Buzz Aldrin sold the famous felt-tip pen and broken circuit breaker switch from Apollo 11 at Sotheby's for a hammer price of $670,000, totaling $857,600 with buyer's premium. The pen was used by Aldrin to activate the engine arm circuit breaker after it broke off during the 1969 Moon landing, potentially saving the mission.

The artifacts had previously failed to meet reserve in a 2022 Sotheby's auction despite bids reaching $650,000. A 2012 law confirmed Apollo-era astronauts hold legal title to mission mementos, allowing them to sell or donate items. The winning bidder participated by phone and was not publicly identified.

While impressive, the sale did not reach the top 10 highest prices for space artifacts. The record remains $2,882,500 for the Soviet Vostok 3KA-2 capsule sold in 2011, while Aldrin's own Apollo 11 in-flight jacket fetched $2,772,500 in 2022.

The "Space Exploration" sale, part of Sotheby's annual Geek Week, included over 40 items from the Aldrin Family Trust and grossed $2,862,336 total. Other highlights included a Moonshine gold Omega Speedmaster at $70,400 and the Skylab III command module pressure hatch at $192,000.