Most people want to get rid of dirt, but this special sample of moon dust is out of this world. Moon dust particles collected by Neil Armstrong in 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission are up for auction this month.
Bonhams, the auction company responsible for the sale, estimated that the sample would be worth between US$800,000 and US$1.2 million (between R$3.7 million and R$5.5 million).
It is the only known sample of Apollo 11 moon dust that can be legally sold, making it difficult for the auction house to estimate its value, according to Bonhams expert Adam Stackhouse.
To determine the price range, Stackhouse looked at the other few samples of lunar dust that were sold, as well as the significance of the historical event from which it originated.
“I think that estimate gives a sense of importance,” he said, “but it’s really hard to say where it’s going to be sold.”
The auction is expected to take place in mid-April, but people are already expressing interest, according to Stackhouse.
a controversial past
This particular Apollo 11 relic has created some grudge between its owner and NASA.
Armstrong brought the bag of moon dust back to Earth, but NASA lost the bag after a loan to a museum. It became part of the seized property when the director of a space museum was convicted of fraud and theft.
It ended up being auctioned off by the US Marshalls Service to Illinois resident Nancy Lee Carlson in 2015 for $995.
She sent the bag to NASA to help identify where it came from, Stackhouse said. Once NASA realized the bag’s significance, the space agency refused to return it to Carlson, he said.
Carlson sued NASA and won, forcing agency employees to return the bag.
Auctioneer Sotheby’s sold the bag separately for $1.8 million in 2017.
Carlson now wants to sell five pieces of moon-dust metal that are still in a NASA container, Stackhouse said. The auction company independently tested the material to confirm that it actually came from the moon.
Bonhams is selling the piece of space history on Carlson’s behalf, but she hasn’t shared it with Stackhouse because she was interested in offering it up for auction.
NASA officials did not respond to a request for comment so far.
Other items for sale
If you don’t have $1 million lying around, the auction house will be selling other space memorabilia – albeit still expensive.
One of the items is a fragment of Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite that the Soviet Union launched into Earth orbit in 1957. It is valued at US$80,000 to US$120,000.
Bonhams will also be selling a map of the moon signed by 15 Apollo astronauts, including Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. The value is from US$ 20,000 to US$ 30,000 (between R$ 93 thousand and R$ 139 thousand)
If you are interested in participating in the auction, it will be held on April 13 at the Bonhams gallery in New York.
Source: CNN Brasil
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