This Hasselblad 500C camera body and Zeiss lens are of the type used by the Gemini astronauts, and the artifact appears to have been used in training. Walter Schirra inspired NASA to look at the Swedish-built Hasselblad 70mm single-reflex camera after purchasing one for himself prior to his Mercury-Atlas 8 mission in 1962. The brand became a standard for astronaut photography. During their missions, astronauts photographed the Earth and other objects in orbit, such as the Agena target vehicles, or astronauts on spacewalks. NASA used modified film so more images could be taken on a single roll. They also removed the mirror and viewfinders to minimize the weight of each camera. It is not known if this camera flew on a particular mission.
NASA transferred the camera to the Smithsonian in 1969.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.