Dominique Ciccolella
Sale Coordinator and Expert Liaison
This auction has ended. View lot details
You may also be interested in
![[Apollo 14] THE SATURN V THIRD STAGE DRIFTING THROUGH DEEP TRANSLUNAR SPACE Stuart Roosa, Edgar Mitchell, or Alan Shepard, 31 January - 9 February 1971 image 1](/_next/image.jpg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg1.bonhams.com%2Fimage%3Fsrc%3DImages%2Flive%2F2025-03%2F24%2F25674427-9-1.jpg&w=2400&q=75)
![[Apollo 14] THE SATURN V THIRD STAGE DRIFTING THROUGH DEEP TRANSLUNAR SPACE Stuart Roosa, Edgar Mitchell, or Alan Shepard, 31 January - 9 February 1971 image 2](/_next/image.jpg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg1.bonhams.com%2Fimage%3Fsrc%3DImages%2Flive%2F2025-03%2F24%2F25674427-9-2.jpg&w=2400&q=75)
Lot 340
[Apollo 14] THE SATURN V THIRD STAGE DRIFTING THROUGH DEEP TRANSLUNAR SPACE Stuart Roosa, Edgar Mitchell, or Alan Shepard, 31 January - 9 February 1971
14 – 28 April 2025, 12:00 CEST
Paris, Avenue HocheSold for €230.40 inc. premium
Looking for a similar item?
Our Post-War and Contemporary Art specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialistAsk about this lot
Sabine Cornette de Saint Cyr
Head of Department
Chloe Mayot
Senior Cataloguer
Marion Richard
Specialist
[Apollo 14] THE SATURN V THIRD STAGE DRIFTING THROUGH DEEP TRANSLUNAR SPACE
Stuart Roosa, Edgar Mitchell, or Alan Shepard, 31 January - 9 February 1971
Printed 1971.
Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS14-72-9927].
With "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse, numbered "NASA AS14-72-9927" in red in the top margin (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas).
20 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.)
Historical context
The S-IVB's final journey into the void.
This striking image captures the S-IVB third stage of the Saturn V rocket drifting beyond the Lunar Module's thrusters after being jettisoned from the docked CSM-LM spacecraft en route to the Moon. The hollow compartment, once occupied by the LM Antares, is clearly visible—a stark reminder of the immense scale of the launch vehicle that propelled the astronauts on their lunar voyage.
However, before this jettison manoeuvre, Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa faced an unexpected challenge. Docking Kitty Hawk with Antares took five attempts and over 90 minutes, making it one of the most difficult docking sequences of the Apollo program. Once completed, Roosa described the S-IVB's departure as both a relief and a breathtaking sight:
"The manoeuvre looks like it's going well. She's sure manoeuvring away from looking at us, and it's a beautiful sight."
—Stuart Roosa (Mission Transcript, 005:58:34)
After separation, the S-IVB was deliberately targeted to crash on the Moon.
Printed 1971.
Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS14-72-9927].
With "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse, numbered "NASA AS14-72-9927" in red in the top margin (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas).
20 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.)
Historical context
The S-IVB's final journey into the void.
This striking image captures the S-IVB third stage of the Saturn V rocket drifting beyond the Lunar Module's thrusters after being jettisoned from the docked CSM-LM spacecraft en route to the Moon. The hollow compartment, once occupied by the LM Antares, is clearly visible—a stark reminder of the immense scale of the launch vehicle that propelled the astronauts on their lunar voyage.
However, before this jettison manoeuvre, Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa faced an unexpected challenge. Docking Kitty Hawk with Antares took five attempts and over 90 minutes, making it one of the most difficult docking sequences of the Apollo program. Once completed, Roosa described the S-IVB's departure as both a relief and a breathtaking sight:
"The manoeuvre looks like it's going well. She's sure manoeuvring away from looking at us, and it's a beautiful sight."
—Stuart Roosa (Mission Transcript, 005:58:34)
After separation, the S-IVB was deliberately targeted to crash on the Moon.