by Brooke Kennedy
This April will present our bidders with the first of two semi-annual space auctions at RR Auction. In addition to a dedicated section in our monthly sales, our Space and Aviation events bring more otherworldly items like flown artifacts, astronaut autographs, and mission-used equipment directly to our bidders.
Carried into lunar orbit during the Apollo 10 mission, this flown flag comes from the collection of astronaut Tom Stafford. It would be during this mission that audiences around the world would witness lunar activities in color on television, providing views of the earth and moon. Beyond that, Stafford, in his letter of provenance, said that this flag is “one of the fastest objects carried by humans in space.” During re-entry to Earth, the spacecraft reached a velocity of 24,791 mph, which is the record for the fastest that any human has ever traveled. Since December 1972, when NASA returned the flag to Stafford, it has remained in his possession.
Artifacts from the famous Apollo 11 mission will also be available, including an official Apollo 11 mission control-used flight plan – signed twice by LMP Buzz Aldrin. Containing about 300 pages, the mission plan is laid out in six sections: general summaries and schedules, update forms, detailed timeline, detailed test objectives, consumables, and flight plan summary. Perhaps one of the most important documents prepared by NASA, this piece provides minute-by-minute descriptions for the historic first landing on the moon. Other items from this iconic mission up for bidding include Buzz Aldrin’s flown rotational hand controller, his handwritten manuscript on the mission, and a flown crew-signed ‘Type 1’ cover.
NASA astronaut Dave Scott will also be contributing some items from his own collection, including a large Earth orbit chart carried to the moon aboard the Apollo 15 Command Module ‘Endeavor.’ Scott signs and flight-certifies the map, “Flown to the Moon on Apollo 15, Dave Scott, Apollo 15 CDR.”
In his letter of provenance, Scott details the map’s use and journey to the moon, “This chart is one section of the series of earth parking orbit charts with orbital ground tracks used to locate the Apollo 15 spacecraft after launch…This chart was carried aboard the CM Endeavor for the 12-day mission to Hadley Apennine region of the Moon.”
Other highlights from this event include an Apollo 17 lunar rover map signed by Gene Cernan, a charm bracelet with flown Liberty Bell 7 dime Gemini 3 Fliteline medallion, and an Apollo 16 lunar surface flown LM interior cabin diagram from the collection of Charlie Duke.
Bidding for RR’s Space and Aviation auction opens March 29 and closes April 25, 2024.
