Moon Moolah: Auction Bidders Can Buy Memoirs of NASA's Apollo Program [Slide Show]
Here are 10 items from the dozens of space race artifacts, including a piece of an actual manned lunar spacecraft, that will be auctioned off April 13
By Larry Greenemeier
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
NASA's Apollo moon missions, which lasted from 1968 to 1972, were responsible for putting the first human on an extraterrestrial surface. Six of the missions landed on the moon, where astronauts carried out a number of experiments, studying soil mechanics, micrometeoroids, seismographic activity, heat flow, lunar ranging, magnetic fields and solar wind.
Getting to and from the moon required copious amounts of advanced technology, not to mention charts, spacesuits, tools and miscellaneous paperwork. On April 13, Bonhams and Butterfields of New York City will auction off dozens of artifacts related to the Apollo program as well as memorabilia from other space missions, including spacewalks outside the Soviet Union's Mir space station.
The items, many of which have been autographed by astronauts and contributed from their personal collections, will be sold for anywhere from a few hundred to a few hundred thousand dollars.
Take a sneak peek at what's on the auction block
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
