A flown decal indicating the emergency access hatch to the Apollo 11 command module is among the most remarkable items ever offered at RR Auction.
The lot will headline a sale of space and aviation memorabilia from April 13-20 with an estimate of $100,000 up.
The sign points the way to the emergency hatch
You can clearly see the sign (which reads “RESCUE”) in photographs of the command module after it splashed down off the coast of Hawaii on July 24, 1969.
It displays characteristic burns from re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere.
The consignor, a retired North American Aviation (NAA) inspector who worked on the command module, recently showcased the decal on the Antiques Roadshow.
He explained on the show: "When the spacecraft would come back to Downey, we would strip them all down.
"And so this arrow... they were scraping all this stuff off and throwing it away in a big pile, so they just gave it to me."
We’re selling this incredible signature from Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong.
An October 1971 Penthouse centrefold flown on the Apollo 17 mission is expected to beat $10,000.
The lot, which features Road Runner and Wile E Coyote stickers over the key areas, was hidden in the Apollo 17 flight plan.
Astronaut Gene Cernan explained that it was a prank instigated by the backup crew.
He explained in a letter of provenance: “This Penthouse centerfold represents one [of] the rarest and more 'interesting' Apollo artifacts of the Apollo 17 mission and was an example of the culture and camaraderie exhibited by [the] astronaut corp of the 1960's."
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