Bidding Opens Today in Astronaut Charity Auction

TITUSVILLE, Fla., Oct. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - Bidding is now open for a charity space auction that gives bidders the chance to bring Star Trek's Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) to their kid's classroom, own materials used in a lunar lander on the Moon, or snag a pair of vintage astronaut boots. The nonprofit Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) is offering these items and more in its 10^th Annual Auction of Astronaut Experiences and Memorabilia, which opened online today at www.astronautscholarship.org/auction.

In all, 60 lots are up for grabs including items from such legends as John Glenn, Buzz Aldrin and Alan Shepard, the first American in space! Want a piece of the spacecraft seats used by the astronauts on Apollo 13? Done. A shirt an astronaut wore while flying in space? Got it. A locker that stored stuff on the Space Shuttle? It's yours. Or maybe you feel like just hanging out with a legendary astronaut – they're offering 10 experiences that let you do just that.

"The astronauts have donated their artifacts, autographs and in some instances their time, as a way to raise money to fund some of the brightest science and engineering college students in the U.S. through ASF's scholarships," said Apollo 16 Moonwalker and ASF Chairman Charlie Duke, who is offering a chance to explore San Antonio with him. "Folks won't find these items anywhere else. This is truly unique."

Each of these incredible lots is up for grabs and will be available at www.astronautscholarship.org/auction until bidding concludes on November 3 at 10:30 PM EDT. Winning bids, over fair market value, should be considered a charitable donation.

Proceeds benefit the ASF, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1984 by the six surviving members of America's Mercury 7 astronauts. Each year, ASF disburses twenty-eight $10,000 scholarships to college students who exhibit motivation, imagination and exceptional performance in science, technology, engineering and math. Today, more than 100 astronauts from the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle and Space Station programs have joined in this educational endeavor, disbursing more than $3.5 million in scholarships to date. For more information, call 321-455-7013 or log on to www.AstronautScholarship.org.

SOURCE Astronaut Scholarship Foundation

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