Million Dollar Moon Rock Heist

Nearly 270 moon rocks scooped up by U.S. astronauts were given to foreign countries by the Nixon administration, but over the decades the whereabouts of many of them has become a mystery.

 

Today on Far Future Horizons  we present the inside story of the most audacious heist in NASA's history -- how an intern stole moon rocks from the Johnson Space Centre.

It was a headline-grabbing heist of NASA proportions. Each year, hundreds of students apply to NASA's prestigious Co-operative Education Program, but only a handful are accepted – allowing them to work alongside NASA's top scientists and go on to careers at NASA and elsewhere. In 2000, one "Co-op" showed an inordinate interest in the cache of moon rocks kept at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas, repeatedly visiting the lab to examine them. Then the moon rocks mysteriously disappeared. Moon Rock Heist follows the trail of international intrigue surrounding the recovery of the rocks and reveals how law enforcement finally tracked down the thieves.

National Geographic’s Million Dollar Moon Rock Heist is available on DVD from their online store.  

Also read "Sex on the Moon: The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History" by Ben Mezrich. 

National Geographic - Million Dollar Moon Rock Heist 

The Million Dollar Moon Rock Heist from JEREMY BRISTOW on Vimeo.

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