Buzz Aldrin’s Apollo 11 space jacket could fetch $2M at auction

Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin is giving space enthusiasts an opportunity to own a piece of American history.

The NASA legend’s most personal and cherished possessions will be up for auction through July 26.

The ‘Buzz Aldrin: American Icon’ sale, orchestrated by Sotheby’s Auction House, features the coverall jacket Aldrin wore in 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission, the first successful mission to the Moon and back. 

The jacket is estimated to be auctioned off for $1 million to $2 million, being the only garment from Apollo 11 that is available for private ownership.

As of early Friday morning, bidding for the one-of-a-kind jacket reached $700,000.

The broken circuit breaker switch that almost killed the Apollo 11 crew and the felt tip pen that saved their lives will also soon be in the hands of a generous bidder. 

The Apollo 11 Summary Flight Plan is additionally listed, a detailed summary of every step of the mission. 

During the sale, Aldrin will be saying a final goodbye to his term papers from his years at West Point, a caring letter from Neil Armstrong and his Presidential Medal of Distinction, presented to him by former President Nixon. 

“This collection is a summation of my career as an astronaut, from my studies at West Point, to my first EVA during Gemini XII, to humankind’s first lunar landing on Apollo 11 where we planted the American flag and a bit beyond,” Aldrin said in a statement in Sotheby’s press release. 

Aldrin will also auction his MTV Video Music Award “Moonman” statuette and both United States and Texas state flags he flew on the flight to the moon.

“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.

“From the jacket that I wore on my trip to the Moon and back, to the famous broken circuit breaker switch that nearly ended our lives, and the pen that saved us, to various artifacts we used to complete the mission, I hope that this collection offers some insight into what it has been like to be Buzz Aldrin.”

A pre-sale exhibition opened Thursday at the Sotheby’s galleries, located on York Avenue in New York City. Admission is free and open to the public. 

Sotheby’s will follow Aldrin’s auction with another sale on July 27 titled ‘Meteorites: Select Specimens from the Moon, Mars, Vesta and More.’ The second largest piece of the Moon on Earth, a lunar meteoroite’s end piece, will be featured in the sale. 

The ‘Buzz Aldrin: American Icon’ sale on July 26 will come less than a week after the 53rd anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969.