what is this component!?

[aaksts86]

what is this component!??

[kt315]

thinking quartz resonator.

[Guzzi]

Neonlamp against overvoltige

[WM6]

Could be for static discharge.

Or it is some sort of mercury switch.

Probably to get proper inclination of apparatus.

[Carl-NC]

Neonlamp against overvoltige

Correct.

[dbanner]

Where is the rest of the circuit?

[Guzzi]

After better studies, there is a second device in series withe the battery this can not be a neonlamp, this must be a sort of (mercury?) switch,

[kt315]

Where is the rest of the circuit?

let me rewrite your request. where the paper archive of Fisher lab after they had closed off? why we did not get it?

[dbanner]

I think this is a photo of the device, there you can see something. That is not a neon lamp. But here is neon lamp on circuit board of gemini3 RX

[daluka]

Correct.

Correct.

LAMP NEON 6.2MM WIRE TERMINAL

[Andi68]

But they exist for different voltages

[kt315]

Zener diodes with 50V are not expensive. strange economy.

[dbanner]

Zener diodes with 50V are not expensive. strange economy.

Think about 35 years ago, and having a bin full of neon lamps from old Nasa Apollo space program, wondering what should we do with free stuff. Old engineer had nostalgia for neon bulb, so he stick it the design.
In the era of vacuum tubes/valves, neon bulb was very common hidden in chassis as protective device.