BOSTON, MASS.- Commander Dave Scott’s drill chuck used on the lunar surface during his three historic moonwalks of the Apollo 15 mission will be auctioned by Boston-based RR Auction.

The Apollo Lunar Surface Drill was necessary for two basic experiments: the Heat Flow Experiment, and the deep drill core; both of which required the successful operation of the drill chuck.

“The scientific objective of the deep core drill was to obtain a 10-foot core of lunar materials for analysis of thermal properties and stratigraphic composition of the upper surface of the Moon,” states Scott in a letter that accompanies the sale.

“The drill was used to insert a deep core tube into the surface near the probes of the Heat Flow Experiment, to collect lunar material from the surface down to a depth of ten feet.”

Towards the end of the mission’s first moonwalk, Scott’s initial attempt to drill the bore stem for the heat flow experiment proved a difficult task. After reaching a depth of 5.3 feet, lunar soil particles rode up the helix of the drill bit and hastily halted its momentum. The extreme torque had also subsequently locked the drill chuck and was released using a wrench. The drilling of the second bore stem, which, due to time constraints, was postponed until the following day, also concluded with a limited depth mark due to tightly packed lunar soil. Alternately, however, the drilling of the deep core tube was relatively quick in contrast, but extraction of the tube, which essentially screwed itself into the soil, was again delayed until the third EVA.

Results from the experiments concluded that the Moon, was far more radioactive than previously thought, bore a significant stratigraphic history, revealing a total of 58 individual layers in the deep core sample.

“It’s an essential artifact related to some of the most substantial and important lunar surface findings of the Apollo program,” said Robert Livingston, Executive VP at RR Auction.

Among other items to be featured:

CIAM/NASA complete aerodynamic wind tunnel test model from Russia’s Central Institute of Aviation Motors, the largest aerospace engine testing facility in Europe.

Apple IIc Early Prototype Computer.

Thomas Alva Edison Bolivian light bulb patent.

Robert Fulton submarine drawing resembling Fulton’s ‘Nautilus,’ the first practical submarine in history, which was designed between 1793 and 1797 before being successfully tested in 1800.

The Autographs, Artifacts & Animation from RR Auction began on November 17 and will conclude on December 7.