Description: [CARL SAGAN, SPACE EXPLORATION, SETI, CONGRESS] Carl Sagan (1934 - 1996) Three original typed letters signed (TLS) to NASA /JPL Chief Scientist Wesley Traub. Each dated 1974, 1978 & 1980. Two additional original typed letters signed by two US Senators (Proxmire & Brooke). All letters on standard 8 x 11 white stock. Various official letterhead as shown. Very good or better condition overall. MOST IMPORTANT, IN THIS LETTER GROUP IS A SIGNIFICANT APPEAL FROM SAGAN TO ASTROPHYSICIST WESLEY TRAUB ASSISTANCE FOR CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING FOR THE SETI PROGRAM. In the 1978 letter, Carl Sagan writes to Traub to ask for his assistance in appealing to two powerful US Senators; William Proxmire of Wisconsin and Edward Brooke of Massachusetts. We believe Sagan envisions Traub may have some influence with these two specific senators because a)Traub is a Wisconsin native (re: Proxmire) and b)Traub was currently working at the Harvard Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, MA (re: Brooke). Both Proxmire & Brooke respond (as shown) with original 'wet signed' letters on their official letterhead denying Traub's request for funding for the SETI program run by Carl Sagan. Proxmire despite being a fellow Wisconsinan to Traub, was famously and vociferously 'Anti-NASA' and this may be the (or an early ?) earliest ? wholesale rejection by him of an important NASA program. Through his efforts, seemingly beginning here and later opposition, SETI was eventually defunded in 1982 and ended in 1994. Proxmire was publicly excoriated by many space / NASA advocates and Sci-Fi figures such as Arthur C. Clarke and Larry Niven.Sagan letters of this level of importance / significance are rare in the market. All of the Sagan letters auctioned we've seen are usually a minor gesture of thanks for an article, a speaking engagement decline or some other minor or insignificant issue. We've not seen another letter of this level of importance for a research program he cared so deeply for offered previously. As such, we feel this is an important collecting opportunity for the advanced collector or institution. There are also two other original Carl Sagan letters; 1) A 1974 letter from Sagan to Traub (on 'ICARUS' letterhead) regarding publishing a paper Traub had written for a conference. 2) A 2 pp. letter from Sagan to Traub asking Traub to join his newly formed 'Planetary Society' as a Charter Member. These three different, original Sagan letters are a great variety of Carl Sagan's letterheads from his different roles and associations across his years as a champion of planetary exploration and communicator or astronomy and astrophysics. A rare and important group. Provenance: From the effects of Dr. Wesley A. Traub, NASA / JPL Chief Scientist Exoplanet Exploration Program. (2005 - 2016) Traub suffered a debilitating stroke and had effects from his office lost via a storage auction. During his time as Chief Scientist, NASA /JPL made important strides in exoplanet exploration during its most prolific discovery years. Traub was also the principal investigator for the WFIRST program in its earliest form until its development currently as the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (scheduled to launch via Space X in May 2027) Please email any questions -
Price: 5799.99 USD
Location: Beverly Hills, California
End Time: 2025-01-10T05:37:44.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
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Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Space Program: NASA Program
Theme: Astronauts & Space Travel
