Astronaut Buzz Aldrin's jacket, worn during his first mission to the moon's surface in 1969, was auctioned off by Sotheby's for nearly $2.8 million to an anonymous bidder on July 26, 2022. The jacket, also worn by Neil Armstrong, was part of a complete Inflight Coverall Garment (ICG), which included trousers and custom-made boots. This allowed the astronauts to change out of the full-pressure suits they wore during launch.

Before the Apollo 1 fire in 1967, spacesuits and inflight gear were made of flammable materials like nylon. The tragedy prompted…