posted 06-29-2020 02:55 PM               

The highlight of a Hollywood and space exploration memorabilia show that's set for July 17-18 in Beverly Hills, the spacesuit is conservatively estimated to fetch between $200,000 and 300,000.

It's a rare artifact from the classic by filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, who is thought to have destroyed most of the props and wardrobe from "2001" — widely regarded as one of most influential films of all time — to prevent their use in other productions without his authorization.

Among the more than 900 items going up for auction at the same event are the pilot control stick Neil Armstrong used on the Apollo 11 flight to the moon -- estimated to go for $100,000 to $200,000 -- and an Apollo-era spacesuit glove designed for Armstrong, estimated at $10,000 to $20,000.

posted 06-29-2020 03:39 PM               

The provenance of this item has been corroborated by an official NASA audit report published by the Office of Inspector General in 2018.

...three command module hand controllers that steered the Apollo 11 spacecraft were appropriately removed, labeled as NASA property, and stored in an office safe at Johnson Space Center (Johnson). According to the former NASA employee who managed the safe, prior to his retirement in 1985 he asked his supervisor what to do with the controllers and was told to throw them out; however, he instead took the three controllers home. Years later, the former employee sold the controllers at auction to a collector of space memorabilia.

When NASA learned of the sale, it sought return of the controllers to replace the mockup controllers that were on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. (Officials at Johnson, the original user of this property, expressed no interest in reclaiming the controllers; however, Headquarters officials pressed for return of the items.)

After 3 years, NASA discontinued its pursuit of the items.

Apart from pursuing legal action to recover an artifact, NASA can also ask the current owner to voluntarily return the property to NASA or request the artifact be donated to a museum with a provision that the individual or family be mentioned in the display or provided other compensation. NASA has experienced limited success recovering property via these options.

During its attempts to retrieve the three Apollo 11 controllers, the OIG became aware that the former employee had also retained a command module translation handle from the Apollo 9 spacecraft that was used to steer and provide abort capabilities. The former employee voluntarily returned the handle, after which NASA transferred it to the Smithsonian to be included in an existing display.

posted 07-18-2020 05:35 PM               

Apollo 11 spacecraft joysticks top $780K at auction, despite NASA concerns

Three joysticks used to fly the historic spacecraft that carried the first astronauts to land on the moon have sold for more than $780,000 — despite NASA having sought their return.

Two rotational attitude control sticks and a translation hand controller from the Apollo 11 command module, Columbia, were offered by Julien's Auctions of Beverly Hills on Saturday (July 18), 51 years after the first lunar landing mission. The artifacts were among a small collection of NASA memorabilia included in Julien's Hollywood: Legends and Explorers sale, which also featured a nearly complete spacesuit worn in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film, "2001: A Space Odyssey."

posted 07-19-2020 09:04 AM            

That either NASA employee in this tale considers his conduct in any way met professional standards, I find incredible.

"Hey Boss, what should I do with this priceless historic relic?"

"Just chuck it in the trash man."

Thinks: "That's a darned logical and reasonable reply, and gosh, I won't do it because it's a priceless historic relic. I'll just take it as permission to keep it for myself instead. I certainly won't check with anyone else. I've got the answer I wanted to hear."

posted 07-19-2020 05:52 PM               

As for Bill Whipkey, he was a nice guy who helped the astronauts with their splashdown presentations. Still, he has used the "Dumpster Defense" and that does not and never did work in these cases. Bill passed away a few years ago, but I learned a lot from him about the work he did in the Special Services Directorate at JSC during my conversations with him. His boss has passed too.

But in 1975, NASA was mandated by the USG to clear out all the warehouses filled with Apollo inventory and get prepared for Shuttle. That is when everything was either given to museums (who didn't have much storage space either), gone to the GSA for scrap and auction (ie Nortons), or just thrown away.

It is buyer beware on GI material that does not have the GSA paperwork on big-ticket items that make a splash in the auction world.

That goes double for military collectors of Civil War, WW1 and WW2 issued collectibles. The Navy's replevin of objects salvaged from the USS Murphy's lost bow is a good case in point. I knew most of the NJ divers involved in the finding and salvaging of the wreckage.

posted 07-23-2020 02:42 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Larry McGlynn:
It will just depend on how far the DOJ and the OIG will go to get them back.

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Personally I think the government should have the first right of refusal after a sale is pending. If NASA was too foolish and lax to let a precious artifact be thrown out, then Uncle Sam should have to pay the present owner its value to get it back years later when finally someone realizes what it's worth.

posted 07-23-2020 05:40 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by MadSci:
In the meantime, Caveat Collector!

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In the case of Government Issued (GI) equipment, there are many laws related to ownership, sovereignty, disposal, or sale of any taxpayer-owned property. They center around the General Services Administration (GSA). The GSA was created in 1949 to combine several federal agencies that handled government-funded property, archive storage and, until FEMA was created, strategic supplies like medical supplies and equipment. The agency was formed so that there would be streamlined processes for the disposal of surplus war equipment allowing money to flow back to the US Treasury after an authorized sale. The GSA has many sales or auctions each year to sell off surplus or obsolete property.

So now that collectors, courtesy of the Apollo astronauts, know the laws that pertain to collecting flown space artifacts from the Apollo era they should avoid buying equipment unless it has transfer documentation from the USG or sold by an Apollo era astronaut. Remember only Congress has the right to give Gov Issued material away. Which Congress did when they passed HR4158 (the Astronaut Bill) in 2012.

This really isn't NASA's job anyway. NASA signed a memorandum of agreement with the Smithsonian in 1967 to give them the first right of refusal. NASM should notify the OIG to get the items back.

posted 07-29-2020 10:40 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Larry McGlynn:
...they should avoid buying equipment unless it has transfer documentation from the USG or sold by an Apollo era astronaut.

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