Deke Slayton Signed Cut Signature with Portrait (PSA) Mercury 7 Astronaut (d) 1993

**Hand-Signed Cut Signature by Mercury 7 Astronaut Deke Slayton – Signed in Pencil – Encapsulated by PSA/DNA**

Presented is an exceedingly desirable **hand-signed cut signature** of **Donald "Deke" Slayton**, one of NASA’s original Mercury Seven astronauts. This signature is neatly executed in **pencil** and comes **encapsulated by PSA/DNA Authentication Services**, ensuring its authenticity and long-term preservation in a tamper-evident holder.

---

### **Biography of Deke Slayton**

**Donald Kent “Deke” Slayton** (1924–1993) was a trailblazing American test pilot, aeronautical engineer, World War II bomber pilot, and NASA astronaut. In 1959, Slayton was selected as one of the original **Mercury Seven**, NASA’s first group of astronauts, laying the foundation for America’s human spaceflight program.

A veteran of World War II, Slayton flew 56 combat missions in a B-25 Mitchell over Europe and later graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in aeronautical engineering. As a NASA astronaut, Slayton was originally slated to pilot the **Mercury-Atlas 7** mission but was grounded due to a heart condition—an event that redirected his contributions from the cockpit to behind the scenes.

From 1963 to 1972, Slayton served as **NASA’s Director of Flight Crew Operations**, playing a pivotal role in selecting and managing astronaut crews for the **Gemini**, **Apollo**, and **Skylab** missions. His leadership was instrumental in the success of the Apollo lunar program.

In a historic comeback, Slayton was medically cleared for flight and in 1975 achieved his long-delayed journey into space as the **docking module pilot** on the **Apollo–Soyuz Test Project**, the first international human spaceflight mission, symbolizing U.S.–Soviet cooperation during the Cold War.

Slayton retired from NASA in 1982 and went on to co-author *Deke!*, his memoir chronicling the early years of space exploration.

---

### **Item Features:**

- **Signer**: Deke Slayton, Mercury 7 Astronaut

- **Autograph**: Hand signed in **pencil**

- **Authentication**: **Encapsulated by PSA/DNA Authentication Services**

- **Condition**: Signature preserved in PSA/DNA’s protective encapsulated holder

---

### **Summary:**

This signed cut from **Deke Slayton**, a pioneering figure in American space history and one of NASA’s original Mercury astronauts, is an exceptional piece of spaceflight memorabilia. His contributions—both on the ground and in space—were vital to the development of human space exploration.

A rare and treasured collectible for space historians, autograph collectors, and admirers of NASA’s golden age.

A portion of the sale of this auction will be donated to the General James. H Doolittle Scholarship Fund. The General James H. Doolittle Scholarship Fund was founded to assist college students by awarding one scholarship annually in the maximum amount of $5,000 to a deserving student who is pursuing a baccalaureate or advanced degree in aeronautical engineering or an aerospace science. Students are selected based on their scholastic achievement, school and community participation, demonstrated leadership potential and financial need. More information can be found at the Doolittle Scholarship Funds’ website.

The autograph(s) has been authenticated and encapsulated by PSA/DNA for authenticity purposes.

Authentication: PSA Encapsulated

Due to the uniqueness of each item, please refer to the photos provided in this auction. We offer high resolution images of each item rather than a written description of condition.

This item is being shipped from the Pristine Auction warehouse.