StratoLab FLOWN cover 1961 – crewsigned Ross + Prather!!

Extremely Rare May 4, 1961 Strato-Lab High-Altitude Balloon Cover – Flown to 113,000 Feet, Signed by Pilots Victor Prather and Malcolm Ross

This exceptional and historically significant cover was flown on May 4, 1961, aboard a record-setting Strato-Lab high-altitude balloon flight – reaching an altitude of 113,000 feet in the stratosphere. The flight took place just one day before Alan Shepard’s Mercury-Redstone 3 mission, America’s first crewed spaceflight, making it a unique bridge between the high-altitude balloon era and the dawn of human space exploration.

The cover is hand-signed by both Navy Commander Malcolm Ross and Navy flight surgeon Lt. Cmdr. Victor Prather, the pilots of the mission. Their flight was a critical test of the Navy Mark IV pressure suit, which would directly evolve into the Mercury space suit worn by America’s first astronauts. This mission thus served as a vital stepping stone, proving the viability of pressure suit technology in near-space conditions.

Tragically, the historic flight was Prather’s last. After the successful ascent and splashdown, he drowned during recovery operations, making artifacts personally signed by him exceedingly scarce and highly sought after.

Historical Significance:

• Flown on May 4, 1961, one day before Shepard’s Freedom 7 mission

• Achieved 113,000 feet altitude, a world record at the time

• Key test of the Mark IV pressure suit, later adapted for Mercury astronauts

• Personally signed by both pilots: Malcolm Ross and Victor Prather

• Rare artifact linking high-altitude balloon research to the first U.S. human spaceflights

This cover represents a pivotal yet often overlooked chapter in the story of space exploration, capturing the moment just before America transitioned from stratospheric research to human spaceflight. With Prather’s untimely death and the historic proximity to Shepard’s flight, this piece is not only extraordinarily rare but also profoundly meaningful.