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Vintage Soviet Space Capsule Sold For Record $2.9M

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the seems-a-little-cramped dept.

abednegoyulo writes "A vintage Vostok space capsule is headed back to its homeland with its new Russian owner, who bought the relic of the early days of human spaceflight for nearly $2.9 million during Sotheby's auction Tuesday. 'It surpasses Sotheby's own sale in 1996 of a more modern Russian Soyuz capsule for $1.6 million,' Pearlman added. 'That spacecraft, purchased by Ross Perot's foundation, is now on loan and displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.'" Best treehouse ever.

5 of 24 comments (clear)

  1. How much for an actual Cosmonaut? by elrous0 · · Score: 2

    I just hope this doesn't give Washington any ideas. With all this budget cutting, I would hate to think of it occurring to someone that the Smithsonian's collection would do really well at auction.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  2. Re:Work out a trade. by fl!ptop · · Score: 2

    Houston should have gotten one of the Shuttles. They where the third most deserving location after the Smithsonian and KSC.

    Although I agree that Houston "got the shaft" so to speak, I believe the reason they weren't selected is there's not enough tourism there. From Kens5.com, NASA administrator Charles Bolden said:

    "This was a very difficult decision, but one that was made with the American public in mind. In the end, these choices provide the greatest number of people with the best opportunity to share in the history and accomplishments of NASA's remarkable Space Shuttle Program. These facilities we've chosen have a noteworthy legacy of preserving space artifacts and providing outstanding access to U.S. and international visitors."

    --
    When you recognize love in another and realize how precious it is, everything else seems so insignificant.
  3. Bad summary by Lectoid · · Score: 2

    Summary is misleading. I was confused till I read the article. I thought Ross Perot's foundation bought it for $1.6m. I didn't realize it was a Russian that bought it for 2.9 million until I RTFA.

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    Is it just me, or do you hate it when people say "Is it just me..."?
    1. Re:Bad summary by skids · · Score: 2

      What I want to know is why it is a "record 2.9 million". Do we keep records on souvenir space vehicle sales? For god's sake why?

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      Someone had to do it.
  4. Just the capsule? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2

    For $ 2.9 million I want the whole rocket ... fully tanked ... and Bam Margera to graffiti "Mars or bust!" on the capsule. And Johnny Knoxville as the co-pilot.

    "Hi, I'm Johnny Knoxville, and this is our mission to Mars. Or, we're fucked ..."

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!