Major Matt Mason

Mattel's Man in Space. These pics come from a Big Little book I had when I was about six, called Moon Mission.

Christmas morning, 1967. Young boys all over America unwrapped packages and were transported to a whole new world. Major Matt Mason, Mattel’s Man in Space had arrived. The product line was a frequent holdiay gift during its short lifespan from 1967-1970. Most of us have vivid memories of the Space Crawler, Space Sled, or best of all, The Space Station.
In the first year, Mattel offered Major Matt Mason on a card, packaged with the JetPack and Space Sled. He was also available on the Moon Suit Card, which many recognized from a 1962 cover of Life Magazine. In fact, the early vehicles and suits for Matt Mason were all based on NASA prototypes. For many boys, this was an important element in making the toy so popular. We all dreamed of being astronaut heros and Major Matt Mason made it possible.

(Text Source: Keith Myers' The Space Station - Major Matt Mason HQ)