The jacket that ex-astronaut Buzz Aldrin (92) flew to the moon on board the “Apollo 11” mission around half a century ago has been auctioned in New York for almost three million dollars. The garment brought in around $2.8 million at an auction on Tuesday (local time), making it the most expensive artefact ever auctioned in space and the most expensive jacket ever auctioned, said the auction house Sotheby’s. Several interested parties competed for almost ten minutes until a bidder, whose identity was initially not revealed, was awarded the contract over the phone.
The jacket was auctioned along with 67 other items owned by Aldrin. Total proceeds were $8.2 million. An Apollo 11 flight plan has been auctioned for $819,000. Aldrin became the second person to walk on the moon after Neil Armstrong in 1969 as part of the Apollo 11 mission.
“After much thought, it felt like the right time to share these pieces – which for many are symbols of a historical moment, but have always been personal mementos of a life devoted to science and exploration – to me with the world.” , Aldrin was quoted as saying ahead of the auction. “I hope this collection gives a glimpse of what it was like to be Buzz Aldrin.”
Aldrin is the last surviving of the three astronauts from the Apollo 11 mission: Neil Armstrong died in 2012, the third astronaut Michael Collins died in April last year.