For anyone interested in space history (and have a couple million bucks to spend), we have found an incredible opportunity to own a real piece of historic memorabilia. Lempertz Auctions will be holding a very special Space Sale featuring a Vozvrashchayemyi Apparat Space Capsule at their recently opened location in Brussels on May 7. Thought to be the first craft to have entered space more than once, the VA Capsule is a valuable item and is expected to bring in somewhere between one and two million dollars. Alongside this featured item, two Sokol KV2 spacesuits will also be auctioned off and are estimated to bring in roughly $80,000 to $100,000 each.
The VA Space Capsule saw two missions under the Soviet Union’s Almaz program and was launched out of Earth’s atmosphere in both 1977 and 1978, becoming the world’s first multi-use spacecraft. At the height of the Cold War, the VA capsule proved a Soviet victory over Americans in developing reusable space-bound technologies. According to Lempertz, apart from the USA’s space shuttles, VA capsules are the only other crafts in the world that have been used more than once for space travel. After serving its missions with the Soviets, the capsule was used for various commercial and private space flights.
Coming in at just shy of two metric tons, the VA Space Capsule will be viewable to interested parties (whether curious or possible buyers) at the Lempertz branch on Rue du Grand Cerf starting April 26 until the day of the auction.