Space History Sale Highlights Artifacts From Apollo Lunar Missions

April 7, 2014

Image Caption: Winston Scott on the moon during the Apollo 15 lunar landing mission. Credit: NASA/Johnson Space Center

Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Artifacts from NASAs Apollo lunar missions will be highlights in an upcoming auction in New York City. Bonhams is holding the Space History Sale in the Big Apple on Tuesday and will feature everything from space documents to spacesuits. In all, more than 300 items will be up for sale.

Among the highlights of the April 8 auction will be a motion picture sight ring a small polarizing filter put on a camera used by astronaut James Irwin on the Apollo 15 mission.

It was used in the module when it landed on the moon and also on takeoff, Cassandra Hatton, Bonhams space history specialist, told the Associated Press. Its extremely rare, probably the only one in private hands.

The sight ring has an estimated value of $20,000 to $30,000.

An Apollo 12 shoulder strap covered in lunar dust is also up for sale. During two extensive surface explorations on the moon, Charles Conrad and Alan Bean amassed a great deal of lunar dust on their spacesuits, gloves and flight equipment, as well as the shoulder strap up for sale.

An Apollo 11 surface checklist with annotations from astronaut Buzz Aldrin is also on the bidding block. The document contains data that enabled Aldrin and Neil Armstrong to return to Earth. According to Bonhams, the document is one of the most extensive sets of notations ever made on the lunar surface. Its presale estimate is $35,000 to $45,000.

While these items are expected to be the key items up for sale, Hatton explained that there will also be an extensive list of items from even earlier in space exploration.

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Space History Sale Highlights Artifacts From Apollo Lunar Missions

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