Aldrin also loaned the pen and broken-off circuit breaker switch to the Smithsonian for its “Destination Moon” traveling exhibit featuring the Apollo 11 command module “Columbia.” The tour visited five US cities over the course of two years, spanning the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing in 2019.
The location of the engine arm circuit breaker switch in the Apollo lunar module that was broken off on Apollo 11.
A law enacted in 2012 reaffirmed that Aldrin and his fellow Apollo-era astronauts legally had title to the spacecraft hardware and other crew equipment they kept as mementos from their missions. The pieces are theirs to own, sell, trade, or donate as they desire.
This was at least the second time that the pen and switch had been offered for sale. In 2022, Sotheby’s listed the same set as part of its “Buzz Aldrin: American Icon” sale. Despite eliciting bids up to $650,000, the lot failed to reach its reserve and was passed.
This time, the bids reached $670,000, and it was sold on behalf of the Buzz Aldrin Family Trust. The $857,600 total includes the buyer’s premium assessed by Sotheby’s. The winning bidder was not identified other than as a participant by phone.