Space Exploration

[Moonwalkers]

A collection of large lunar charts with flight details inscribed by a member of every Apollo landing crew

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Lot Closed

July 15, 03:39 PM GMT

Estimate

25,000 - 40,000 USD

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Lot Details

Description

[APOLLO PROGRAM]

A COLLECTION OF LARGE LUNAR CHARTS WITH FLIGHT DETAILS INSCRIBED BY A MEMBER OF EVERY APOLLO LANDING CREW

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lunar Planning Chart (LOC – 1, 2, 3, and 4). First Edition, May 1971. Color lithographed lunar maps in Mercator projection by the Aeronautical Chart and Information Center (ACIC) of the USAF for NASA. Each 41 ½ by 44 ½ inches. The set illustrates the lunar surface with complete 360-degree longitudinal coverage. Scale is 1:2,750,000 at the equator.

A member of each of the six Apollo lunar landing crews has INSCRIBED a description important to him and SIGNED his name and mission number in the area of his landing site:

"A Dream of Mankind Becomes True! The First Lunar Landing, Apollo XI, Tranquility Base, BUZZ ALDRIN, July 20, 1969."

"Ocean of Storms. Second Lunar Landing. November 1969. A Pinpoint Landing Next to Surveyor III, ALAN BEAN, Apollo 12.”

"Fra Mauro Base, Third Lunar Landing, Feb 1971, EDGAR MITCHELL, Apollo 14”

"Hadley Base, 4th Landing, July/Aug 1971, DAVE SCOTT, Apollo 15.”

"Descartes and the Cayley Plains, Fifth Lunar Landing. April 1972, CHARLES M. DUKE, JR. Apollo 16."

"The Valley of Taurus Littrow. Sixth and Final Apollo Landing. December 1972, GENE CERNAN, Apollo XVII."

A BEAUTIFUL COLLECTION OF LARGE LUNAR CHARTS, SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY A MEMBER OF EVERY APOLLO LANDING CREW

The present lot features oversized and painstakingly detailed charts cataloguing the rugged lunar landscape signed by the astronauts who explored it. This set represents one of if not the largest set of lunar charts produced by NASA during the Apollo program.

The second chart in this set of four, LOC-2, features the near side of the Moon as seen from Earth and encompasses all the Apollo lunar landing sites.

Dramatic contrast between light and dark emphasize the rocky terrain encircling many of the mare features. Thousands of craters mark the four charts. Roughly 1000 craters are identified, including those later named for Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins. Aldrin himself has signed the chart at Tranquility Base.