Buzz Aldrin flight-to-moon jacket sells at auction for USD 2.8 million

The unidentified winning bidder, who participated by phone, outlasted several others in bidding that spanned almost 10 minutes.

This photo provided by by Sotheby's, shows a jacket worn by astronaut Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin on the historic first mission to the moon's surface in 1969. (Photo | AP) 

NEW YORK: Buzz Aldrin's jacket worn on his historic first mission to the moon's surface in 1969 has been auctioned off to a bidder for nearly $2.8 million.

The $2,772,500 paid for the Apollo 11 Inflight Coverall Jacket is the highest for any American space-flown artefact sold at auction, according to Sotheby's, which handled the sale. The unidentified winning bidder, who participated by phone, outlasted several others in bidding that spanned almost 10 minutes.

The jacket displays Aldrin’s name tag on the left breast above the Apollo 11 mission emblem and the American flag on the left shoulder.

It is made of a fire-resistant material known as Beta cloth that was incorporated in spacesuits in response to the fire that killed three astronauts aboard Apollo 1 in 1967, according to Sotheby's.

Apollo 11 astronauts Col. Edwin E. Aldrin, left, lunar module pilot, Neil Armstrong, center, flight commander, and Lt. Michael Collins, right, command module pilot, stand next to their spacecraft in 1969. (Photo | AP)

Aldrin and Neil Armstrong became the first astronauts to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969.