U.S. astronaut memorabilia up for bid

Going once. Going twice. Going three times. Sold! To the online astronaut fan.

Personal memorabilia donated by legendary astronauts is being auctioned off to raise scholarship money for the next generation of U.S. scientists, engineers, mathematicians and technologists.

Up on the block: A copy of Life magazine autographed by Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin; an Earth-to-moon canvas signed by 27 astronauts; a map of the moon that eight Apollo astronauts have signed near their respective landing sites; an autographed polo shirt from the personal collection of Eileen Collins, the first woman to command a U.S. space mission.

"We always have pretty cool stuff," said Beth Higdon, a spokeswoman for the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, which opened the organization's semi-annual auction for bidding today.

Interested parties can bid online Here. The auction will close at the Autographica show dinner in Heathrow, England, at 5 p.m. EDT Oct. 13. Online bidders will be able to compete with in-person bidders at the show and dinner.

The market for astronaut memorabilia is global.

"There is a huge market all over the world," Higdon said. "All over the world people are interested in American heroes."















Proceeds from the auction will be used to fund scholarships for college students who exhibit motivation, imagination, and exceptional performance in the science or engineering field of their major.

The organization -- which was started by America's original astronauts and initially was known as the Mercury Seven Foundation -- funds nineteen $10,000 scholarships annually and has awarded $2.5 million to 226 students nationwide.