American flag that went to Moon on Apollo 11 mission up for auction

By Dean Murray

An American flag that circled the Moon during the historic Apollo 11 mission is up for auction.

The flag, carried in lunar orbit by Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, is estimated to fetch £37k ($50k).

Hand‑signed and flight‑certified by Collins, the flag is presented in a framed display alongside a certificate bearing Neil Armstrong’s immortal words, "One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

Also under the hammer is a rare microform of the King James Bible flown to the moon's surface on NASA’s Apollo 14 mission in 1971.

Astronaut Edgar Mitchell flew the item for the Apollo Prayer League, a group that prayed for astronaut safety.

Estimated to go for £30k ($40k), it was presented in a jewel-embellished reliquary and accompanied by extensive documentation, including certification signed by Mitchell and NASA Chaplain Rev. John Stout.

Boston-based RR Auction said: "As the first complete scripture ever carried to another world, the Lunar Bible stands as both a symbol of faith and a milestone of spaceflight."

The Fall Space Exploration and Aviation sale, features nearly 700 lots of flown relics, meteorites, astronaut timepieces, autographs, and spacecraft hardware. It concludes on October 16.