![]() ![]() The prototype of the new design Axiom Space revealed appears black, blue and orange. And it's about time - the spacesuits US astronauts wear haven't been upgraded since the Space Shuttle Program was active. The reimagined suit allows for more range of motion and includes extra-insulated boots and other innovations that should make it easier to explore the lunar surface. The Artemis III crew will aim to land at the unexplored lunar south pole, home to frigid, permanently shadowed regions where ice has remained frozen for billions of years. This week, NASA and Axiom Space unveiled the new spacesuit that will be worn by the first woman and the first person of color to walk on the moon. The selection process remains secretive, but the astronaut pool is much more diverse than it was decades ago.Īs alluded to in Tom Wolfe's 1979 book about the space race, each crew member must embody "the right stuff" - demonstrating the traits of a good teammate and effective communicator who expects the unexpected.Īnd when the Artemis III astronauts take things a step further by landing on the moon possibly as soon as 2025, they will need something else: the right suit. The three Americans and one Canadian, to be revealed April 3 by NASA, will fly farther than any humans traveled during the Apollo missions. The public will soon learn the names of the four astronauts who will venture on a journey around the moon next year aboard the Artemis II rocket. If you're interested in attending the auction, it will be held April 13 at Bonhams New York gallery.(CNN) - After more than 50 years of quiet, the moon is about to become a destination for space travelers again. It's valued at $80,000 to $120,000.īonhams will also be selling a map of the moon signed by 15 Apollo astronauts, including Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. One item is a fragment of Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite the Soviet Union launched into the Earth's orbit in 1957. If you don't have $1 million lying around, the auction house will be selling other space memorabilia - albeit still expensive. Officials at NASA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The auction company independently tested the material to confirm it indeed came from the moon, Stackhouse said.īonhams is selling the piece of space history on Carlson's behalf, but she didn't share with Stackhouse why she was interested in offering it for auction. Once NASA realized the significance of the bag, the space agency refused to return it to Carlson, he said.Ĭarlson sued NASA and won, forcing agency officials to return the bag.Īuctioneer Sotheby's sold the bag separately for $1.8 million in 2017.Ĭarlson is now looking to sell five metal pieces with lunar dust on top that are still in a container from NASA, Stackhouse said. ![]() ![]() She sent the bag to NASA for help identifying where it came from, Stackhouse said. It ended up being auctioned off by the US Marshalls Service to Illinois resident Nancy Lee Carlson in 2015 for $995. It became part of seized property when a space museum director was convicted of fraud and theft. This particular Apollo 11 relic created some bad blood between its owner and NASA.Īrmstrong brought the bag of lunar dust back to Earth, but NASA lost the bag after a loan-out to a museum. The auction is not until mid-April, but people are already expressing interest, according to Stackhouse. "I think this estimate gives it a sense of importance," he said, "but it's really difficult to say where it will sell." ![]() To determine the price range, Stackhouse looked at the other few lunar dust samples that have been sold as well as the significance of the historic event from which it originated. It's the only known lunar dust sample from Apollo 11 that can legally be sold, making it difficult for the auction house to estimate its value, according to Bonhams specialist Adam Stackhouse. Particles of lunar dust collected by Neil Armstrong in 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission are up for auction this month.īonhams, the auction company in charge of the sale, estimated the sample to be worth between US$800,000 and $1.2 million. Most people want to get rid of dirt, but this special sample of lunar dust is out of this world. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |