Wally Schirra
NASA astronaut who flew Mercury, Gemini and Apollo and described “lathe shavings” drifting from his capsule
| Wally Schirra | |
| Born | March 12, 1923, Hackensack, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Died | May 3, 2007 |
| Nationality | American |
| Category | Astronaut |
| Roles | Mercury (Sigma 7, 1962), Gemini 6A, Apollo 7 astronaut |
| Notable claim | Saw “little white objects… like lathe shavings” from Sigma 7 |
| Status | Historical |
| Historical | |
Walter Marty “Wally” Schirra Jr. (1923–2007) was a Navy test pilot and Mercury Seven astronaut, and the only person to fly in all three of NASA’s first human spaceflight programs: Mercury (Sigma 7, October 3, 1962), Gemini 6A and Apollo 7.[1]
On Sigma 7 he described “little white objects that tend to come from the capsule itself and drift off,” which he also called “particles” and “lathe shavings.” Audio was released in PURSUE Release 02.[2]
Assessment
Schirra’s own description, that the objects came from the capsule, matches NASA’s explanation of ice and debris near the spacecraft. In December 1965, on Gemini 6A, he jokingly reported a “UFO” in a polar orbit and then played “Jingle Bells” on a harmonica, a well-known Christmas prank.
See also
Further reading
- Wally Schirra & Richard N. Billings (1988). Schirra’s Space (Amazon)
References
- ^ NASA, Results of the Third U.S. Manned Orbital Space Flight, October 3, 1962.
- ^ U.S. Department of War (2026). PURSUE Release 02, NASA-UAP-D012.