The original flown flight plan from the Apollo 13 mission will appear in Sotheby’s Space Memorabilia sale on July 20.
The document features a minutely detailed account of the steps taken by the crew following a huge explosion in the Service Module.
The document is made out to lead planner Robert Lindsey
The lot also features caricatures of the astronauts by NASA artist Barbara Matelski, which were included as a joke.
The plan is made out to lead flight planner Robert Lindsey.
It’s signed by all three astronauts and inscribed: "To Bob - a truly perfect flight plan as far as we got.
“We know it would have led us by the hand the rest of the way also.
“Thanks for this remarkable document which we carried to the moon on Odyssey 11-17 April 1970.”
The astronauts must have been surprised to find these caricatures in their flight plan
This text is actually crucial, as it officially transfers ownership from the astronauts to Lindsey.
In 2012, the Obama administration passed a law allowing astronauts legal ownership of memorabilia they collected during their careers.
Sotheby’s explains: “Prior to the law’s passage, in 2011, Heritage Auctions offered the Flown Apollo 13 Lunar Module Activation Checklist – it sold for $388,375, but the sale was cancelled after NASA made a claim against the astronaut who consigned it, claiming that he did not have title to the artefact (according one of the auction house’s representatives).
“The new law is very exciting, because it means that prospective bidders for this conservatively estimated artefact…can bid with full confidence that their title to the item will be clear and fully protected by law.”
The lot is valued at $30,000-40,000, a sum it will exceed by a significant degree.
A sample bag Neil Armstrong used to collect samples of Moon rock is poised to set a new space memorabilia world record in the sale.
We have a fascinating selection of Apollo memorabilia for sale, click here to take a look.
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