Inspired by Walter Schirra's purchase a Swedish-built Hasselblad 500C 70mm single-reflex camera in the late 1950s, one was also modifid for his Mercury-Atlas 8 mission in 1962. That mission made this type of camera a standard for astronaut photography. This artifact is one of the hand-held Hasselblads of the type used by Mercury and Gemini astronauts to photograph the Earth and other objects in orbit. It was modified to operate smoothly in the space environment (removal of the mirror and focusing hood), took specially made 70mm film magazines with Kodak's specially manufactured film, and was equipped with a Zeiss f 2.8 80 mm focal length lens. It is not known if it flew on a particular mission.
NASA Johnson Space Center transferred the camera to the Smithsonian in 1978.
Display Status
This object is on display in Destination Moon at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
Object Details
Country of Origin
Sweden
Type
EQUIPMENT-Photographic
Manufacturer
Hasselblad
Dimensions
Overall: 6 3/4 × 4 × 3 1/2 in., 2.5lb. (17.1 × 10.2 × 8.9cm, 1.1kg)
Materials
Ferrous Alloy
Aluminum
Plastic
Glass
Ink
Paint
Adhesive Label
Velcro
Inventory Number
A19781503000
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.