[meteorite-list] ....a question about apollo material

[E. L. Jones]

Steve Arnold, Chicago!!! wrote:

> ...I have a question regarding OWNING apollo material.Why can we not 
> own any of this material?

The reason is is is against federal law for private ownership of Apollo 
samples. There seems to be some loopholes for "dust" which for a time 
was confiscated by NASA even from the guy who had the dry cleaning 
contract for the EVA suits.  However:  " several hundred sticky-tape 
swaths of lunar dust, retrieved by space workers from Apollo spacesuits 
and from the bottoms of returned sample boxes, are also believed to be 
in private hands.  Congress for one time almost acted pro-actively in 
passing a law to protect the US Tax payer's investment in the Apollo 
Program.  Nixon authorized the "placing" of samples with every 
government on Earth.  As you recall or not the Honduran sample caught up 
in a law suit and criminal charges when an ex official sold it to a dealer.

"In recent years, NASA had stepped in to confiscate such material when 
it appeared on the open market. But the courts have decided that NASA 
ownership of the dust is uncertain, and no prosecutions have succeeded. 
Several such sample packs have already been auctioned without incident, 
bringing prices in the six figures."

> If any of us were lucky enuff to own even a speck,what would this be 
> worth?It is a question that has been eating me ever since tucson.I 
> would like any kind of answer.Thanks again!

A few Google quotes:

"A few grams(sic) of moon dust reportedly were sold for $42,000 at an 
auction in the US in 1993. Later a carat of moon rock returned by an 
unmanned Soviet lunar mission in the 1970s sold for $442,000. An auction 
of Space Memorabilia at Christies on Sept. 18, 1999 included a nametag 
from Jim Irwin's spacesuit that he wore on the Moon during Apollo 15. 
The tag was impregnated with a small amount of moondust. It was bought 
for $310,500."

Spaceflori has some Apollo lunar dust for sale  See the clip from their 
website below.<http://spaceflori.com/conditions.php>

> Also what would it even look like?I have never even seen any.

Much like the saw cuttings from any of several lunar meteorites-- light 
gray. Most major museums have Lunar Samples on display.  I believe the 
Field Museum in Chicago  has them-- in addition to a fine meteorite 
collection.  If one is in the field of education and completes the 
Artifact Handling Course, NASA may loan some samples for  a short period 
of time.  I believe we have some list members who are certified.

*Moondust sales legality( from Spaceflori.com)*

The NASA attitude and position regarding the ownership of trace samples 
of lunar dust is historically that they have raised no objections with 
the proviso that they were obtained as residual material from artifacts 
that have been de-acquisitioned by legitimate means.

There are several precedents of the trading of lunar material trace 
samples that confirm the validity of that position.
# The trace lunar dust on Alan Beans lunar EVA spacesuit lunar patches 
contained within his paintings
# Various samples of lunar dust sold at the Superior Space Auction 
during the last years
# Lunar dust residue on several artifacts sold by Apollo astronauts
# Lunar dust residue on Apollo 15 patch sold at Christies Auction

The lunar dust samples offered by us were obtained in a manner 
commensurate with the NASA position, see the Certificate of Authenticity 
image for further information. We therefore conclude that the sale and 
subsequent ownership of these samples does not compromise the existing 
NASA position on the matter. However, given the apparent sensitivity 
regarding ownership of such samples it is prudent that Spaceflori.com 
states that these samples are sold under German national law without the 
UN trading terms, and if as a prospective purchaser you have any doubts 
regarding the legality of ownership of these samples within your country 
then please check first with your own national laws.

Elton