Sally Ride’s Robbins Medals, NASA Mementos Bring $145K at Auction
America’s first woman in space remains a trailblazer as her historic estate sells for $145,666, led by Robbins medals from her personal collection.
The estate of Dr. Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space, captivated bidders and collectors alike on July 1, 2025, at Nate D. Sanders Auctions in Los Angeles, achieving a total of $145,666. The more than 50 historic lots offered a rare glimpse into the life and career of the trailblazing astronaut, physicist, and icon.
Ride, who made history on June 18, 1983, aboard Space Shuttle Challenger as the youngest American in orbit and the first U.S. woman to reach space, became a global symbol of women’s achievement in STEM fields. Her estate collection reflected milestones from her record-setting missions STS-7 and STS-41-G, as well as her enduring impact on space exploration.
The top lots in the sale came from Ride’s personal collection of gold Robbins medals, awarded to commemorate U.S. spaceflights. Her Apollo 11 space-flown Robbins medal achieved the highest price of the auction at $17,690, followed by her STS-Columbia gold flown Robbins medal, which realized $13,401.
Additional memorabilia chronicled her career, from her days as a Stanford-trained physicist to her groundbreaking NASA missions. These auction results underscore her role as a pioneer and role model for generations to come—the woman who not only reached the stars but also forever changed the face of American space exploration. Full results and lot details can be found at NateDSanders.com.
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