One small pen for one giant fee: Buzz Aldrin’s mission-saving felt-tip sells for over $850,000
A felt-tip pen used by Buzz Aldrin to prevent the Apollo 11 astronauts from being stranded on the Moon has sold at auction for over $850,000.
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The brief
An ordinary felt-tip pen used during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission has sold for $857,600. The item is credited with helping Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin avoid being stranded on the lunar surface.
Coverage from The Times of India, Smithsonian Magazine, and The Daily Beast emphasizes the humble nature of the tool in contrast to its high auction price and its role in saving the astronauts' lives. Nautilus provides additional context regarding the general challenges of writing in space.
Future updates may clarify the identity of the auction buyer or further details regarding the specific technical role the pen played in the mission's success.
Synthesized by Archynetys from the headlines below under a strict no-invention contract. ✓ fact-checked: all claims supported by sources Updated 23m ago.
Quick answers
How much did the pen sell for?
The pen sold at auction for $857,600.
Which mission was the pen associated with?
The pen was used during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission.
Who used the pen to save the mission?
The pen was used by Buzz Aldrin to help prevent himself and Neil Armstrong from being stranded on the Moon.
Coverage (4)
- This ordinary felt-tip pen helped save Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin from being stranded on the Moon in 1969, now it has sold at auction for $857,600 The Times of India · 1d ago
- Buzz Aldrin Used This Humble Felt-Tip Pen to Save the Apollo II Astronauts. It Just Sold for More Than $850,000 Smithsonian Magazine · 1d ago
- Pen That Saved Moon Landing Astronauts’ Lives Up for Auction The Daily Beast · 1d ago
- The Challenges of Writing in Space Nautilus · 1d ago
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