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Tether that secured astronaut Jim Irwin during a historic Apollo 15 spacewalk, estimated at $30,000-plus

Astronaut Al Worden’s collection to lift off Apr 22 at RR Auction

Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Tether that secured astronaut Jim Irwin during a historic Apollo 15 spacewalk, estimated at $30,000-plus
Tether that secured astronaut Jim Irwin during a historic Apollo 15 spacewalk, estimated at $30,000-plus

BOSTON – RR Auction‘s spring Space and Aviation sale brings more than 700 items to the auction block from April 15 – April 22. The online auction is headlined by Apollo 15 Command Module Pilot (CMP) Al Worden’s collection, filled with flown items, personal mementos, and autographs. View the full catalog online at LiveAuctioneers.

Born and raised on a farm outside Jackson, Michigan, the late Worden made history as the CMP on Apollo 15, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this summer. On that mission—deemed the most scientific of all Apollos—Worden famously performed the first deep space extravehicular activity (EVA), exiting the spacecraft at a distance of more than 196,000 miles away from Earth to retrieve film canisters from the Service Module.

Highlights from the Al Worden collection include a flown IV crewmen tether, which was attached to Lunar Module Pilot (LMP) Jim Irwin’s spacesuit during the Apollo 15 mission’s record-breaking “deep space” spacewalk on August 5, 1971.

The mission’s final extravehicular activity occurred when Worden, on the eleventh day of the mission, exited the main hatch of the command and service module Endeavour and moved to the SIM (Scientific Instrument Module) bay to retrieve film magazines from the panoramic and mapping cameras and to visually inspect the bay. Over the span of 38 minutes, Worden performed a series of three trips along the SIM bay, while LMP Irwin, wearing his lunar surface EVA suit, performed a stand-up EVA from the Command Space Module (CSM) hatch. Irwin’s role was to monitor his CMP and receive the two film canisters Worden removed from the cameras; to do so safely, Irwin was secured to the spacecraft by the tether, which is estimated at $30,000-plus.

Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden’s 18k gold medallion, estimated at $25,000-plus
Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden’s 18k gold medallion, estimated at $25,000-plus

Another standout lot is Al Worden’s 18K gold medallion, which was carried by Commander Dave Scott to the lunar surface during Apollo 15. It was one of four created and flown on the mission, and it remained in Dave Scott’s space suit pocket during his lunar EVAs. Created by Italian fashion designer Emilio Pucci, the Apollo 15 mission insignia features three stylized birds in red, white, and blue soaring over the Hadley-Apennine region of the lunar surface. It is estimated at $25,000-plus.

Also featured is a Collier Trophy awarded to Worden and his Apollo 15 colleagues for “man’s most prolonged and scientifically productive lunar mission.” Established in 1911 by publisher and air sports pioneer Robert J. Collier, the Collier Trophy is regarded as one of the most prestigious honors in the aerospace field. The Collier Trophy carries an estimate of $10,000-plus.

A “stowaway” plaque from Apollo 12, estimated at $60,000-plus
A “stowaway” plaque from Apollo 12, estimated at $60,000-plus

Other highlights include a so-called “stowaway” plaque flown on Apollo 12 that spent seven hours on the lunar surface, stashed inside the Lunar Television Camera by a Westinghouse engineer. It carries an estimate of  $60,000-plus.

Jewelry isn’t a mainstay of space memorabilia sales, but a one-of-a-kind charm bracelet belonging to Jo Schirra easily merits a place in the lineup. The bracelet contains flown pendants from each manned Mercury mission and Gemini 6, and also happens to include a gold Apollo 7 Robbins Medal with serial number “1.” Schirra’s bracelet is estimated at $45,000-plus.

A double-sided page Apollo 11 checklist page from Buzz Aldrin, estimated at $40,000-plus
A double-sided page Apollo 11 checklist page from Buzz Aldrin, estimated at $40,000-plus

A flown Lunar Module checklist page from Buzz Aldrin’s collection rounds out the top lots. The important flown double-sided page from the Apollo 11 Lunar Module activation checklist details the initial steps taken to prepare for the lunar landing. The page describes activities that had to occur before the lunar landing, including the configuration of the hi-gain antenna, drogue and probe installation, hatch closure, helmet donning, and ascent battery activation. The checklist page is estimated at $40,000-plus.

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