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Lot #4028
Neil Armstrong Typed Letter Signed on Preparedness for Extraterrestrial Encounters: "As to your question of whether we will be prepared to communicate and/or defend ourselves when we land on the moon, my answer is basically no"

Three months before landing on the moon, Neil Armstrong elaborates on preparedness for alien encounters: "As to your question of whether we will be prepared to communicate and/or defend ourselves when we land on the moon, my answer is basically no"

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Description

Three months before landing on the moon, Neil Armstrong elaborates on preparedness for alien encounters: "As to your question of whether we will be prepared to communicate and/or defend ourselves when we land on the moon, my answer is basically no"

TLS, one page, 8 x 10.5, NASA letterhead, April 28, 1969. Letter to Richard G. Robinson of Annandale, Virginia, responding to an inquiry about preparations made for a potential encounter with extraterrestrial life on the moon. In part: "As to your question of whether we will be prepared to communicate and/or defend ourselves when we land on the moon, my answer is basically no. However, we will observe the lunar surface from the security of our spacecraft for a number of hours prior to any extra-vehicular activity." In fine condition, with some light creasing. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope.

While NASA scientists did not expect to find advanced alien life on the moon, Apollo 11 demonstrated humanity's growing curiosity about extraterrestrial life and some precautions were indeed taken relative to interplanetary contamination, both in terms of protecting the Earth from potential 'alien' microorganisms and ensuring the integrity of the moon's environment. When astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins returned to Earth on July 24, 1969, they were placed in quarantine at the Lunar Receiving Laboratory for a period of 21 days. There, the Apollo 11 spacecraft, lunar samples, and astronauts' personal items were decontaminated and analyzed for the presence of any potentially harmful toxins or microorganisms—neither of which were discovered.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Remarkable Rarities
  • Dates: #712 - Ended February 20, 2025





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