Sotheby's is thrilled to announce Buzz Aldrin: American Icon - the most important Space Exploration collection to come to market. The collection, consigned directly by Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin, who has carefully preserved the materials since his missions, includes the most important mission flown artifacts from both the Gemini XII and Apollo 11 missions.

Highlights include the jacket Aldrin wore on his historic journey to the Moon and back on Apollo 11; the famous broken circuit breaker switch that nearly ended the lives of the Apollo 11 crew, and the felt-tipped pen that saved them; the famous banner Buzz brought with him on his Gemini XII spacewalk and exposed to the vacuum of space; complete mission-flown documents that were key to completing the mission, including the Apollo 11 LM Systems Activation Checklist, the LM Rendezvous Charts, Lunar Module and Command Module cue cards including the Apollo 11 EVA cue cards, the Rendezvous, Softsuit EVA, and Hardsuit EVA checklists from Gemini XII, as well as the Apollo 11 Summary Flight Plan and LM G&N Dictionary, flown lunar surface checklist and flight plan pages, flown flags, covers, and much more. Of note are the MTV VMA award statuette presented to Buzz, the his Presidential Medal of Freedom, and other important materials relating to his life leading up to becoming an astronaut, as well as materials relating to his life and accolades following his historic moonwalk.

Lot 56: New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal

New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal. 3 inches in diameter, 22 karat gold, obverse with busts of John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin, with their names encircling outside, along with depiction of North America and depiction of famous scene of Buzz Aldrin with United States flag. Reverse reading, along outside, with crescent moon depicted next to globe (North America), with depictions of Lunar Module Eagle and the Mercury-Atlas 6. 18 ounces.

Housed in original United States Mint case, with blue felt lining inside and outside. Gold-colored rim to case. Case comes in blue cardboard box of the United States Mint, barcode 022/704785052703. Obverse sculptor: Phebe Hemphill, and designer: Joel Iskowitz. Reverse sculptor: Don Everhart, and designer: Joel Iskowitz. Minted in Philadelphia.

To read the complete lot description, see:
Buzz Aldrin's New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal(https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/buzz-aldrin-american-icon/buzz-aldrins-new-frontier-congressional-gold-medal)

Lot 58: National Geographic Society Hubbard Medal

National Geographic Society Hubbard Medal, 1970. 3 1/2 inches in diameter, base metal, obverse with globe showing Western Hemisphere, encircled at outside by "National Geographic Society/1888." Reverse encircled at outside by animal and globe designs, tall ship to bottom center, reading "The Hubbard Medal," with central tablet incused, "Awarded to/APOLLO 11 CREW/Neil Armstrong, Commander/Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr./Michael Collins/American Astronauts First To Land On/The Mysterious Moon/Set Up Scientific Instruments And/Begin Its Exploration, July 20, 1969/"One Giant Leap For Mankind"/Washington, D.C. February 16, 1970." 11.3 ounces.

To read the complete lot description, see:
Buzz Aldrin's 1970 National Geographic Society Hubbard Medal(https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/buzz-aldrin-american-icon/buzz-aldrins-1970-national-geographic-society)

Lot 60: NASA Exceptional Service Medal

NASA Exceptional Service Medal. 1 1/2 inches in diameter, gold-colored alloy, obverse featuring globe at center encircled by laurels, with scroll reading "NASA" across middle, reverse reading "Exceptional Service/Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr./November 22, 1966." Suspended from blue and gold ribbon, with pin bar. WITH: associated miniature medal and button hole bar. Housed in original blue leather case.

Awarded to Buzz Aldrin on November 22, 1965, seven days after Gemini XII's reentry on November 15, 1966, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal was given to Buzz and Gemini XII commander Jim Lovell by President Lyndon Johnson at the LBJ Ranch in central Texas.

To read the complete lot description, see:
Buzz Aldrin's NASA Exceptional Service Medal(https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/buzz-aldrin-american-icon/buzz-aldrins-nasa-exceptional-service-medal)

Lot 68: Tsiolkovsky Medal

Tsiolkovsky Medal. 1 inch in diameter, obverse features engraving of Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky's face, reverse with "1857-1935" engraved at center denoting Tsiolkovsky's years of life, supporting text in Cyrillic script along the edges. Blue ribbon attached. WITH: award certificate dated October 4, 1987. Signed in blue ink with purple stamp.

This medal honors the memory of Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky (1857-1935), the Russian/Soviet rocket scientist and one of the founding fathers of modern rocketry. Originally awarded only to members of the Soviet space program, Tsiolkovsky medals were sometimes given as diplomatic gifts from high government or space program officials to their international peers.

To read the complete lot description, see:
Buzz Aldrin's Tsiolkovsky Medal and Accompanying Certificate(https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/buzz-aldrin-american-icon/buzz-aldrins-tsiolkovsky-medal-and-accompanying)

For more information, see:
Buzz Aldrin: American Icon(https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/buzz-aldrin-american-icon)