Original Lost in Space Robot Donated to NASA

Posted 22 Jun 2007 at 00:20 UTC by steve

Robot B9 is one of the most famous hollywood robots of all time. Two B9 Robots were made for the Lost in Space TV series, one a fully detailed shell with space for an actor inside and the second, a less-detailed background prop. In 2003 the lesser of the two robots sold for $230,000 on eBay to a private collector. The restored, fully detailed B9 has been in the hands of Sheila Allen, wife of Lost in Space creator Irwin Allen - until now. Allen has donated the robot to NASA where it will become a "permanent resident of the Kennedy Space Center' Visitors Complex." For more, video and audio are available in NASA's weekly podcast for June 15. If you'd like your own B9, don't forget that licensed, full size B9 replicas are being produced for anyone who can plonk down $25,000.

Update..., posted 12 Jul 2007 at 16:50 UTC by steve » (Master)

Turns out this may not have been one of the original robots after all. Bob Darlington emailed us, "Your article is flat wrong. You should check your facts before posting. The original is in the hands of a private collector. The one donated to NASA did come from Sheila but it was a reproduction made by Mike Joyce using no original parts."

Another update..., posted 12 Jul 2007 at 18:24 UTC by steve » (Master)

Yes, false alarm. I've confirmed with Michael Joyce of B9 Creations the robot donated to NASA was not one of the originals. It was one his B9 replicas.

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