NASA announced that it is auctioning artifacts and memorabilia collected and used by the different Apollo missions that went to the Moon.
The space auction will happen from April 14 to 19 in New York City. There are many fascinating items included in the auction and one of them is the shoulder strap embedded with lunar dust. The strap once belonged to astronauts Alan Bean and Charles Conrad of the Apollo 12 mission. The lunar dust was accumulated in the strap after they have explored the surface of the moon. The strap is expected to be sold for $25,000 to $35,000.
Another item in the auction is the sight ring used by James Irwin of Apollo 15. The ring is used to create a polarizing effect on pictures. The price of the ring is expected to be somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000.
"It was used in the module when it landed on the moon and also on takeoff," space history specialist Cassandra Hatton told the Associated Press. "It's extremely rare, probably the only one in private hands."
The auction also includes the checklist sheet with Buzz Aldrin's annotations. The checklist was Neil Armstrong and Aldrin's guide in their journey back to Earth. Visitors of the auction can also buy a Mercury-era spacesuit that was used for the Mercury space program. The suit was never used in space and is expected to be sold for $8,000 to $12,000.
The auction also has memorabilia from cosmonauts. They have a spacesuit from the Soviet era that was specifically designed to protect the wearer during his or her ejection. According to the auctioneers, there are only 27 of these spacesuits and this may be sold for $15,000 to $20,000. American flags that were carried by different space missions are also available, including a silk version of the flag that Aldrin took with him to the moon.
