DALLAS, TX.- An American flag that flew on two of the most significant space missions of all time soared to $300,000 to lead Heritage Auctions’ Space Exploration Signature® Auction to $2,254,958 Dec. 15-16.
 
The out-of-this-world result for the Apollo 11- and Gemini 10-Flown Largest Size American Flag, Signed and Certified by Michael Collins, Directly from His Personal Collection, CAG Certified and Encapsulated was six times its pre-auction estimate.

“This is an incredibly important flag because it flew with Collins on both Apollo 11 and on Gemini 10,” says Brad Palmer, Space Exploration Director at Heritage Auctions. “Gemini X was a historic mission that set a world altitude record in 1966, and of course Apollo 11, in 1969, was the mission that resulted in the first lunar landing. The fact that this flag was on both missions makes it a coveted keepsake, and to have it signed by one of the astronauts aboard both missions makes it an absolute must-have prize for the most serious of space exploration collectors.”

The result is believed to be a record for any Apollo 11 flag, surpassing the $275,000 paid at Heritage Auctions for the Apollo 11-Flown Largest Size American Flag Directly From The Armstrong Family Collection in 2018.

An Apollo 11-Flown and Crew-Signed Beta Cloth Mission Insignia Directly from the Personal Collection of Michael Collins, Signed and Certified, CAG Certified and Encapsulated also reached rarified air when it touched down at $106,250, more than double its pre-auction estimate. It features an eagle carrying an olive branch to the moon with the Earth in the distance, designed by Collins.

Flown items that have been signed by the astronauts who flew with them remain exceptionally popular, including an Apollo 11-Flown American Flag, Signed and Certified by Michael Collins, Directly from His Personal Collection, CAG Certified and Encapsulated that more than doubled its pre-auction estimate when it landed at $68,750.

More than a dozen bids poured in for a Gemini 4-Flown “Flight Plan, Spacecraft Procedures, and Experiments” Book from the Collection of Mission Command Pilot Jim McDivitt, Signed and Certified, with His Signed Letter of Authenticity until it ended at $50,000 – more than five times its estimate. The book is a 27-page blueprint for the mission, including navigational maps and notes made by the crew. Gemini 4 was NASA's second two-man mission and the first multi-day flight, at four days and 66 orbits, and was the first U.S. flight to feature a spacewalk, a 23-minute excursion by Ed White II.




An Apollo 12-Flown Largest Size Texas Flag, Signed and Certified by Alan Bean, on Crew-Signed Mat, in Framed Display, Directly from His Family Collection, reached $45,000. Measuring 17-3/4 by 11-3/4 inches, it flew to the moon in a command module dubbed the Yankee Clipper on the flight of Apollo 12.

Also bringing a winning bid of $45,000 was an Apollo 11-Flown MS66 NGC Silver Robbins Medallion, Serial Number 32, Directly from the Personal Collection of Michael Collins, with Handwritten and Signed Letter of Certification, CAG Certified. The 28mm sterling silver medal was one of 450 flown aboard Apollo 11 with Collins, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

Other highlights included, but were not limited to:

• A Skylab II (SL-3)-Flown Cuff Checklist and Tether Segment on Presentation Plaque from the Crew, Directly from the Personal Collection of Bruce McCandless II: $40,000

• Michael Collins’ Apollo 11-Flown Personal Preference Kit, Signed and Certified by Michael Collins, Directly from His Personal Collection: $37,500

• An Apollo 15-Flown Largest Size American Flag from the Personal Collection of Lunar Module Pilot Jim Irwin, Directly from the High Flight Foundation: $32,500

• A Soviet/ Russian Sokol Type KV-2 Pressurized IVA Spacesuit, Manufactured by NPP Zvezda: $30,000

• A Gemini 4-Flown “Data and Notes” Book from the Collection of Mission Command Pilot Jim McDivitt: $30,000