Is owning moon rocks illegal?

Although NASA’s lunar missions returned more than 842 pounds of moon rock to Earth, it is illegal for private citizens to own any of it (lunar meteorites, however, are perfectly legal). Instead, lunar samples were used as goodwill gifts to 135 countries and each of the 50 states.

Can you sell a moon rock?

The authenticity of the material is usually verified by comparing its composition to lunar samples collected from the U.S. or Soviet moon missions. These meteorites are perfectly legal to collect and sell on the open market and often command extremely high prices at auction.

How much is a Moonrock worth?

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.

Where can I touch moon rock?

the National Air and Space Museum
Visitors can touch a rock from the Moon in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Who buys Moon Rocks?

NASA
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.

How many moon rocks does NASA have?

The Apollo 17 mission collected the most tonnage of lunar rocks of any mission to land on the Moon. Cernan and Schmitt returned with 110.4 kilograms (243.4 pounds) of lunar samples. There are only eight lunar rocks available to touch by the general public in the world.

Is it legal to own a Moon rock?

Although NASA’s lunar missions returned more than 842 pounds of moon rock to Earth, it is illegal for private citizens to own any of it (lunar meteorites, however, are perfectly legal). Instead, lunar samples were used as goodwill gifts to 135 countries and each of the 50 states.

Who owns the rocks brought back from the Moon?

No individuals own rocks brought back from the moon landings. The US and USSR (now Russia) consider those rocks to be National Treasures and continue to assert their ownership thereof. In total, a dozen moonwalking astronauts returned 2,415 samples weighing a total of 842 pounds (382 kilograms).

Is there a black market for Moon rocks?

In 1998, customs agents seized a fingernail-sized moon rock, originally gifted to Honduras by Richard Nixon, after a Florida man attempted to sell the rock to undercover officers for $5 million. The black market for moon rocks isn’t the only oddity swirling around NASA’s closely-held moon material.

How much is a piece of the Moon Worth?

Providing further evidence that anything can be bought, moon rock pebbles have sold at auction for $855,000—the only fragments collected from the surface of the moon to have been legally purchased. CollectSpace reports a Nov. 29 Sotheby’s auction of space exploration items netted more than $2.5 million in sales.