321 a
Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin

The CM Columbia over the eastern Sea of Tranquility

Apollo 11, July 16-24, 1969, orbit 13

Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso (NASA / North American Rockwell) [NASA AS11-37-5446]

321 b
Michael Collins

The LM Eagle beginning its descent to the lunar surface

Apollo 11, July 16-24, 1969, orbit 13, 100:38:58 GET

Unreleased photograph, vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso [NASA AS11-44-6587]
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

This lot will be removed to Christie’s Park Royal. Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite. Our removal and storage of the lot is subject to the terms and conditions of storage which can be found at Christies.com/storage and our fees for storage are set out in the table below - these will apply whether the lot remains with Christie’s or is removed elsewhere. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Christie’s Park Royal. All collections from Christie’s Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only. Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com. If the lot remains at Christie’s it will be available for collection on any working day 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Lots are not available for collection at weekends.
Please note this lot is the property of a consumer. See H1 of the Conditions of Sale.

Conditions of Sale
FAQs
This lot is offered by Christie Manson & Woods Ltd

Brought to you by

Lot Essay

321 a
The photograph was taken from Eagle through the 80mm lens as both spacecrafts were station-keeping over the Sea of Tranquillity (latitude / longitude: 1.0N / 38.0E) approaching the area of the landing site.

While Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the lunar surface aboard the LM, Collins was left on a 22-hour solo voyage to orbit the Moon alone in Columbia, and part of his responsibility during those orbits was to take photographs of the lunar surface (and with any luck identify Tranquillity Base).

From the mission transcript a few orbits before this photograph was taken:

076:34:34 Armstrong: Apollo 11 is getting its first view of the landing approach. This time we are going over the Taruntius crater, and the pictures and maps brought back by Apollo 8 and 10 have given us a very good preview of what to look at here. It looks very much like the pictures, but like the difference between watching a real football game and one on TV. There’s no substitute for actually being here...

321 b
Collins took the photograph from Columbia as it backed away from Eagle so that the LM could begin its descent to the lunar surface.

“I’ve often said that my instinct, not a carefully reasoned statistical study, but my instinct,” remembered Armstrong, “told me that we had a 90 percent chance of a safe return and a 50 percent chance of a safe landing” (Chaikin, Voices, p. 47).

100:38:56 Collins: There you go. One minute ‘til TIG (Time of Ignition). You guys take care.
100:38:58 Armstrong: See you later.
100:39:56 Collins: Thrusting. [...]
100:41:16 Public Affairs Officer (Mission Control): This is Apollo Control. That separation maneuver was performed as scheduled, giving the Command Module a Delta-V of about 2.5 feet per second, which should give a separation to the two vehicles of about 1,100 feet at the beginning of the Descent Orbit Insertion maneuver.