Category Archives: Space Collecting

Living in Space, Space Arts, Space Collecting

ISS astronaut’s Klingon-inspired mission patch

Robert Pearlman reports that astronaut Steve Swanson, currently a crew member on the International Space Station, had a “badass” Star Trek Klingon inspired mission patch designed with the help of his daughter. However, it was eventually watered down into a conventional patch design: Astronaut’s cloaked Klingon space patch: Star Trek-inspired emblem revealed – collectSPACE

Exp40MissionPatchDesigns_news-060614cTwo designs by Steven Swanson and his daughter Caroline.
(Collectspace/Swanson)

 

In this Instagram image of Swanson on the ISS, he has the Klingon inspired artwork on his T-shirt:

History, Space Collecting

Apollo 15 artifacts set record prices at space collectibles auction

An auction of space collectibles at RR Auction did well especially for Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott : Joystick sets record price for space collectibles – AFP/Phys.Org

The price of space junk inched closer to the moon on Friday after a hand controller from the Apollo 15 mission sold at auction for $610,063—an apparent new record.

The joystick assembly from the fourth US manned lunar landing was snapped up by an online bidder whose identity was not disclosed by RR Auction, a Massachusetts auction house specializing in rare collectibles. 

Robert Pearlman at collectSpace writes about the auction: Astronaut’s joystick used for Apollo moon landing tops half a million at auction – collectSPACE.

The Apollo 15 joystick controller and the crewman optical alignment sight (COAS) from the same spacecraft topped the sale’s results. The COAS, which was used by Scott to make star sightings and to align the lunar module with the moon’s horizon, sold for $126,180.

Both artifacts were removed from the lunar module Falcon at end of the lander’s use, prior to its intentional crash into the lunar surface. Scott and his crewmates, Jim Irwin and Al Worden, returned to Earth aboard the command module Endeavour.

3321443_2Flown lunar module rotational hand controller, used
by Dave Scott and flown to the lunar surface on board
Apollo 15’s Lunar Module Falcon. 

History, Space Collecting

Space Auction features Alan Bean items

Heritage Auction in Dallas, Texas is holding a Space Signature Auction today that features many items from Alan Bean, Apollo 12 astronaut and artist:

 

Events, History, Space Collecting

Auction of Soviet space capsule and space suits

The Kunsthaus Lempertz auction house is having a Spacesale in Brussels of a Soviet era [twice flown] space capsule and two space suits currently owned by the company Excalibur Almaz, based in Isle of Man: About — Spacesale

On 7 May the Space Capsule of the type Vozvrashchayemyi Apparat (VA) will be auctioned at an estimated value of $1-2 million, together with two historic Sokol KV2 spacesuits (estimated value $80,000) at the newly opened Lempertz branch in Brussels. From the 26 April the VA can be viewed at the historic building on Rue du Grand Cerf.

VAinBRX3kl-660x1024

lempertz_ssale_capsule_suits_cmyk1-1024x1024

More about the auction at Used spacecraft for sale: Soviet-era space capsule up for auction in Belgium – collectSPACE.

Here’s a video of a reception at the auction site:

History, Space Collecting, Space participation

Several space auctions coming up

I’ve recently pointed to two auctions coming up of space memorabilia/collectibles (see posts here and here). Robert Pearlman finds seven in the next three months: Spring space sales: Space history artifacts and astronaut mementos up for auction – collectSPACE.

See also the collectSPACE – space history, memorabilia and artifacts event calendar.

It appears like the interest in such items is increasing. I’ve long thought that many baby boomers who grew up in the post-Sputnik “Space Age” of the 1960s would become nostalgic for those days and start  collecting space memorabilia as a hobby in their retirement. Can’t prove this is actually happening but it’s a good a theory as any!

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See also the Spacefest VI (a HobbySpace advertiser) in Pasadena, California May 8-11, 2014. There will be a memorabilia auction and also an exhibit hall with space memorabilia and collectibles as well as space art.