AL WORDEN Spanish flag (6¼x4), flown to the moon on Apollo 15, signed on the yellow stripe by Command Module Pilot Worden, accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, also signed by Worden Flag signed: "Flown to the Moon on Apollo 15 - Al Worden CMP", 6¼x4 red, yellow and black Spanish flag, signed on the center yellow stripe. Accompanied by Typed Letter signed: "Al Worden", 1 page, 8½x11, Certificate of authenticity dated June 18, 2010 on Apollo 15 letterhead. In full: "I hereby certify that this flag from Spain (1945-1977) included with this letter went to the moon aboard Apollo 15 in the spacecraft 'Endeavor'. It remained in the command module during the lunar orbit phase of the flight. Apollo 15 was the fourth lunar landing mission, carrying for the first time a lunar rover and a Scientific Instrument Bay in the Service Module. The flight was launched on July 26 and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on August 7, 1971, logging flight time of 295.2 hours and a distance of over 1.4 million miles. Dave Scott and Jim Irwin explored the region of Hadley Rille for three days while I conducted scientific experiments in orbit. read more...

ORVILLE WRIGHT Orville Wright signed this document in 1945 to lease 135 acres of farm and pastureland that he owned in Indiana. This document was signed three years before Wright's death and offers a look into how he paid his bills late in life. Lease signed "Orville Wright" as Lessor. 2 pages, 8½x12¾, single-sided sheets, bound with two staples at top edge. Feb. 6, 1945. Wright signed this lease agreement to lease 135 acres of farm and pastureland in "Township 23 North", Indiana [possibly Fowlerton] to Clayton W. Dickerson of Jonesboro, Indiana. The lease's term was from March 1, 1945, to Feb. 28, 1946. Dickerson leased the farm - which included improvements like an orchard, garden lot and barn - for $6 per acre or a total of $810, paid in full to Wright on Sept. 1, 1945. This lease also laid out Dickerson's responsibilities. In short, he had to maintain the land and its buildings out of his own pocket and pay one-half the cost for seed and fertilizer and for threshing and hulling any crops, with Wright paying the other half. Wilbur (1867-1912, born near Millville, Indiana) and Orville (1871-1948, born in Dayton, Ohio) formed the Wright Cycle Company in 1892 and manufactured bicycles. read more...

CHRISTA McAULIFFE Very distinctive color photo inscribed to NASA food specialist Dr. Charles Bourland, who is shown giving her an orientation to "space food." Photograph inscribed and signed: "Dr. Bourland -/Thanks! /S. Christa/McAuliffe". Color, 8x10. SHARON CHRISTA McAULIFFE (1948-1986) taught junior high school in Maryland (1970-1978) and Concord, New Hampshire (1978-1979) and high school in Concord (1980-1985) before being selected as the primary candidate for the NASA Teacher in Space Project on July 19, 1985. She was a payload specialist on Challenger STS-51L which was launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 11:38 AM on January 28, 1986. McAuliffe and her six colleagues were killed when Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch. DR. CHARLES T. BOURLAND, shown in this photo inscribed to him, researched and designed food for astronauts from the Mercury program to the International Space Station. Here is a shown giving McAuliffe an edible orientation. After retiring from NASA in 2000, Bourland wrote The Astronaut's Cookbook and taught a read more...

BUZZ ALDRIN He signs a flag which journeyed with him into space on the Gemini XII mission. Flag signed: "Buzz Aldrin, Flown on Gemini XII16 ½ x11. Signed on white stripe. Aldrin, a 1951 West Point graduate, had flown 66 missions in Korea, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross. He flew F-100s in Germany before persuading the Air Force to send him to M.I.T. for a doctorate. Aldrin's first space voyage was on Gemini XII, along with James Lovell (of later Apollo XIII fame). The mission included a successful manual rendezvous with an Aegina target vehicle and three space walks (EVAs) by Aldrin. These tethered trips outside the spacecraft, totaling 5½ hours, proved that astronaut's could perform successfully outside their spacecraft for long periods. During the Apollo 11 mission, Aldrin piloted the Lunar Excursion Module, Eagle, and became the second man to walk on the Moon (July 20, 1969). The Gemini XII capsule, which carried the flag signed here, is now on display at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Slight bleeding of  ink. Fading of blue at right edge between two top stars. read more...

CHALLENGER STS-51L: DICK SCOBEE, MICHAEL J. SMITH, RONALD McNAIR, ELLISON ONIZUKA, JUDY RESNIK, GREG JARVIS and CHRISTA McAULIFFE This official NASA photograph is a crew photo of the ill-fated Challenger mission STS-51L, which exploded in midair on Jan. 28, 1986 and was the deadliest accident in NASA history until the destruction of the Columbia in 2003. This rare photograph contains the signatures of all seven crew members of STS-51L, who are shown in flight suits and holding their helmets. All seven people in this photo died in the Challenger disaster. Accompanied by unsigned Spaceport USA permit, commemorative envelope and patch, all honoring the Challenger mission. 4 items. Photograph Inscribed and signed:"El Onizuka", "S. Christa/McAuliffe", "Greg Jarvis", "Judy/Resnik", "Mike Smith", "Dick/Scobee" and "Ron McNair". Color, 10x8 overall, image 9¼x6¾ (one surface). NASA publicity photo with NASA logo in upper left corner. read more...

