A 1990s Russian training suit worn by a female US astronaut is coming to auction at Bonhams' space sale later in the month with a $30,000-50,000 estimate.
Shannon Lucid wore the suit in preparation for 188 days orbiting the Earth on board the MIR space station in 1996.
The Sokol KV-2 space-flown suit was also employed as a "rescue suit" in the event of depressurisation.
 To be used in the event of depressurisation |
Lucid set records for the most hours spent in orbit by a woman, a record since surpassed by Sunita Williams.
The suit's condition is on the decline. "The rubber inside is kind of beginning to stick to itself," Bonhams' Matthew Haley told the New York Times.
Despite its ailing state, the scarcity of spacesuits at auction should ensure that it sells well.
A spacesuit worn by Alan Shepard, the fifth person to walk on the Moon, sold for $187,200 in April 2010, while a suit worn by NASA astronaut John Blaha while on the MIR space station sold for $16,100 at an auction on March 17.
Space collectors looking for a suit connected with the historic Apollo 11 mission will be interested to learn that Paul Fraser Collectibles has a training suit worn and signed by Buzz Aldrin currently available for sale.
The April 26 auction in New York will also feature a signed photograph of the three members of Apollo 1, which is valued at $10,000-15,000.
The Apollo 1 mission was one of NASA's low points; the three-man crew died during testing in 1967.
A Robbins Medallion flown in lunar module Snoopy during Apollo 10's space mission will also feature. It too has an estimate of $10,000-15,000.
