Historic Buzz Aldrin Astronaut Memorabilia to be Auctioned by Heritage!

These Space-Flown, Personal Items Have Never Before Been Offered

DALLAS, TEXAS: A number of historic and important items from the collection of legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin, many of them space-flown, including the hand-written prayer Aldrin radioed back to Earth from the lunar surface, will be offered in an auction run by Heritage Auction Galleries on September 20, 2007 in Dallas, Texas. None of this material has ever been offered to the collecting public before.

"One of the most exciting pieces in this auction is a handwritten copy of the prayer that Dr. Aldrin offered shortly after landing at Tranquility Base on the lunar surface," said Tom Slater, Director of Americana auctions for Heritage. "Aldrin, a devout Christian, wanted to take Communion on the moon, and did so with a personal kit, complete with a wafer and a small amount of wine, prepared for him by his church, Webster (Texas) Presbyterian. Aldrin also wanted to read a short passage of Scripture for broadcast back to Earth, but NASA requested he not do this, as they were in the middle of a lawsuit brought by famous atheist Madelyne Murray O'Hair, regarding the reading of a passage from the book of Genesis by astronauts on the Apollo 8 mission. Instead, Aldrin prepared and read the sentiment written on the card offered here: 'Houston This is Eagle The LM Pilot speaking. I would like to request a few moments of silence. Over. I would like to invite each person listening in, wherever and whomever he may be, to contemplate for a moment the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his own individual way- - My way shall be by partaking of the elements of Holy Communion.' Armstrong, we're told, watched Aldrin receive the sacrament, but did not partake. Because of the sensitivity caused by the lawsuit, Aldrin's plans to take Communion were kept secret - he had not even told his wife - and it was several years before he recounted the incident. The facts surrounding this first off-Earth sacrament are well documented in Aldrin's book, Return to Earth (Bantam Books, 1973)."

"On the back of the card," Slater continued, "is the Scriptural verse Aldrin would have read, a citation from John 15:5 which is normally read during the traditional Communion service. As well, there is the passage from Psalms 8:3,4 that Aldrin did quote on the air the night before splashing down in the Pacific: 'When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou has ordained; What is man that thou art mindful of him? And the Son of Man, that thou visitest Him?'"

"This is an exceptionally important piece of American history," Slater said. "Not only did this handwritten card fly to and from the surface of the moon, it also expresses the private faith of one of the most courageous explorers in the history of the world."

"Also offered in this important auction," Slater said, "are such unique pieces as a Texas State flag flown to the moon and back, Dr. Aldrin's Apollo 11 slide rule, also used on that historic flight, and a section of Aldrin's Apollo 11 mission-flown Descent Monitoring Chart, signed & annotated by Aldrin. Authentic space-flown material is rare by any standard, but pieces like these, combining both historical import and impeccable provenance, are virtually unheard of."

Born Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr., on January 20, 1930 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Aldrin was nicknamed "Buzz" by his sister who mispronounced the word "brother" as "buzzer." In 1988, he had his name legally changed to "Buzz."

Aldrin served as a jet fighter pilot in Korea, and later was appointed an aide to the dean of faculty at the U.S. Air Force Academy, after which he flew F-100s as a flight commander at Bittburg, Germany. He also earned a Doctorate of Science in Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In 1963, Aldrin was named to the backup crew for Gemini 9, following the deaths of original crewmen Elliott See and Charles Bassett in an airplane crash. He flew as pilot in Gemini 12, the last Gemini mission, and was named as backup crew for Apollo 8. In 1969, Aldrin was named Lunar Module Pilot for the Apollo 11 mission, making him the second man ever to set foot on the moon, after Neil Armstrong.

"This is a landmark opportunity for anyone fascinated with the exploration of space to acquire key pieces of memorabilia from this legendary figure," Slater said. "The chance to bid on these personally owned and space-flown items may never come again, so I'd encourage anyone who remembers watching the historic landing of Apollo 11 to visit our website at www.HA.com , where they can view full-color enlargeable images of each and every auction lot, read our complete and informative catalog descriptions, and even place bids online."

Buzz Aldrin's personal memorabilia will be offered in Heritage Auction Galleries upcoming Space Exploration Signature auction, to be held on September 20, 2007 in Dallas, TX.

Buzz Aldrin - Handwritten Notes and Scriptures Flown to the Surface of the Moon:
ESTIMATE: $50,000 & up

Apollo 11 Signed Flown Commemorative Cover with Notation by Buzz Aldrin:
ESTIMATE: $20,000 - $25,000

Apollo 11 Space Flown Texas State Flag:
ESTIMATE: $7,500 - $10,000

Buzz Aldrin's Apollo 11 Slide Rule - Flown to the Moon:
ESTIMATE: $25,000 - $35,000

Moon Flown Beta Cloth Apollo 11 Mission Patch:
ESTIMATE: $10,000 - $15,000

A Section of Buzz Aldrin's Apollo 11 Mission Flown Descent Monitoring Chart, Signed & Annotated by Aldrin:
ESTIMATE: $15,000 - $20,000

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HA.com.

Prospective consignors and sellers of political memorabilia, Americana, and related collectibles are invited to visit www.HA.com/Sell. Or simply email Tom Slater at TomS@HA.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Customer Service at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 150, or visit www.HA.com/Catalog to order by email.