NASA's Gus Grissom's 1961 letter to his mother, written after two (now iconic) astronauts were selected ahead of him to man the first orbital mission in U.S. history, failed to sell at auction because the highest bid fell way short of expectations, the Goshen News reported. Officials at the RR Auction house, which hosted the online sale, expected to receive as much as $80,000 for the two-page, double-sided letter in which Grissom mentions John Glenn and Alan Shepard and expresses frustration over the way NASA had treated him recently. The highest offer was $13,155, according to the Goshen News.

The $80,000 estimate was partly based on the price paid for a letter Alan Shepard wrote to his parents in 1959, which also sold at RR Auction House (in 2011). Auction officials predicted Shepard's note to fetch $80,000 as well and were pleasantly surprised when it exceeded expectations and went for $106,228, according to Auction Central News. Shepard, who was the first American man in space, was more famous than Grissom and his letter was more upbeat; in it, he addressed his parents fondly and told them he would volunteer for NASA if he had to. (The note was written while he was a Navy pilot and applying to become the first man in space). Yet, Grissom's letter had more drama ("all of us are mad that Glenn was picked," he wrote) and so did his life story. He and two other astronauts -- Edward White and Roger Chafee -- died during a pre-flight test for Apollo 1 in 1967.

Between the lines, Grissom's words had some mystery as well. At least twice he alluded to suspicions that his phone lines may have been tapped.

Perhaps it will simply take more time for his note to find value. After all, Shepard's letter was originally purhcased for just over $25,000 before it was re-auctioned for over $100,000, according to Auction Central News.

Grissom's letter will return to his brother, Lowell, who'd been previously storing it in a drawer.

Alan Shepard: