Buzz Aldrin’s jacket from when he walked on the moon sold for a record-breaking $2,772,500 on Tuesday, less than a week after the 53rd anniversary of the landing.
The Apollo 11 mission emblem and “E. Aldrin” for his full first name, Edwin, are on the coverall jacket he wore in flight. It is made of Beta Cloth, which is a fire-resistant silica fiber that was used to make the Apollo spacesuits.
The jacket was sold at Sotheby’s in New York. According to a statement from the auction house, it was the most expensive jacket ever sold at auction and the most valuable American item flown in space.
The jacket was expected to sell for up to $2 million as part of a collection of personal items and historic NASA items from his career. Sotheby’s says that people bid on the item for almost 10 minutes. It is the only piece of flown clothing from the Apollo 11 mission that is still in private hands. Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins’ jackets are now at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
In 1969, after crewmate Neil Armstrong, Aldrin became the second person to ever walk on the moon.
Among the other things that were sold were flight plans from Apollo 11. A full summary of the mission sold for $819,000, which was over five times the high estimate. A summary of the landing of the lunar module Eagle sold for $327,600, which was over six times the high estimate. The collection also had a fire extinguisher that had been flown on the lunar module, several medals of service, including a Congressional Gold Medal that Aldrin received in 2011, and a statue called “Moonman” that looked like Aldrin.
Sotheby’s said in a statement before the sale that the items were “among the most important and valuable space exploration artifacts ever put up for auction.”
Aldrin said in a press release that the collection is the “summary” of his work as an astronaut.
“After giving it a lot of thought, it seemed like the right time to share these items with the world,” the former astronaut said. “For many, they represent a historical moment, but for me, they have always been personal reminders of a life dedicated to science and exploration.” He added, “I hope this collection gives you a sense of what it’s been like to be Buzz Aldrin.”
