collectSPACE is an

online In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed "on line" ...

publication and community for

space Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consi ...

history enthusiasts featuring articles and photos about space artifacts and memorabilia, information on past, current, and upcoming space events, space history collecting resources, and links to other space-related websites. It also provides an array of

message board An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporar ...

s where registered members can discuss various aspects of space history and the space collecting hobby; buy, sell, or trade items; or pose "what if?" historical questions. Users often abbreviate the website's name as "cS," and members often refer to each other as "cSers." collectSPACE, founded and edited by

Robert Pearlman Robert Zane Pearlman (born January 14, 1976) is an American space historian and the founder and editor of collectSPACE, a website devoted to news and information concerning space exploration and space-related artifacts and memorabilia, especial ...

, has published articles and reviews by authors

Andrew Chaikin Andrew L. Chaikin (born June 24, 1956) is an American author, speaker and science journalist. He lives in Vermont. He is the author of '' A Man on the Moon'', a detailed description of the Apollo missions to the Moon. This book formed the bas ...

('' A Man on the Moon''), Kris Stoever (''For Spacious Skies''),

James Oberg James Edward Oberg (born November 7, 1944) is an American space journalist and historian, regarded as an expert on the Russian and Chinese space programs. He had a 22-year career as a space engineer in NASA specializing in orbital rendezvous. O ...

(''Red Star in Orbit''), Frederick Ordway III (''Imagining Space''),

Francis French Francis French (born 1970) is a book and magazine author from Manchester, England, specialising in space flight history. He is a former director of events for Sally Ride Science, and a director at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. French's sp ...

('' In the Shadow of the Moon''),

David Hitt William David Hitt is an American author specializing in spaceflight history. Hitt is co-author of ''Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story'', a history of the Skylab program, with NASA astronauts Owen K. Garriott and Joseph Kerwin. ''Homestead ...

(''Homesteading Space''), Russell Still (''Relics of the Space Race''), Colin Burgess ('' Into That Silent Sea''), Jay Gallentine (''Ambassadors From Earth'') and

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

astronaut Walt Cunningham, among others.

History

The website's intended name was spacememorabilia.com, for which a logo had been designed; however, the URL was owned (though not in use) by former Gemini and Apollo astronaut

Pete Conrad Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. (June 2, 1930 – July 8, 1999) was an American NASA astronaut, aeronautical engineer, naval officer and aviator, and test pilot, and commanded the Apollo 12 space mission, on which he became the third person to ...

. Pearlman instead bought the URL collectSPACE.com, which came online on July 20, 1999, the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing (Conrad died unexpectedly July 8). collectSpace originally contained a photo gallery, drawing on Pearlman's personal collection; "Sightings," a calendar of astronaut appearances; and a short article about Apollo 11 anniversary toys. "Sightings" was chosen to show up in Internet searches for ''

Sightings Discovery is the act of detecting something new, or something previously unrecognized as meaningful. With reference to sciences and academic disciplines, discovery is the observation of new phenomena, new actions, or new events and providing ne ...

'', a TV series about

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are ide ...

s. The site's original tagline was "memorabilia from the conquest of the final frontier," which became "The Source for Space History & Artifacts." collectSPACE earned national media attention later in 1999 for its role in halting a controversial

eBay eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became ...

auction for Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' debris. In September 1999, it first covered a space memorabilia auction—

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is owned by Groupe Artémi ...

East—followed by Superior Galleries of

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

the following month. collectSPACE was the first to webcast space memorabilia auctions, providing live audio (and one year, video) from Superior Gallery's auction floor, as well as live hammer results (auction houses subsequently added their own webcast capabilities or partnered with

for live online bidding). The site's message board went online in November 1999. Among those posting and replying to messages have been former Apollo ( EECOM flight controller) Sy Liebergot; Stephen Clemmons, a member of the

Apollo 1 Apollo 1, initially designated AS-204, was intended to be the first crewed mission of the Apollo program, the American undertaking to land the first man on the Moon. It was planned to launch on February 21, 1967, as the first low Earth orbit ...

ground support crew;

Project Mercury Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963. An early highlight of the Space Race, its goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and return him safely, ideally before the Soviet Un ...

astronaut

Scott Carpenter Malcolm Scott Carpenter (May 1, 1925 – October 10, 2013) was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, astronaut, and aquanaut. He was one of the Mercury Seven astronauts selected for NASA's Project Mercury ...

's daughter Kris Stoever; astronaut Pete Conrad's son, Pete Conrad, III;

National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the N ...

curator Allan Needell, space historian

Dwayne A. Day Dwayne Allen Day is an American space historian and policy analyst and served as an investigator for the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. Day is a senior program officer for the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board of the National Re ...

, ''Who's Who in Space'' authors Michael Cassutt and Rex Hall, Kraig McNutt of "Today In Space History," and The Surfaris' former bassist Andrew Lagomarsino, among others. A number of astronauts are known to be cS readers. collectSPACE was nominated for ''

The Houston Chronicle ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'''s best

blog A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in Reverse ...

in its Ultimate Houston Readers Pick for 2005. In 2006, collectSPACE was the first to reveal the name of NASA's next planned crewed spacecraft, Orion, and publish its logo; as well as the name

Altair Altair is the brightest star in the constellation of Aquila and the twelfth-brightest star in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Aquilae, which is Latinised from α Aquilae and abbreviated Alpha Aql o ...

for the next planned lunar lander.

Charitable auctions

In the wake of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, collectSPACE organized ''Heroes Helping Heroes'', an online auction benefiting the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the des ...

. In partnership with

Yahoo! Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Mana ...

Auctions, the site offered bidders the chance to have an item of their choice signed by one of 22 retired astronauts, who volunteered to participate. $12,686 was raised. Between 2003 and 2006, collectSPACE hosted annual silent auctions benefiting the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. The astronaut experiences and artifacts auctions have raised more than $180,000 for exceptional college students seeking degrees in

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence ...

and

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

References

External links

* {{Official website, www.collectspace.com Internet forums Space organizations American educational websites Space advocacy organizations