CHALLENGER STS-51L: FRANCIS R. "DICK" SCOBEE, MICHAEL J. SMITH, RONALD E. "RON"McNAIR, ELLISON "EL" S. ONIZUKA, JUDITH A. "JUDY" RESNIK, GREG JARVIS and CHRISTA McAULIFFE Collection framed in the Gallery of History style to 42x28. Four of the astronauts signed envelopes postmarked the day they died Comprises: (1) DICK SCOBEE, JUDY RESNICK and RON McNAIR. Envelope signed: "Dick Scobee", "Judy Resnik" and "Ron McNair", 6¼x3½. 22¢ Abigail Adams stamp affixed. Postmarked Kennedy Space Center, FL, January 28, 1986 (the day of the Challenger tragedy). Typed at left margin: "Space Shuttle 51-L". The names of five members are typed below the heading. Scobee, Resnick and McNair have signed to the right of their names. Fine condition. (2) MICHAEL J. SMITH. Commemorative Envelope signed: "Michael J Smith", 6¼x3½. 15¢ stamp affixed, postmarked Pearlington, MS, May 20, 1980. read more...

CHALLENGER STS-51L CREW: FRANCIS R. "DICK" SCOBEE, MICHAEL J. SMITH, RONALD E. "RON" McNAIR, ELLISON S. "EL" ONIZUKA, JUDITH A. "JUDY" RESNIK, GREG JARVIS and CHRISTA McAULIFFE This official NASA photograph is a crew photo of the ill-fated Challenger mission STS-51L, which exploded in midair on January 28, 1986 and was the deadliest accident in NASA history until the destruction of the Columbia in 2003. This rare photograph contains the signatures of all seven crewmembers of STS-51L, who are shown in flight suits and holding their helmets Printed Photograph Signed in Ink: "Mike Smith", "Dick/ Scobee", "Ron McNair", "El Onizuka", "S. Christa/McAuliffe", "Greg/Jarvis", "Judy/ Resnik". Color, 10x8. Captioned: "Crew of Space Shuttle/ Mission 51-L. This photograph is an official NASA crew photo of the ill-fated Challenger mission STS-51L. read more...

APOLLO 11: NEIL ARMSTRONG and MICHAEL COLLINS Framed 26x26 display featuring signed space suit fabric with the mission patch Ephemera signed: "Neil Armstrong", "Michael Collins", 6x6 strip of space suit fabric bearing 3¼-diameter Apollo 11 mission patch. The fabric was originally signed by the third astronaut, Buzz Aldrin, but Aldrin's signature has faded and is now almost invisible. The signed fabric is matted and framed to an overall size of 26x26 with the following items: 1) backdrop photo of lunar landscape with Earth above the horizon, and separate photo cutout of space-suited figure with lunar lander (LEM) reflected in the faceplate; 2) set of 3 inset, unsigned photos (each color, 3x2½) of the astronauts Armstrong, Collins and Buzz Aldrin; and 3) metallic plaque imprinted with caption: "Apollo 11 - Patch printed on genuine space suit material. Apollo 11 crew Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins. The historic Apollo 11 spaceflight, the fifth manned flight in the Apollo series, took human beings to the surface of the moon for the first time. Launched from the Kennedy Space Center on July 16, 1969, the spacecraft entered lunar orbit on July 19. read more...

AMELIA EARHART Writing from England two days after her trans-Atlantic flight, she tells an uncle how surprised she is by all the publicity, and hopes it hasn't affected the family too much. Autograph Letter signed: "Amelia", 1 page, 7x9, also initialed by her on a postscript in right margin. London, no written date, but 1928 June 20. On letterhead of Aldford House, Park Lane, to "Dear Uncle", in full: "As you saw this morning I haven't much time to myself. My program is filled for me and I have to adhere to it or be swamped with invitations. So ...[ellipses in original] I am sorry not to have been able to see you longer. There is hardly a chance that I shall be able to do so while here, as I leave so soon for home. I do hope the family does not feel the awful publicity too much. I had no idea people would be so interested, and am quite overcome. Sincerely". [signature] I hope I may drop in at 137 on my way to Boston, if I may. A. E." Amelia Earhart (1897-1937?), with Wilman Stutz and Louis Gordon, flew from Trepassy Bay, Newfoundland to Burry Port, Wales (June 17-18, 1928) to become the first woman to cross the Atlantic by air. read more...