The jacket worn by US astronaut Buzz Aldrin during his 1969 flight to the Moon aboard Apollo 11 was sold at auction for $2.7m in New York, Sotheby’s announced.
The white jacket, adorned with an American flag, NASA’s initials, a patch for the Apollo 11 mission and the name “E ALDRIN,” is part of a personal collection of items the 92-year-old astronaut decided to put up for sale.
“The exceptionally rare garment was chased by multiple bidders for almost ten minutes before selling to a bidder on the phone,” Sotheby’s said in a statement.
“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,” Mr Aldrin said in a statement last week.
Mr Aldrin is the last living member of Apollo 11’s three-member flight crew, after the deaths of Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins.
He explained the jacket was separate from the spacesuit he wore while walking on the moon with Mr Armstrong, but that he wore it while flying to and from the Moon.
“I wore this Inflight Coverall Jacket … in the Command Module Columbia, on our historic journey to the Moon and back home again during the Apollo 11 mission,” he said.
The suits worn on the Moon by two astronauts are part of the National Air and Space Museum’s collections in Washington.
In total, the New York auction garnered $8.2 million for 68 items sold out of the 69 offered, including $819,000 for a flight plan.
The jacket is made of a fire-resistant material known as Beta cloth that was incorporated in spacesuits in response to the fire that killed three astronauts aboard Apollo 1 in 1967, according to Sotheby’s.
“Today’s result is a testament to the legendary career of Buzz Aldrin and his lifelong dedication to the exploration and understanding of the universe,” said Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s Global Head of Science & Popular Culture.
“It has been a privilege to work alongside Buzz to bring such prestigious objects to market for the first time, and today’s record breaking outcome proves the ongoing and everlasting significance of the Apollo 11 Mission, some 53 years since man first walked on the Moon.” (RTE)