Bidspirit auction | Astronaut Lodewijk van den Berg

Astronaut Lodewijk van den Berg signed Boeing 747 Space Shuttle Aircraft commemorative FDC PM Edwards. CA Aug 27 AM 1981 93523. Missions STS-51-B. Van den Berg and his colleagues designed the EG&G Vapor Crystal Growth System experiment apparatus for a Space Shuttle flight. The experiment required an in-flight operator and NASA decided that it would be easier to train a crystal growth scientist to become an astronaut, than it would be the other way around. NASA asked EG&G and Van den Berg to compile a list of eight people who would qualify to perform the science experiments in space and to become a Payload Specialist. Van den Berg and his chief, Dr. Harold A. Lamonds could only come up with seven names. Lamonds proposed adding Van den Berg to the list, joking with Van den Berg that due to his age, large glasses, and little strength he would probably be dropped during the first selection round; but at least they would have eight names. Van den Berg agreed to be added to the list, but didn't really consider himself being selected to be a realistic scenario. Van den Berg easily passed the first round of tests. The final four candidates had to pass physical and mental exams while two of the other candidates failed the exams due to possible heart issues. He was now part of the final two; NASA always trains two astronauts, a prime and a back-up. In 1983 he started to train as an astronaut and six months before the launch he was told that he would be the prime astronaut, much to his own surprise. He was 53 years old when he went to space becoming one of the oldest rookie astronauts