Neil Armstrong’s moon memorabilia to go up for sale

More than 2,000 space-related artefacts and mementos collected by Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon, are to be sold at a series of auctions beginning in November.

The Armstrong Family Collection features an “astonishing” array of treasures from the Apollo 11 lunar mission on 20 July 1969, including a number of flags representing both the US and the United Nations, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Bidders will have the chance to snap up letters detailing the planning stages of the mission, as well as “discussions with the Nasa press office as to what astronauts should say when they set foot on the moon”, the newspaper adds.

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The memorabilia on sale extends beyond Armstrong’s lunar mission, says Tech Times. The lots include keepsakes ranging from the astronaut’s boy scout cap to materials from the 1903 Wright Flyer: the first powered vehicle to take flight.

Armstrong, who was 82 when he died in his native Ohio in 2012, is known for coining the iconic phrase “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.

Mark Armstrong, the astronaut’s son, told the space news site CollectSpace that the sale would feature “items that make you think, items that make you laugh and items that make you scratch your head.”

Neil Armstrong’s other son, Rick, said: “He was never about himself, so I would expect that he didn’t give much thought about how he would be remembered.”

He added: “I think he would be pleased to be remembered as being part of a program that demonstrated amazing things can be achieved when people come together to dedicate themselves towards a common goal.”

The first auction kicks off in November. Further sales are set to take place in May and November of next year.