Buzz Aldrin, the second man (behind Neil Armstrong) to walk on the moon in NASA’s Apollo 11 mission, has been unloading some of his most prized possessions.
In an auction, Tuesday at Sotheby’s in New York, the 92-year-old astronaut parted with things he’s collected over his extraordinary life.
They included a jacket worn by Aldrin while in flight to and from the moon, which went for $2,772,500. His Presidential Medal of Freedom, was sold for $277,200. And a pen and a circuit breaker that helped fix a malfunction on the Apollo 11 mission, which actually didn’t sell.
Aldrin did not give much detail on his decision to sell the items, saying only that it “felt right.” Aldrin has not said what the money would be used for.
“After deep consideration, the time felt right to share these items with the world, which for many are symbols of a historical moment, but for me have always remained personal mementos of a life dedicated to science and exploration,” Aldrin said in a statement last week, per France 24.
Aldrin’s jacket was “the most valuable American space-flown artifact ever sold at auction,” a Sotheby’s auctioneer said, per The Times.