Seth Udinski, FISM News
An important piece of American history sold yesterday for an astronomical price at a Sotheby’s auction house in New York. The mission jacket worn by Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin during his famed 1969 Apollo 11 Moon landing with Neil Armstrong was sold to an undisclosed bidder over the phone as part of the “Buzz Aldrin: American Icon” collection.
Sotheby’s revealed that Aldrin’s mission jacket clocked in at $2,772,500. The jacket was sold only days after the 53rd anniversary of that fateful day in 1969 when man first walked on the Moon. According to the auction house, Aldrin’s jacket set a new record for the most expensive sale of an item used in space.
Aldrin and Armstrong paved the way for space travel and unofficially won the 1960s space race against Russia, even though the Soviets had first accomplished the feat to send a human to space back in 1961 with astronaut Yuri Gagarin.
The mission jacket, though the priciest item sold in the auction, was not the only one. An Apollo 11 flight summary plan was sold for well over $800,000, and the system activation checklist sold for over $500,000. Additionally, an Apollo 11 water dispenser and fire extinguisher sold for almost $330,000, and Aldrin’s United States flag sold for over $250,000.
The 92-year-old Aldrin recently shared his desire to sell his personal items in an effort to “offer some insight” into his career and the historic lunar landing.
“After deep consideration, the time felt right to share these items with the world, which for many are symbols of a historical moment, but for me have always remained personal mementos of a life dedicated to science and exploration,” Aldrin said. “I hope that this collection offers some insight into what it has been like to be Buzz Aldrin.”