A Soviet space capsule has been sold for nearly $3 million at an auction in New York City.
The spherical Vostok 3KA-2 capsule was auctioned on April 12, the 50th anniversary of Soviet cosmonaut Yury Gagarin’s historic first manned space flight.
The auctioned capsule was shot into space for the final test run before Gagarin’s flight carrying a dog, Zvezdochka, and a life-sized mannequin into orbit and back to Earth, clearing the way for Gagarin’s mission.
Russian businessman Evgeny Yurchenko’s winning bid at the Sotheby’s auction was for $2.88 million.
Yurchenko has announced he plans to return the capsule to Russia so it can be included in a museum devoted to the history of Russian space programs.
compiled from agency reports