Retired UK Engineer Shows The Collection Full of Space Treasures and It Now Heads to Auction

77-year-old retired computer engineer Phil Parker, who resides in Newcastle-under-Lyme, is gearing up to auction off his extensive collection of space memorabilia. 

This unique assortment features space-flown components, meteorite fragments, 5,000 slides depicting space scenes, and a Cape Canaveral headset.

“You look up at the stars and wonder what’s out there,” Parker said to BBC, who has always been enthralled by the mysteries of the universe. “I still do. The fact that we’ve been able to go out there through engineering has kept me fascinated throughout all these years.”

A Unique Collection of a Space Enthusiast

Expected to draw significant interest and fetch thousands of pounds, Parker’s collection will be sold by Richard Winterton Auctioneers on 19 Augustat Lichfield Auction Centre. The collection spans the golden era of space exploration and includes:

• NASA patches
• Spaceflight hardware from rockets and space shuttles, including an Apollo module power supply and parts from Saturn V, Mercury-Redstone, Spacelab, and Gemini
• Cosmonaut Alex Volkov’s signed MiG helmet and flight suit
• Signed posters
• NASA press packs for numerous Apollo missions
• Official NASA photos from Apollo 9
• Original systems training and operating manuals

A Lifetime of Space Exploration

Parker’s passion for space took off in the 1960s when he became a writer for the British Interplanetary Society’s (BIS) magazine, Spaceflight. This role granted him access to press conferences and allowed him to meet prominent engineers and astronauts. 

“I was then lucky enough to be chosen to cover the early Apollo missions for the BIS,” he recalled. “I had to get proper press clearance from NASA and the US Air Force to cover the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969.”

Two months later, Parker travelled to the US to witness the launch of Apollo 12. He also attended the Skylab launch in 1973, visited Mission Control in Houston, and toured the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville.

Throughout the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, Parker actively engaged with schools and community groups, sharing his experiences and organizing exhibitions featuring items from his vast collection.

Auction Details

David Fergus, a valuer for Richard Winterton Auctioneers, commented: “This sale offers a rare opportunity to explore one man’s life dedicated to the British Interplanetary Society and the pursuit of space exploration. 

Many of these items have never appeared at auction before, making it challenging to estimate their value. However, we anticipate the collection will fetch several thousand pounds.”