DALLAS, TX.- Exceptional artifacts from the Apollo program, many flown to the Moon and carried by astronauts during humanity’s greatest era of exploration, propelled Heritage’s July 23-24 Space Exploration Signature® Auction to $3,114,908 as collectors from around the world competed for museum-quality relics tied directly to the history of lunar exploration.

The result made the auction the largest at Heritage, the world’s leading Space Exploration auctioneer, since The Armstrong Family Collection III Space Exploration Signature Auction brought $4,636,912 in July 2019.

The auction’s undisputed centerpiece was Alan Bean’s Apollo 12 Lunar Module Flown and Surface-Used Geological Hammer, which realized $812,500. More than a geological tool, the hammer became part of Apollo history on Nov. 19, 1969, when Bean famously used it to free the stubborn Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator fuel cask during deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package on the Ocean of Storms. Bean later declared, “That hammer’s a universal tool,” and before leaving the Moon offered future explorers memorable advice: “Don’t ever come to the Moon without a hammer.” The artifact later entered a remarkable second chapter when Bean incorporated it into the creation of his celebrated lunar-inspired artwork.





“The incredible result for this hammer is a clear reflection of the interest in items from lunar missions, but the demand for items that actually made it to the surface of the Moon is exponentially greater,” says Brad Palmer, Director of Space Exploration at Heritage Auctions. “Alan Bean’s comments about it spotlight the fact that it wasn’t just an artifact on the mission. It was a critically important tool for him.”

Collectors also pursued one of the most famous pieces of Apollo mission equipment ever personalized by an astronaut crew. Bean’s Apollo 12 Lunar Surface-Flown Lunar Module Pilot Wrist Checklist realized $400,000. Carried and used during mankind’s second lunar landing, the cuff checklist became famous for the hidden Playboy magazine images and hand-drawn cartoons secretly inserted by fellow astronauts before launch.

Part of two of humanity’s most monumental historical moments, the standout Apollo 11 Lunar Module Flown Section of The Wright Flyer’s Wing Fabric from The Armstrong Family Collection™ realized $112,500. The remarkable artifact first flew during the Wright brothers’ powered flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903 before Neil Armstrong carried it to the lunar surface during Apollo 11 in 1969, creating an unparalleled link between the birth of aviation and mankind’s first steps on the Moon.

The strength of Bean’s collection continued with the remnants of his Apollo 12 Lunar Surface-Worn Spacesuit Patches. First worn and then later incorporated into his paintings, they realized $84,375. The framed display includes surviving portions of Bean’s American flag patch, NASA insignia, Apollo 12 mission emblem and name tag, preserving the remnants of the very spacesuit he wore while exploring the lunar surface before re-purposing them as part of his post-NASA artistic career. Another relic that bridged Bean’s careers as astronaut and artist, an Apollo 12 Lunar Module Flown and Surface-Used Lunar Core Tube Bit, brought $81,250. Used during lunar geological sampling on the Moon, the core tube bit later became one of the actual Apollo artifacts Bean pressed into the surfaces of his paintings to recreate the texture of the lunar landscape.

Additional artifacts from the Space Age included Alan Bean’s Apollo 12 PLSS Patch Remnants, which realized $78,125, while his Skylab II Flown Extravehicular Gloves achieved $68,750. Beyond the Moon, a remarkably preserved Thiokol XLR99 Rocket Engine developed for the legendary North American X-15 hypersonic research aircraft sold for $62,500. The revolutionary engine powered the X-15 program that established critical advances in hypersonic flight and directly contributed engineering knowledge to NASA’s Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, making it one of the foundational technologies behind America’s achievements in space.