The space race was an exhilarating time back in the 20th century. The Cold War rivals, which entailed the United States and the Soviet Union, fought each other to achieve spaceflight capabilities over the other, as it was deemed necessary for national security. For space fans who want to fly back into history by checking out these space race artifacts, you’ll get a glimpse at some of the most unique and interesting pieces.
6. Sputnik-1 EMC/EMI Test Model, $847,500
Sputnik might be a familiar name when you think about the space race and space race artifacts, and that’s because Sputnik-1 EMC/EMI was the first object humans ever sent into space. It was used for electromagnetic testing before the 1957 mission, and was a 23-inch model. It was also the object that broadcast the famous “beep-beep” signal, which was a sound emitted that terrified the world and fueled the Space Race overnight. The replica was sold sixty years after launch for $850,000.
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5. Moon Rock Samples, $855,000
Who wouldn’t want to say they have pieces of the moon in their possession? For those who are fortunate to spend hundreds of thousands on these space race artifacts, you could also get pieces of the moon, like these three-time moon rock samples, totalling just 0.2 grams, that sold for $855,000 at Sotheby’s auction house. These samples were collected by the Soviet probe Luna-16 in 1970, and were the first extraterrestrial items ever sold at an auction.
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4. Apollo 15 Bulova Watch Worn by David Scott, $1.5 Million
Sometimes, the most interesting and worthwhile pieces of space race artifacts aren’t from spacecraft, pieces of space itself, but items worn by iconic individuals. For instance, this watch was worn by David Scott. When mission commander Scott’s NASA-issued Omega watch malfunctioned while in space, he improvised by using his own watch and relied on it during critical maneuvers on the Moon’s Hadley Rille. The watch, of course, has vast historical significance and value because of this, making the $500 retail value watch skyrocket to over a million in 2015 when it was sold.
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3. Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 Lunar Sample Bag, $1.8 Million
Similar to the rock sample collection, we have more extraterrestrial items on the list for the best space race artifacts. This unassuming white bag actually held the first lunar sample ever collected during Apollo 11’s 1969 mission. It was actually lost for decades before resurfacing in a private collection. The bag was later sold to another private buyer in 2017 for a whopping $1.8 million. The value stems from the moon dust that still clings to the bag’s fabric.
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2. Buzz Aldrin’s Apollo 11 Jacket, $2.7 Million
While a watch is significant, owning one of the most iconic mission jackets is something else. Worn by Aldrin during the Apollo 11 post-mission celebrations, this jacket is one of the most iconic space race artifacts. The fact that it’s still in pristine condition is incredible, and the embroidered patches were done just days after the moon landing. In 2022, this jacket shattered records at Sotheby’s auction, selling for up to $2.7 million.
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1. Vostok 3KA-2 Space Capsule, $2.8 Million
Now let’s talk about the winning space race artifact: The Vostok 3KA-2 space capsule. In 2011, this sold for nearly $3 million at Sotheby’s auction, and rightly so, as this was the precursor to human spaceflight. This capsule carried a life-sized test dummy named Ivan Ivanovich and a dog named Zvezdochka on a successful test flight in March 1961. Weeks later, Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin made his successful voyage in an identical capsule called Vostok 1. This capsule, seen above, returned to earth safely, unlike most spacecraft, even with it being completely scorched, which made its value skyrocket.
