First man on the moon: millions in the Armstrong collection

7.45 million dollars (6.53 million euros) allowed space travel enthusiasts to retrieve the memories of Neil Armstrong, as announced on his website by the auction house Heritage Auctians of Dallas. The highest product of nearly $ 470,000 was awarded to an identification plate describing the death of the American astronaut in 2012 in the lunar module "Eagle".

Armstrong (1930-2012) was then commander of the Apollo 11 space shuttle. With him, astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins flew away. He was the first person to enter the moon on July 20, 1969. The words of Armstrong are unforgettable: "It's a small step for the man … a … a step from giant for humanity. "

Letters to the spacesuit

Among the more than 2,000 pieces placed under the hammer were, among others, letters, pins and a flag, which had flown in space with Armstrong. A space suit worn by Armstrong in 1966 aboard the Gemini 8 space mission brought the family close to $ 110,000.

"There are pieces that make you think, pieces that make you laugh, and pieces that make you scratch your head in wonder," said Armstrong's son, Mark, before the auction. The family had previously left their father's historical artifacts at the National Museum of Air and Space in Washington. Two more auctions with the remaining pieces of the estate are planned for next year.

Cover for Moonstone sold at auction

Nobody really knew the extent of the collection accumulated by Armstrong during his 82 years, not even the children of the astronaut. Some memories came from his journey in space. The Armstrong family had found the collection after the death of the astronaut at home. "He kept everything he had on him during his Apollo 11 mission," said Armstrong's youngest son, Mark.

Last year already, a bag for Moon Rock had been auctioned in New York for about $ 1.8 million. Anyone who bought the little white zipper bag labeled "Lunar Sample Return" for about 1.6 million euros, with which Neil Armstrong had returned stone samples from the moon in 1969, n & # 39; He was not informed. Originally, Sotheby's auction house had been hoping for a bag in which there would be no more stones, but a remaining moon dust, up to four million dollars.

The stock market had been defective after the end of the mission and had almost landed in the trash. For decades, it was then misunderstood in warehouses until a US Department of Justice authority auctioned it with other pieces. A woman paid $ 995 for this and released the auction bag.