Backpack strap used by Apollo 14 moonwalker sells for $41K

moon
This is a composite image of the lunar nearside taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in June 2009, note the presence of dark areas of maria on this side of the moon. Credit: NASA

A backpack strap used by an Apollo 14 astronaut as he moved around the surface of the moon in 1971 has sold at auction for nearly $42,000.

Massachusetts-based RR Auction says the strap that Edgar Mitchell brought back as a souvenir of the mission fetched $41,806 this week. The buyer's identity was not disclosed.

Mitchell spent nearly 9½ hours on the , where he left the life support backpack before returning to Earth. Astronauts typically left such items on the moon to save weight and offset the they needed to bring back with them.

The suit he wore is on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington.

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Citation: Backpack strap used by Apollo 14 moonwalker sells for $41K (2015, April 24) retrieved 23 November 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2015-04-backpack-apollo-moonwalker-41k.html
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