALK. THIS COVER, IS EXTRAORDINARILY UNIQUE AMONG SPACE COVERS AS MOST ARE DEVOTED TO THE ACTUAL LAUNCH OF A SPACE SHUTTLE, AND NOT TO SOME EXTRAORDINARY, DANGEROUS FEAT ACCOMPLISHED IN SPACE.  IT IS FOR THIS REASON WHY THIS COVER IS PRICED HIGHER THAN ORDINARILY SO, AS IT IS NOT AN ORDINARILY AVAILABLE COVER.                         Discovery's journey and the two Roosevelt Medals spanned 238 revolutions of Earth. Even before Discovery's mission began Oct. 23, 2007 the astronauts knew they were in for one of the most challenging and complicated space station construction missions ever. They had no trouble installing a pressurized compartment named Harmony and moving a girder from one side of the space station to another, and even managed to peek into a clogged joint needed to turn the right-sided set of solar panels. But the flight took a dramatic turn October 30th when the solar panels were unfurled on the relocated girder on the left side of the space station. The first panel  unfolded properly, but the second snagged and ripped in two places. Flight controllers based at Houston, Texas, rushed to come up with an emergency repair plan. On Saturday, November 3, 2007, just four days after the damage occurred, Dr. Parazynski floated outside with wire cutters, pliers and homemade tools and fixed the torn wing. No one had ever ventured so far from the safety of the space station before or worked right up against a swaying solar wing that was charged with more than 100 volts of electricity.  Dr. Parazynski was secured at the end of a 30-metre extension beam that barely reached the panel's damaged section. Dr. Parazynski successfully repaired the solar panel, which task was hailed by NASA as the most dangerous space saves ever performed.   Dr. Parazynski's repair allowed NASA to plan for the shuttle flight  of Atlantis in December to deliver a European laboratory. THE ROOSEVELT MEDAL SHOWN HERE IS ONLY TO SUPPORT THE DISCRIPTION, AND IS NOT A PART OF THIS OFFERING. NASA ASTRONAUT PRESENTS SPACE-FLOWN FLAG TO PANAMA CANAL AUTHORITY   ACP WELCOMES AWARD-WINNING ASTRONAUT AND DESCENDANT TO CANAL LEGACY PANAMA CITY, Panama, October 2, 2008 – NASA Astronaut Dr. Scott Parazynski presented the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) with a Panama flag and collection of photos in honor of his ancestor, Colonel David DuBose Gaillard, and Gaillard’s contribution to the original construction of the Panama Canal. In an official ceremony at the Miraflores Locks with Panamanian Environment Minister Ligia Castro de Doens and U.S. Ambassador to Panama Barbara Stephenson, Dr. Parazynski presented the items – which were flown into space during his most recent mission – to ACP Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta for showcase at the Miraflores Visitors Center. In the early part of the twentieth century, acclaimed member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Colonel Gaillard was charged with the monumental task of cutting through the Continental Divide in Panama. The treacherous nine-mile strip of mountainous terrain, now known as the Culebra Cut, was later renamed Gaillard Cut in honor of Colonel Gaillard who died in 1913 before the Canal project was completed. Descendant to Colonel Gaillard, Dr. Parazynski took a VIP tour of the Canal with Mr. Alemán Zubieta and commented upon the similarities between space and oceanic advancement in that both require highly skilled experts committed to excellence. “Like any large undertaking, the Panama Canal for example, with so many dedicated, educated, hard-working people, you have to divide and conquer. Not any one person can know everything or do everything,” said Dr. Parazynski. “These are very critical operations. Huge tankers coming through with very little margin for error and I know that the people here are very professional and take this responsibility very seriously. So the space department is very similar to the Canal.” A veteran of five space shuttle flights, Dr. Parazynski has logged 1,381 flight hours in a variety of aircrafts and is the recipient of many prestigious awards including the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Space Flight Medals and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. Most recently, Dr. Parazynski received a NASA Space Flight Medal in 2007 for performing an unprecedented spacewalk to repair a space station solar array damaged during the STS-120 Discovery space mission. About the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) The ACP is the autonomous agency of the Government of Panama in charge of managing, operating and maintaining the Panama Canal. The operation of the ACP is based on its organic law and the regulations approved by its Board of Directors. For more information, please refer to the ACP's Web site: www.pancanal.com. FROM:  Maritime Global Net NOTE:  Earlier in the summer Dr. Parazynski presented a flag to the Panama Canal Museum.  This took place at the annual Panama Canal Society Reunion.  Included with the flags, Dr. Parazynski also took Roosevelt Medals with him on his space trip.  These were also presented to ACP and the Panama Canal Museum. Place a Bid!