History for Sale in Charity Space Auction

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Now available online, over 50 years of America's history in space is now up for grabs in the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's (ASF) 2010 Fall Astronaut Experiences & Memorabilia Semi-Annual Auction at http://www.astronautscholarship.org/auction.

The online auction gives fans the chance to collect genuine space relics, signed NASA astronaut portraits and even items that have been flown to the moon! Spotlighted among the 50 lots are a vintage 1969 LIFE magazine signed by Apollo astronaut Alan Bean, a NASA training flight suit worn by Space Shuttle astronaut David Leestma and an American flag that went to the moon!

Along with the rare treasures being offered, astronauts have also volunteered their time for one-on-one experiences with winners. Such experiences include scuba diving with Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter to an underwater hotel; viewing a space shuttle launch with Shuttle astronaut Edgar Mitchell and attending the 2011 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction as Apollo astronaut Walt Cunningham's personal guest.

"The auction is a great way for us astronauts to support the foundation and such a worthy cause," said Apollo astronaut and ASF Chairman Al Worden. "The proceeds from the artifacts we donate today help pave the way for the innovators of tomorrow!"

Online bidding is now open through September 25 at 5 p.m. EDT. Auction-goers must secure a virtual paddle number at www.astronautscholarship.org/auction prior to bidding. Winning bids, over fair market value, should be considered a charitable donation.

The Fall Auction is one of three charity auctions the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation holds annually. The 8th Annual Auction, ASF's biggest of the three, will debut its catalog online on October 7, 2010 at www.astronautscholarship.org/aams/auction.html.

Auction proceeds go directly to support the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to aid the United States in retaining its world leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics by providing scholarships to college students who exhibit motivation, imagination and exceptional performance in these fields. Today, more than 80 astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs have joined in this educational endeavor and have disbursed more than $3 million to students nationwide. For more information, call 321-455-7013 or log on to www.astronautscholarship.org.

SOURCE Astronaut Scholarship Foundation