The piece is a 1.25″ x 1.25″ segment of muslin cloth from the left wing of the 1903 Wright Flyer, according to Heritage Auctions. The fabric joined Armstrong for the first moon landing in 1969.
“I certify that the wooden and fabric materials provided by the Air Force Museum were placed aboard Apollo 11 and carried to the surface of the moon by the lunar module ‘Eagle’ on mankind’s first lunar landing, July 20, 1969,” a letter signed and dated by Armstrong says, according to Heritage Auctions.
Armstrong was reportedly allowed to keep part of the cloth and propeller pieces. A portion of the wing cloth was taken from his collection, certified and encapsulated, according to Heritage Auctions. The cloth is sealed and includes a statement of provenance signed by Armstrong’s sons.
In a May 2019 auction that brought in $4.57 million for hundreds of Neil Armstrong’s personal effects, another tiny piece of fabric from the wing of the Wright Brothers’ plane fetched the highest of bids among 620 mementos. It received a bid of $175,000, according to Dallas-based Heritage Auctions.
Also in 2019, Neil Armstrong’s widow, Carol Armstrong, donated two pieces of the fabric from the wings to the Purdue University’s Archives and Special Collections.
The auction ends on Friday. To view the auction details visit Heritage Auctions’ website.
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