Who Stole the Moon rocks?

On July 13th 2002, 25-year-old NASA trainee, Thad Roberts and his accomplices broke into the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and stole a safe full of priceless moon rocks collected from the Apollo lunar missions over the years.

Why did Thad Roberts steal moon rocks?

At age 25 Thad fell in love with a brilliant and beautiful Biology intern at NASA. Wanting to give her the moon (literally), Thad masterminded the infamous moon rock caper and made off with lunar samples.

How many moon rocks have been stolen?

There were 370 pieces gathered for this purpose from the two missions. Two hundred and seventy were given to nations of the world and 100 to the 50 US states. But 184 of these are lost, stolen or unaccounted for - 160 around the world and 24 in the US.

What happened to the stolen moon rocks?

Louisiana. Louisiana's Apollo 17 moon rock was returned to the state by in late 2020 when it was hand delivered to Louisiana State Museum by an anonymous Florida man. The state's Apollo 11 moon rock is in the collection of the Louisiana Art and Science Museum.

Who owns a moon rock?

Apollo Moon Rocks are NASA and US government property which cannot be sold or exchanged to private citizens. Lunar meteorites are "Moon Rocks" just the same as the Apollo samples, except for one major detail : lunar meteorites were delivered to Earth by Mother Nature, and not astronauts who are government employees.

Man steals moon rocks for love

Is owning a moon rock illegal?

Possessing and selling moon rocks is illegal in most circumstances, as lunar material is the property of the U.S. government. A NASA agent arraigned a sting, agreeing to buy the items from Davis, which Davis had said she wanted to do legally.

Did someone steal moon rocks from NASA?

On July 13th 2002, 25-year-old NASA trainee, Thad Roberts and his accomplices broke into the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and stole a safe full of priceless moon rocks collected from the Apollo lunar missions over the years.

How much is a gram of moon dust worth?

NASA astronauts brought 842 pounds (382 kilograms) of lunar material home to Earth between 1969 and 1972, souvenirs from their Apollo moonwalking jaunts. A court has valued this stuff at $1.44 million per ounce ($50,800 per gram), based on how much those NASA missions cost.

Where does NASA keep the Moon rocks?

To study and preserve these priceless rocks, NASA created the Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility at NASA Johnson Space Center. The lunar vault in Starship Gallery at Space Center Houston is a certified clean room.

How much is a moon rock from the Moon?

The samples were recovered, and NASA estimated their value during the ensuing court case at about $1 million for 10 oz (280 g) of material. Naturally transported Moon rocks in the form of lunar meteorites are sold and traded among private collectors.

Who buys moon rocks?

NASA may be the only organization that's currently in the market for buying moon rocks from private companies, but the space agency allowed the companies to name their price. Lunar Outpost pledged to sell their sample for just $1, by far the smallest bid. Both iSpace companies plan to sell their samples for $5,000.

What is under moon dust?

Mineralogy and composition. Lunar soil is composed of various types of particles including rock fragments, mono-mineralic fragments, and various kinds of glasses including agglutinate particles, volcanic and impact spherules.

Did Thad Roberts go to jail?

— Thad Roberts, who was sentenced in 2003 to eight years in prison for his role in the theft of moon rocks from NASA, won a 10 month reduction in his sentence on Friday, reports Henry Pierson Curtis for the Orlando Sentinel.

How many moon rocks did Apollo 11 bring back?

Apollo 11 carried the first geologic samples from the Moon back to Earth. In all, astronauts collected 21.6 kilograms of material, including 50 rocks, samples of the fine-grained lunar regolith (or "soil"), and two core tubes that included material from up to 13 centimeters below the Moon's surface.

What happens if you touch a Moon rock?

Based on measurements of the lunar soil and NASA guidelines on skin contact with hot objects, you would probably be able to press a bare hand against the hottest lunar soil without feeling uncomfortably warm. But if your hand hit a rock, you might find yourself yanking it back in pain.

What did they do with the Moon rocks?

The Moon rocks were carefully wrapped and set into containers to prevent contamination, then sent away to a storage facility at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they reside today.

Can you buy the Moon?

Short answer: you can't. No one can. The relevant provision of the OST is Article II which states: “Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.”

Who bought moon dust?

Even this tiny amount of moon dust has caused a years-long battle. The dust belonged to Nancy Lee Carlson, a lawyer with an interest in geology, who bought it in a 2015 United States Marshals auction for $995. Carlson sent it to NASA to authenticate, but NASA seized the bag after they realized it was from Apollo 11.

Can I buy moon dirt?

You could try to buy the lunar dust collected by the Soviet space program, though there's reportedly less than a pound of it worldwide, and samples tend to sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction.

How much rock has been brought back from the Moon?

Between 1969 and 1972 six Apollo missions brought back 382 kilograms (842 pounds) of lunar rocks, core samples, pebbles, sand and dust from the lunar surface.

Why did Apollo 18 get Cancelled?

Finally NASA cancelled Apollo 18 and 19 on 2 September 1970 because of congressional cuts in FY 1971 NASA appropriations. There was also a feeling after the Apollo 13 emergency that NASA risked having its entire manned space program cancelled if a crew was lost on another Apollo mission.

How much does a piece of the Moon cost?

You can buy a piece of the moon for about $2.5 million - CNN.

Did they find gold on the Moon?

Digging a little deeper than the Moon's crust, scientists have discovered that the Moon does indeed have a number of precious metals such as gold and silver.

Who is Tiffany Fowler?

Tiffany Fowler, 22, identified by agents as Roberts' girlfriend, is a 2002 cum laude graduate at Texas Lutheran University with a Bachelor of Science degree. And Shae L. Saur, 19, is a student at Lamar University.

How long did Thad Roberts go to jail?

Thad pled guilty and served six years. He never again saw the woman he says he stole the moon rocks for. He says he doesn't know how he ever could have pulled the heist off ...