NASA Apollo 'flight director' achieves $8,338 at auction

NASA Apollo 'flight director' achieves $8,338 at auction

A flight director attitude indicator from NASA's Apollo space program sold on June 30

A command module flight director attitude indicator(FDAI) or "8-Ball", which was used in the Apollo space program, sold for $8,338 on June 30.

Apollo Flight Director Attitude Indicator An important and desirable item for collectors

The elaborately-named device was used by astronauts during training in 1964 to define the relative position of their spacecraft in three-dimensional space. Manufactured by Honeywell Aerospace, the contraption is an important and desirable item for space collectors. Consigned to auction as part of the collection of astronautDonald "Deke" Slayton, theFDAI is mounted inside a wooden presentation box. It is thought to have beengifted to Slayton, who failedto make it into space due to a heart complaint,following his astronauttraining. An inscription reads: "Commemorating The Eight Balls in Apollo, JFS to DKS, September 16, 1964".After going to auction with an estimated value of $7,500-10,000, the device sold for $8,338. In May this year, another"8-Ball"- this time intended for a real space flight - sold for $65,725. Elsewhere in the sale, a film back from one of NASA's special Nikon cameras sold 1065.7% above its $350 estimate to realise $4,080. The impressive price achieved at the auction was fuelled by suggestions that the back may still contain film from one of many shoots conducted by NASA in the 1960s.

Also featuring was a space-flown lunar surface US flag from the Apollo 12 mission, which had been signed bydozens of NASA workers for one of their former colleagues. With the presentation board marred by extensive staining, the flag just topped its high estimate at $1,560. Paul Fraser Collectibles has an excellent range of space memorabilia on offer, all of which is in brilliant condition. Click hereto see the exciting highlight of our collection.

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