Former astronaut auctions Zeiss lens from Apollo 15
For the Hasselblad geek who has everything.
Today in oddly specific artifacts of technology: the first telephoto lens used by an astronaut on the surface of the moon is currently on the auction block alongside a payload of other NASA memorabilia. The special 500mm Zeiss lens was an essential part of Commander David Scott's scientific equipment during the Apollo 15 mission to the Hadley rille. Scott's Hasselblad rig took nearly 300 photos during the 12-day mission and the camera's body alone sold for over $900,000 in 2014.
The lens, meanwhile, is expected to fetch about half that, even though it appears to be held together with duct tape and velcro. If that price seems a little steep given the wear-and-tear, consider this: that duct tape has been signed by Commander Scott himself and the auctioneers believe it "possibly retains some lunar dust."
This video of Commander Scott falling over, camera in hand, might have something to do with that:
If cameras aren't your thing, there are 671 other NASA treasures up for sale, with many of the proceeds going to benefit the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. While a prototype lunar rover that has been rescued from the scrap heap might sound like the sexiest of the bunch, the best Father's Day gifts are actually this mechanical pencil that went into space and an ejection seat that happens to still be "in very good condition."
