Neil Armstrong’s space artifacts to be auctioned

The collection of Neil Armstrong, the first man who set foot on the moon, will be auctioned by his family, according to reports.

Consisting of over 2,000 items, the collection will go on sale in a series of three auctions with the first in November 2018 and another two in May and November 2019, Dallas-based Heritage Auctions said in a statement.

The collection includes a variety of artifacts and keepsakes that span Neil Armstrong’s life.

From the cap he wore as a Boy Scout to Armstrong’s 1969 lunar landing and private mementos that include pieces of a wing and propeller from the 1903 Wright Brothers Flyer, which the astronaut took with him to the moon in July 1969 will be auctioned, according to the auction house.

Among the items on auction are Robbins medallions flown on the Apollo 11 mission, including an “extremely rare gold example”.

The collection also include a Purdue University, Armstrong’s alma mater, Centennial 1869-1969 silk flag carried by him to the moon, pieces of a wing and propeller from the 1903 Wright Brothers Flyer, which he took with him on Apollo 11, as well as a gold pin from Gemini 8, Armstrong’s first spaceflight, and his Boy Scouts Cap.

Correspondence, including a NASA document ‘underscoring the planning behind the landmark event’, will also be on sale, according to Heritage Auctions.

Other items that the astronaut took with him to the moon include a US flag, the largest size typically flown during Apollo missions, a United Nations flag, various state flags, and some Robbins Medallions.

Armstrong’s son, Mark Armstrong, said: “There will be flown items, autographed items and items of historical significance. There will be items that make you think, items that make you laugh and items that make you scratch your head”.

The Armstrong Family Collection will open for auctions as part of Heritage’s November 1-2 Space Exploration auction.

Armstrong, who passed away in his native Ohio in 2012 aged 82 years, made history as the first man to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969.