Archive of approximately one hundred and eighty-one (181) items related to Richard J. Sauter and his decades-long career with the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), circa 1962-1989. Sauter worked as a draftsman at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, in technical services at the the NASA Spacecraft Center, Clear Lake, TX, and as the manager at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, Houston, TX. 1st item: Flown American Flag carried aboard the Skylab I (SL-2), Skylab II (SL-3), and Skylab III (SL-4) orbital flights, 1973-74, mounted to a presentation certificate with facsimile signature of Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., Director of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center from January 1972-August 1982. Includes a NASA black number black and white photograph of Sauter with the certificate, flanked by Robert Piland, Associate Director for Program Development, and astronaut Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton. Both items unframed. Ranging in size from 8 1/8" H x 10" W to 11 1/8" H x 14 1/8" W. 2nd-21st items: Group of twenty (20) ephemera items pertaining to Sauter's work, including ten (10) U.S. patent papers, letters, a diagram, and documents describing the Ergometer or Foot Pedal Operated Fluid Type Exercising Device, invented by Sauter and Gerald W. Crum, Brookfield Center, CT, filed May 26, 1971 and patented September 1, 1973, Number 3,758,112, two (2) documents nominating Sauter for awards, and eight (8) assorted Achievement Awards, including one (1) Skylab Award with medallion containing metal flown aboard the Skylab from May 14, 1973 to February 8, 1974, one (1) housed under glass in a black wooden frame with gilt trim. Ranging in size from 6 1/4" H x 8 1/8" W to 29 3/4" H x 66 3/4" W. 22nd-24th items: One (1) sample of flown Skylab sunshade fabric and two (2) NASA red number color photographs depicting the Skylab with the fabric visible. Fabric: 14 7/8" H x 13 1/2" W. Photographs: 8" H x 10" W. 25th item: Flown NASA flag carried aboard the Orbiter Discovery STS-26, September 29-October 3, 1988, mounted to a presentation certificate with facsimile signatures of James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, and Aaron Cohen, Director of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center from October 1986-August 1993. Housed under glass in a black wooden frame. Sight: 13 3/4" H x 10 3/4" W. Framed: 15 1/8" H x 12 1/8" W. 26th item: Color photograph depicting a space shuttle launch with ink inscription and signature by Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton reading "To Rich Sauter with best wishes--" signed below. Housed under glass in a silver metal frame. Photograph: 13 5/8" H x 10 3/4" W. Framed: 20 1/4" H x 16 1/4" W. 27th-55th items: Twenty-nine (29) NASA related items, including one (1) Space Shuttle Enterprise medallion containing metal taken from the Enterprise, one (1) Lunar V McGregor tan jacket, size medium, nine (9) paper ephemera items, six (6) decals, one (1) fabric patch, eight (8) pins, one (1) 1971 Kennedy silver half dollar, one (1) NASA Apollo 11 50th Anniversary t-shirt, size unspecified, and one (1) color photographic print depicting a mural by Robert Theodore McCall (Arizona/Ohio, 1919-2010) on display on the Teague Auditorium in the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, presented to employees on the occasion of NASA's 25th Anniversary, with facsimile signatures of three directors below. Ranging in size 1/2" H x 1/2" W to 11" H x 34 1/2" W. 56th-147th items: Ninety-two (92) NASA photographs, depicting various images including the Apollo Program and Space Shuttle Program missions, groups of astronauts from The Mercury Seven through the Challenger crew, equipment worked on by Sauter including the Bioisolation Garment Ventillator, and more. Includes twenty-one (21) red number color photographs and twenty-one (21) black number black and white photographs with fifty-one (51) additional black and white and color photographs. One (1) is housed under glass in a black wooden frame with gilt trim, the rest are unframed. Photographs approximately 10 1/8" H x 8 1/8" W. Frame: 15" H x 12" W. 148th-181st items: Thirty-four (34) NASA related publications, including newsletters, one (1) typed list of "Astro-Definitions," letters, two (2) Challenger memorial pamphlets, and five (5) newspapers related to the Challenger from the Houston Chronicle and Houston Post. Ranging in size from 8 5/8" H x 5 5/8" W to 17 1/2" H x 11 3/8" W. Provenance: Living Estate of Richard J. Sauter, all proceeds to benefit Our PLACE Adult Day Center, in Tellico Village, Loudon, TN. Biography: In 1952, Richard Sauter graduated from Lakewood High School in Cleveland, OH and immediately joined the Army. He was transferred to Fort Hood, TX for basic training and later transfer to Fort Knox, TX. He was discharged in October 19, 1955 and transferred to the Army Reserve to complete 8 years service. He then went to work for the Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, OH where he took the NASA approved Engineering Techinician program. In 1962 he transferred to Houston, TX to work as a draftsman. He was later transferred to the NASA Spacecreaft Center in Clear Lake, TX when the Manner Spacecraft Center opened in 1964. He then worked for technical services designing some tools used on the moon and an ergometer that is currently used in the Spacelab (the original patent papers are included in this lot). A notable event in Sauter's career occurred when Skylab blew its heat shield, requiring Richard and many others to work around the clock to design an umbrella style heat shield to act as a temporary replacement. Despite setbacks, it was deployed through the Skylab photography port and allowed the astronauts the time to repair the original heat shield (a fabric sample of the umbrella style heat shield and photographs are included in this lot). The operation may have been one of the first Extravehicular activity (EVA) missions. Before Richard retired on December 31, 1989, he joined the Facility Engineering Divison and was assigned to Ellington Air Field, Houston, TX, as the manager. Whenever astronauts left a space flight, they left all of their cars in front of his office for safekeeping. After the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986, Richard had to return all of the cars belonging to the astronauts involved in the tragedy to their families. He said was the hardest job he ever had to do for NASA.

All items in overall good condition with light toning, handling wear, including creases, scuffs. 1st item: Flag with light toning, certificate and photograph with handling wear, creases, light toning. 1st item: Flag with light toning, certificate and photograph with handling wear, creases, light toning. 2nd-21st items: Skylab medallion is not affixed to certificate. 26th item: Loose in frame. Signature and inscription in overall very good, legible condition.