Buzz Aldrin sells pen and switch that saved Apollo 11 mission for $857,600
Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin auctioned the felt-tip pen and broken circuit breaker switch that helped launch from the Moon, fetching $857,600 including buyer's premium.
Buzz Aldrin, one of the first humans to walk on the Moon, has sold a pen and a broken switch that played a critical role in the Apollo 11 mission. The artifacts were auctioned by Sotheby's for a total of $857,600, including the buyer's premium. The switch was a broken engine arm circuit breaker in the lunar module that prevented engine ignition. Aldrin used a felt-tip pen to replace the switch and activate the engine, allowing the crew to return to Earth.
The items were previously loaned to the Smithsonian Institution for its “Destination Moon” traveling exhibit, which toured five U.S. cities around the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing in 2019. A 2012 law clarified that Apollo-era astronauts legally own mission artifacts they kept as mementos. This was the second time the pen and switch were offered for sale; in 2022, Sotheby's listed them but bids up to $650,000 failed to meet the reserve price.
While the sale price is impressive, it falls short of records for space memorabilia. The top price remains $2,882,500 for the Soviet Vostok 3KA-2 capsule sold in 2011. Aldrin's own Apollo 11 flight jacket sold for $2,772,500 in 2022. The auction was part of Sotheby's annual Geek Week, featuring 134 lots, including over 40 from Aldrin's collection. Total proceeds reached $2,862,336. Another highlight was the Skylab III pressure hatch, sold for $192,000.
