Space History

Space History auctions focus on space exploration from the early days of Project Mercury and Vostok through the Gemini missions, the historic Apollo moon landings, Soyuz, Skylab, ASTP, and beyond.

The auctions feature photographs, flight plan sheets, Robbins medallions, models, patches, emblems, flags, lunar surface equipment and other hardware, much of it flown and often signed and inscribed by astronauts and cosmonauts such as Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Yuri Gagarin.

The sales take place annually in New York, and highlights have included Armstrong's "One Small Step for a Man" signed quotation ($150,000), the Apollo 11 lunar surface star chart ($218,000) and Leonov's 1975 ASTP space suit ($240,000). Bonhams is a market leader in this rapidly growing field.

Highlights from past auctions

Sold for US$ 98,500 inc. premium
LUNAR ORBITER IV. Giant mosaic of the near side of the Moon, May 11-25, 1967,
Sold for US$ 242,000 inc. premium
ALEXEI LEONOV'S FLOWN SPACE SUIT FROM ASTP.
Sold for US$ 111,020 inc. premium
STEPS REQUIRED FOR THE LAST AQUARIUS DESCENT ENGINE BURN NEEDED DURING THE EMERGENCY CONDITIONS OF APOLLO 13 TO SAFELY BRING ...
Sold for US$ 50,000 inc. premium
FLOWN APOLLO 11 BETA—CM PILOT'S OWN. Flown Apollo 11 crew mission emblem, 3½ inches in diameter, printed on ...