If you ever happen to see a keen seller on ebay or Craigslist offering authentic moon rocks or moon dust pulled back during the glory days of the Apollo moon landing missions, it’s probably best to view these sales with extreme skepticism, as not all NASA astromaterials are exactly available on the open market, and there are serious legal ramifications to this.
One of the most infamous and brazen cases of astromaterial theft took place in 2002, when three NASA interns, Thad Roberts, Tiffany Fowler and Shae Saur, stole 8 kilograms of moon rocks worth nearly $21 million from a safe at the Johnson Space Center. The heist used a combination of rigged cameras, wetsuits and official NASA badges to pull off the cloak. But selling Apollo treasures on the black market proved not so easy, and the masterminds eventually put them up for sale on the Mineralogy Club of Antwerp’s website. Tampa Division FBI agents acted as interested buyers who met at an Orlando-area hotel where the thieves were apprehended and the moon rocks recovered. Roberts, as the mastermind, received 8 years in prison while the others were given house arrest.
NASA’s Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility located in building 31N at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. It opened in 1979 to provide a non-polluting, permanent repository environment for NASA’s precious lunar sample collection.
Inside the secure enclosure are kept geologic astromaterials returned from the moon by six Apollo lunar exploration missions spanning the years between 1969 and 1972 with all related data. A total of 842 pounds (382 kilograms) of lunar rocks, core samples, pebbles, sand and dust returned to Earth. The Apollo 17 mission alone returned a whopping 243 pounds (110.4 kg) of lunar regolith and rock samples.
People who work at Lunar Sample Laboratory are extremely careful about what they can say and not say on this subject. Try as we might, we were unable to obtain any direct comment that sets forth the laws regarding these types of transactions. NASA and the Johnson Space Center have accurate records of every lunar probe and have meticulously cataloged everything aboard an Apollo capsule that ever splashed into Earth’s oceans. Pristine lunar samples are stored and handled in stainless steel glove boxes, separated by triple layers of gloves, and purged with high-purity nitrogen gas to reduce sample degradation.
So to answer the basic question of buying and selling Apollo materials returned from the moon, the obvious answer is that no, it is absolutely not legal under any circumstances under strict legal regulations. It is a serious federal crime that carries with it jail time and expensive fines. Apollo moon rocks are the property of NASA and the US government and cannot be sold or traded to any private citizen, not even the astronauts themselves. Lunar meteorites do not apply since they have fallen to Earth naturally and were not transported by government-employed astronauts.
Here are the three federal statutes that apply to Apollo trade in astromaterials:
- 18 USC § 641 – Theft of Government Property Moon rocks collected by intrepid astronauts are federal property owned by NASA. This act makes it a crime to steal, convert, or embezzle any U.S. government-owned property.
- 18 USC § 668 – Theft of cultural heritage or major works of art Although considered scientific in nature, lunar samples can be labeled as objects of historical and cultural significance. This specific law prohibits theft from any museum or government institution and also prohibits the possession or sale of these stolen heritage items.
- 18 USC § 2314 & § 2315 – Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property If the stolen items worth more than $5,000 (such as moon rocks/moon dust) move across state lines, additional federal charges for trafficking in stolen property are incurred.
Although NASA guards these priceless objects under the strictest security measures, it remains the agency’s policy to provide public access to lunar samples from the Apollo program by providing loans to approved individuals or groups in the United States and other countries.
To be eligible for the mock exam, teachers and researchers at universities or research centers must complete NASA’s Lunar and Meteorite Certification Workshop at the Johnson Space Center. Candidates must be officially certified to borrow any Lunar and Meteorite sample discs encased in Lucite plastic, and retain a copy of their certification form legally signed by a NASA-authorized sample certification body. These certified teachers or museum curators must also follow strict protocols for handling, protection, contamination, and specific return packaging and mailing requirements outlined by NASA’s Curator website.
NASA’s ARES (Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division) conducts physical science research at the Johnson Space Center and is the curator of all NASA-held extraterrestrial samples. These free, 5- to 7-hour workshops include hands-on sessions and detailed safety training regarding the proper handling of the sample discs. Researchers are allowed to open and handle display samples in air if their experiments require it. Remaining sample material must be sent back to NASA, where it is reclassified as “returned” and stored separately from pristine samples.
“The material is still actively used,” NASA’s digital restoration expert and “Apollo remastered” author Andy Saunders told Space.com. “In 2022, an Apollo 17 nuclear test, which had remained sealed for 50 years, was opened for the very first time at JSC. So great – we are still learning from the Apollo missions. JSC also stores all the original Apollo film, in the freezer in Building 8. Mercury and Gemini were moved back to the National Archives, Maryland 97.”
While everyone would love to own a small token of lunar astromaterial, the US government decrees were put in place to stop any black market activity for genuine samples that could escape government possession.
Simple rule: If it was brought back by a NASA Apollo mission, don’t even think about it. That little illegal moon rock or grain of dust might send you straight to jail!
