Elite Collection of Space Memorabilia, Including Apollo 11-Flown American Flag, Touches Down at Heritage AuctionsLots from astronaut Fred Haise and Wright Flyer relics also among December 6-7 event highlights
An out-of-this-world collection of flown space memorabilia — arguably the world's finest ever assembled by anyone other than an astronaut — will touch down in Heritage's Space Exploration Signature Auction Dec. 6-7, 2024.
This 113 lots in this auction from the Family Collection of Jacques Bracke are but a portion of the treasures gathered over the last several decades by the Belgian collector.
"The collection Jacques Bracke put together is absolutely incredible, and there will be more to come in future auctions at Heritage," says Brad Palmer, Director of Space Exploration at Heritage Auctions. "This auction focuses on items in the collection that actually flew into space, many of which have not reached the collecting market in decades. He built his collection through many avenues, including through previous auctions, but he also bought some directly from the astronauts themselves. The breadth and quality of his collection — he has flags, medallions, patches and even a Star Chart from Apollo 11 — is simply astounding."
Among the top attractions is an Apollo 11 Flown American Flag on a Crew-Signed Presentation Certificate that is signed by the mission's three astronauts. The 6-by-4-inch flag is mounted on a 10-by-12-inch certificate with the following printed text: "This Flag Traveled to the Moon with Apollo 11, the First Manned Lunar Landing, July 20, 1969/ APOLLO 11/ July 16-24, 1969/ Armstrong - Collins – Aldrin" and is signed beneath the printed mission insignia: "Neil Armstrong," "M Collins" and "Buzz Aldrin." Printed at the very bottom are the words Armstrong said in what is the most famous line in the history of space exploration: "One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."
One of the inarguably fascinating lots in the auction from the collection is an Apollo 11 Flown Command/Service Module Trans-Lunar Coast Star Chart Originally from the Personal Collection of Mission Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin, which comes with a signed certificate of authenticity. Titled "CSM TLC STAR CHART (B)/ LAUNCH JULY 21," it was specifically designed for use in the Command Module Columbia during the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. This museum-worthy chart, which has been in Bracke's collection since 2009, displays the Sun and planets as colored dots, standing out vividly against the star field to make them readily identifiable by the astronauts.
An Apollo 17 Flown Robbins Sterling Silver Medallion, Serial Number F38, Originally from the Personal Collection of Astronaut Joe Kerwin, was flown aboard Apollo 17, the 11th manned space mission in the NASA Apollo program. With a crew of Commander Eugene A. Cernan, Command Module Pilot Ronald E. Evans and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt, it also was the first night launch and the sixth and final lunar landing mission of the Apollo program. A total of 300 were minted to commemorate the mission but just 80 were flown, making this is the rarest of all Apollo silver Robbins medals.
The auction features a pair of lots of Flown Space Suit Patches from astronaut John Young. Thanks to his position aboard several Gemini and Apollo missions, as well as the Space Shuttle, Young is acknowledged as one of the most prolific of all American astronauts. One of the lots is a signed, framed display of Four Flown Space Suit Patches from Apollo 10 that includes (top to bottom) a U.S. flag measuring 5-3/4 by 3-3/4 inches, a NASA logo on Beta cloth (worn on the right chest), an Apollo 10 mission insignia on Bega cloth (worn on the left chest) and his "J. YOUNG" Beta cloth name patch (worn on middle chest). Also in play is a signed, framed display of Three Flown Space Suit Patches from Gemini 10, a prize that includes (top to bottom) a 5-1/4-by-4-inch U.S. flag, an embroidered Jemini 10 mission insignia patch and Young's "J.W. YOUNG" name patch (worn on right chest). Patches that come directly from an astronaut's space suit are coveted by collectors because of the difficulty in acquiring them. Both of these lots fit that criteria, and come from Young's personal collection.
Items that have been to space and owned by astronauts always generate significant interest among collectors, and that holds true with the auction's 20 lots from Personal Collection of Fred Haise. If not for a nearly catastrophic explosion, crew members Haise and James Lovell — would have had their names added to the list of 12 who have walked on the moon. A little more than two days into the mission — and more than 200,000 miles from home — Haise was completing a routine stirring of the oxygen tanks when members of the crew heard an explosion from the Service Module's oxygen tank, the ramifications of which included an interruption for several seconds of communication back to Earth. With oxygen in short supply, the decision was made to bring the vessel home, shortening the trip by some 36 hours and canceling the lunar landing.
Among the lots in the auction from Haise's collection is an Apollo 13 Lunar Module Aquarius Flown Translation Control Assembly T-Handle Controller. The Translation Control Assembly (TCA) allowed for precise manual control of the lunar module's translation-its linear movements along the X, Y and Z axes during spaceflight, utilizing a series of thrusters for positioning. This specific controller was operated by the astronauts to command reaction control system (RCS) jets for pitch, yaw, roll and linear translation, allowing the Lunar Module to maneuver during docking, undocking, descent and ascent phases. Following the Service Module oxygen tank explosion, the crew's ability to manually control the LM Aquarius became critical, and the lunar module was repurposed as a "lifeboat" to support the crew of Apollo 13.
Also from the Haise collection is an Apollo 13 Lunar Module Aquarius-Flown Flashlight. The explosion and subsequent aborting of the mission had altered plans to salvage various pieces of hardware from the Lunar Module LM-7 or Aquarius, and a flashlight was one of those items that Haise used for most of four days to provide lighting. With the extreme power down there was little spacecraft lighting available. The offered flashlight is the one used on Apollo 13 and has been in Haise's personal space artifact collection since 1970. It represents an extraordinary link to one of NASA's most challenging missions, with the poignant inscription "LIT MY WAY HOME" echoing the pivotal role such equipment played in ensuring the astronauts' safe return. This is the first time this unique artifact has been offered publicly.
One of the fascinating lots that will be available is a Moon Globe Signed by 27 NASA Astronauts, Three Soviet Cosmonauts, Two Pilots of SpaceShipOne and Two Space Film Actors. This 12-inch Replogle Lunar Globe with plastic base is signed by an array of spaceflight personnel, with each Moonlanding mission member's signature on the side of the moon on which he landed, as well as all three cosmonaut signatures appearing on the "Dark Side" of the globe. Among the most famous names inscribed on the globe are Walt Cunningham ("Apollo 7"); Buzz Aldrin ("Apollo XI"); Michael Collins ("Apollo XI CMP"); Alan Bean ("Apollo 12"); Richard Gordon ("Apollo XII"); James Lovell ("Gemini 7 PLT, Gemini 12 CDR, Apollo 8 CMP, Apollo 13 CDR … and has also written "Houston, we have a problem!"); Haise; Charlie Duke ("Apollo 16") and Gene Cernan ("Apollo XVII").
Other top lots in the auction include, but are not limited to:
posted 11-22-2024 02:17 PM
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