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2001 A Space Odyssey Hero Screen Used Aries 1B Trans-Lunar Space Shuttle

Currency:USD Category:Memorabilia / Movie - Memorabilia Start Price:3,000.00 USD Estimated At:80,000.00 - 100,000.00 USD
2001 A Space Odyssey Hero Screen Used Aries 1B Trans-Lunar Space Shuttle
2001 A Space Odyssey Hero Screen Used Aries 1B Trans-Lunar Space Shuttle - This is indeed one of the most incredible pieces of iconic motion picture memorabilia ever offered. An item of astonishing rarity. Virtually all props, sets, models and costumes from Academy Award© Winning “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968), the greatest and most influential Science Fiction Motion Picture ever made, if not one of the greatest motion pictures of all time, were purposely destroyed by Producer-Director Stanley Kubrick so that they could not be used in any other productions. However, a few pieces miraculously escaped destruction, making them astronomically valuable and of massive historical significance. This is the actual hero screen used SFX model Pan Am Nuclear Powered Aries 1B Trans-Lunar Spherical Space Shuttle. It is used in "2001" to great effect as it transports Dr. Heywood R. Floyd (William Sylvester), from the International Space Station to the Moon to investigate a monolith that was deliberately buried on the crater Clavius by unknown aliens. During this sequence inside the craft are some of the most memorable moments in this classic masterpiece, including the full 180 degree floor to ceiling walk-around of a Pan Am Stewardess (Penny Brahms), wearing Velcro slippers to keep her "glued" to the special fiber-weave carpeting, and carrying dinner trays to Dr. Floyd and the crew while "upside-down", and Kubrick's only intentional joke in the movie: Dr. Floyd reading the never-ending instructions of the Aries' "Anti-Gravity Toilet" before he can use it. This actual model is the one that is seen in one of the most impressive and mind-boggling sequence in the movie, as the spacecraft extends its landing gear and sets down on the open domed platform on the surface of the moon causing moon dust to billow around it as it descends underground to the main sub-surface hanger headquarters, all over the finale of the haunting Deutsche Grammophon recording of Strauss' "The Blue Danube" conducted by Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra . The model includes the original special effects side bars that fitted into two of the secondary thruster slots, and lowered the craft to the platform for landing, (and was matted out in post production). Beautifully detailed and in amazingly good condition, the Aries 1B includes all four 76 Mk 14 maneuvering secondary thrusters, grouped in four sets of four 19. 125 Kg single thruster engines, with blast deflectors. Also included is dozens of other surface details, including the boarding hatch, the micrometeorite landing gear deflectors, the engine gimbals superstructure, and at on the bottom, the impressive four large Primary Thrusters. Three of the secondary thrusters are attached to the spacecraft, and another is included (it was removed to set in the SFX landing rig bar). Also included is the dual-role Docking hatch and entry airlock. An auto-land system is mounted between the thruster groups. And surrounding the bottom of the craft are the four retractable landing gear legs with articulated pads. Several detached deflectors, and assorted detailed hardware from the ship is also included. The top third of the craft, which consists of the two cockpit windows, and micrometeorite deflector panels, plus the passenger deck observation windows on the sides, is removable. The cockpit and passenger windows also made a strong visual statement when they were matted to include actual shots of the crew inside as the craft traveled through space, then lands and descends into the underground moon hanger. It also gave the craft an almost human "face", which was, in this ultra high-tech world, another Kubrick "joke" about how technology is more human that its inventors. Inside housed the hydraulics and tubes to create the billowing moon dust from the nuclear engines, as well as the mechanics to operate the landing gear. These hydraulics and mechanics were removed when the shuttle was acquired. Scaled from its suggested 40 foot perimeter, this screen-used model measures approx 32" high, 27" wide, 28" deep and a diameter of 94".

Also comes with a detailed Letter of Provenience from the English collector from Kubrick's long-time residence of Hertfordshire, England who originally obtained this remarkable treasure in 1975. This original owner was a former Art teacher at a Federal Public school and was given this lunar model with the agreement that his friend and co-worker who was a Woodworking teacher, remove the electronics from the shuttle to demonstrate and teach this technology to his students.

The shuttle has been researched and photographed extensively to verify all details of the acquisition and original composition of the lunar model.

The lunar model comes directly from the original owner, who has stored the Space Shuttle for over 40 years at his personal studio in Hertfordshire, England. Please contact our offices if you wish to schedule a special preview prior to auction day.