Topic of the week: buying/selling moon rocks - MyMoon
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TOPIC OF THE WEEK: BUYING/SELLING MOON ROCKS
In the summer of 2002, two NASA interns attempted a theft of over 100 grams of lunar samples from Johnson Space Center. The two were successful and stole the rocks, until they ran into complications with the sale of the rocks. The two had other accomplices in the theft as well. The rocks were stolen from a NASA researchers lab, by stealing a 600 pound safe, which they then busted open using tools. The thieves attempted to sell the rocks to a Beligian rock collector. However, this collector knew that there had to be something up with this sale, the collector then notified the FBI and an operation to recover the rocks was put in place. After many months of investigating and following the leads, the authorities caught up with the thieves, arrested them and recovered the rocks.
This is where another question comes into play. Should the government take some of the rocks, that are not being used for research, and sell them? Would this be a way to begin stimulating the economy and make room for other specimens that need to be stored away. What are your thoughts on this? Should the government begin auctioning off unneeded samples, or keep them stored away?
Friday Mar-15-2013
COMMUNITY BLOGGERS:
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MOON'S LUMPY GRAVITY EXPLAINED
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TITAN: WHERE METHANE FLOWS LIKE WATER!
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TOPIC OF THE WEEK: WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT THE MOON?
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ASTRONOMY DAY AND STARGAZING WITH THE MOON
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TOPIC OF THE WEEK: LIFE IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
The mission of the Kepler Project is to discover habitable planets orbiting other stars. However, many of these planets are light years away and unreachable by humans with our current technology. So ...
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Nick A.
Sunday Mar-17-2013
That's an awesome story. The 600 pound safe, hahaha.
Moon rock sales might actually become something of an industry---if they're worth enough, any Moon mission could pick up a few, send them back, and make a pretty good profit on the venture.
I think the government should sell some of them for money towards space grants---space auctions, if you will. One unused moon rock towards the acquisition of awesome new knowledge would totally be worth it!
William K.
Monday Mar-18-2013
I think that would be a great idea to sell some rocks and use that money for space grants. I also think that selling these rocks would help make the general population more interested in space and we would begin to make manned space flight missions from America again.
COMMUNITY COMMENTS:
Demarcus B.
Sunday Mar-17-2013
Very interesting story. I remember hearing that story when I was an intern. If we have an excess of lunar samples that we dont need I think its ok to auction them off. I think universities and large corporations should be put in a separate category from collectors. This is all assuming they are safe to handle.