Michigan Flag Flown to Moon Up for Auction

(Kennedy Space Center, FL)

A Michigan flag that flew all the way to the Moon aboard Apollo 15 in 1971 is up for grabs in an online auction open now through Saturday, March 26, 2011. The Astronaut Scholarship Foundations (ASF) 2011 Spring Semi-Annual Auction of Astronaut Experiences & Memorabilia features 40 lots online at www.AstronautScholarship.org/auction.

The 8 x 12 inch flag spent four days aboard the Apollo 15 Command Module with astronaut and Michigan native Al Worden. Crew members Dave Scott, Jim Irwin and Worden are all University of Michigan Alumni, making their flight to the Moon extra special for fans of the Wolverine State. Worden has inscribed the flag, Flown on Apollo 15 Al Worden CMP, and it has been framed and matted with archival methods.

In all, 40 items are up for bid, including rare manuals that flew in space

and a NASA training shirt worn by the first female Space Shuttle

Commander, Eileen Collins. Also offered are one-on-one Astronaut

Experiences such as dinner with Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell or a SCUBA dive with moonwalker Charlie Duke.

Bidding is now open and will conclude Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 10 PM EDT. In order to bid, auction participants must register to secure a

virtual paddle number at www.AstronautScholarship.org/auction. Winning bids, over fair market value, should be considered a charitable donation.

All auction proceeds benefit the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1984 by the six surviving members of Americas original Mercury astronauts. Its mission is to aid the United States in retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships for college students who exhibit motivation, imagination and exceptional performance in these fields. The University of Michigan is one of an elite group of institutions whose students are eligible to receive one the 25 $10,000 scholarships awarded by the Foundation each year.

To date, ASF has disbursed over $3 million to deserving students nationwide. Since its inception, more than 80 astronauts from the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle and Space Station programs have joined in this educational endeavor. For more information, call 321-455-7012 or log on to www.AstronautScholarship.org.