Kennedy Space Center, FL – Forget the space suit, Apollo 16 moonwalker Charlie Duke is wringing out his wet suit to join one lucky bidder in a Grand Cayman SCUBA adventure for charity. The chance to dive with Duke is one of 40 lots featured in the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s Semi-Annual Astronaut Experiences & Memorabilia Online Auction, which is open for registration now at www.astronautscholarship.org/auction.
The Grand Cayman adventure includes sailing on a private boat, a two-tank dive, dinner with Duke and one-night’s stay in an oceanfront condominium at Lighthouse Point (dives and accommodations donated by DiveTech).
With seven additional experiences loaded with similar perks, the auction catalog’s line-up is unlike any on Earth. The auction also showcases personal space artifacts and signatures of more than 80 legendary astronauts, from the first American to orbit Earth, John Glenn, to Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell.
Auction goers must secure a virtual paddle number at www.astronautscholarship.org/auction in order to participate in online bidding which opens April 30, 2010 at 9 AM EDT. The auction will close promptly at 5 PM EDT on May 8, 2010. Winning bids, over fair market value, should be considered a charitable donation.
Duke was among 19 new astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966. After serving as a member of the support crew for Apollo 13, he was named Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 16, along with Commander John Young and Command Module Pilot T.K. Mattingly. During the mission, launched April 16, 1972, Duke and Young explored the moon for three days and drove the Lunar Rover 16 miles, collecting 213 pounds of lunar rock and soil.
Auction proceeds go directly to support the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, a nonprofit organization, whose mission is to aid the United States in retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships for college students who exhibit motivation, imagination, and exceptional performance in these fields. Today, more than 80 astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and Space Shuttle programs have joined in this educational endeavor and in all, have disbursed $2.8 million to students nationwide. For more information, call 321-455-7015 or log on to www.AstronautScholarship.org.
