Written by Oscar Holland, CNN
Buzz Aldrin is auctioning off a wealth of personal items and historical artifacts from his historic career, including the jacket he wore during the moon landing.
According to the sale’s organizer, Sotheby’s, the monkey is expected to attract bids of up to $ 2 million, the only piece of the Apollo 11 mission to be flown into space.
Made with a newly developed flame retardant material known as Beta Cloth, the jacket is printed with Aldrin’s name and NASA logo. Those carried by crew members Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins are now in the National Museum of Air and the Smithsonian Space in Washington, DC.
Sotheby’s estimates the piece will sell for $ 1 million to $ 2 million. Credit: Sotheby’s
The piece is among a series of items auctioned by 92-year-old Aldrin, who in 1969 became the second person to step on the moon.
Also on sale is the Eagle lunar module circuit breaker switch, which was infamously broken during the mission, threatening to leave Armstrong and Aldrin stranded on the surface of the moon. It is sold along with the marker with which the latter improvised to start the engine and return to the Columbia control module in orbit.
The objects also have a maximum estimate of $ 2 million and were described by Sotheby’s, along with the jacket, as “among the most significant and valuable space exploration artifacts ever offered at auction.”
The broken switch that almost condemned the mission and the marker that Aldrin used to start the engine of the Eagle lunar module. Credit: Sotheby’s
In a press release, Aldrin said the collection, which dates back to his time as a student at the U.S. Military Academy, represents the “summary of my career as an astronaut.”
“After deep reflection, it was the right time to share these elements with the world, which for many are symbols of a historic moment, but for me they have always been personal memories of a life dedicated to science. and exploration, ”the former astronaut said. adding: “I hope this collection provides an insight into what it has been like to be Buzz Aldrin.”
Buzz Aldrin Credit: NASA
The sale, which Sotheby’s has titled “Buzz Aldrin: American Icon,” will take place on July 26, less than a week after the 53rd anniversary of the moon’s landing.
The auction house’s world head of science and popular culture, Cassandra Hatton, described the collection as “the reflection of a man of incredible strength and drive, a man who has faced moments of adversity with determination. and perseverance, and that it remained logical and balanced. none, even in times of great danger. ”
Another notable batch of the Apollo 11 mission is a systems activation checklist, containing diagrams and flight data, that Aldrin was supposed to discard on the moon’s surface. Sotheby’s estimates the manuscript will sell for between $ 150,000 and $ 250,000.
Elsewhere in the sale is a hand-sewn banner that reads “Go Army Beat Navy” – a reference to the annual Army-Navy football game – that Aldrin unveiled on space walks during the Gemini 12 mission. 1966. The article is expected to reach between $ 20,000 and $ 30,000.