Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks
Saur, the younger woman who wanted a piece of the action and acted as the lookout during the operation, and kept the stolen goods in her storage locker while these dreamers went about emailing the hot goods for sales? Ans: She became president of the Society of Women Engineers as she worked on her engineering degree at the University of Texas in San Antonio. I can't help think of the reforms she must have made to deserve this, not to mention that here again is an example of a woman that is a leader, not an automaton programmed by ol' Roberts, acting of all things - as a role model to women engineers. And what of Axe l? Ans: He was a list contributor a while back. But it seems he never received a thank you token Moon Rock from NASA as others including myself thought would be most appropriate. I´ll stop there, because the rest of the actors will most likely receive a bit of unneeded notoriety when the movie comes out... Best wishes, Doug -Original Message- From: Walter Branch waltbra...@birch.net To: Galactic Stone Ironworks meteoritem...@gmail.com Cc: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Sent: Sat, 9 May 2009 2:35 pm Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks Hello Mike, You really should consider switching to decafe ;-) -Walter Branch - - Original Message - From: Galactic Stone Ironworks meteoritem...@gmail.com To: Martin Altmann altm...@meteorite-martin.de Cc: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Sent: Saturday, May 09, 2009 10:40 AM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks Hi Martin, I did finally click on some of the embedded links in the story and saw the FBI followup article. The ring leader was sentenced to 8 years in prison - which here in America means he probably served about 2-3 years and then walked. (non-violent crime, ivy league white defendant with previously clean record, good behavior and early rel ease) IMO, that sentence should have been 10 years served to deter any future idiocy of that nature. It made me sick to my stomach to imagine the loss of data and study potential these specimens suffered at the hands of these criminals. As a collector it rankles me, I cannot imagine how the scientists studying the samples must have felt. Perhaps a more fitting sentence for the thieves would be stoning by ordinary chondrites. Tie up the thieves to poles out in the open (third world style) and pelt them mercilessly with weathered-up UNWA from the Tucson bargain bin. ;) So, is there any list of missing lunar samples? How many pilfered moon rocks are floating around the collector's market, or sitting in someone's safe? Best regards, MikeG On 5/9/09, Martin Altmann altm...@meteorite-martin.de wrote: Yes, a safe was lifted there, as well as the part of the Good-Will Moon Rock, presented to Honduras was stolen and was tried to be trafficked in USA. Currently the Apollo-sample of Malta is missing. Once I saw a strange documentation (was it on BBC or on discovery?), where it was stated, that most of the Apollo-samples once distributed to the nations of the World would have been lost and are missing. Is that true? (was a strange documentati on, a man with a big belly and a full beard driving an old car was shown as to be the special agent of NASA, searching for the missing Moon rocks...). Let's open a new thread: Identify the Moon Rock given to your country! I start. Germany should have 3 Moon Rocks. Two are given on permanent loan - one to the Technische Museum Berlin, the other is housed in the exhibition of the Ries-Crater-Museum in Noerdlingen (the astronauts got their a geological training in the Ries-Crater by Eugene Shoemaker). The Good-Will-piece donated to the Federal Rep. of Germany (don't know whether the former German Democratic Rep. got one too?), must be somewhere in the Deutsche Museum in Munich. Wasn't a longer time there, have to go there again, so I don't know, whether it's currently on display or somewhere in the storage (museums in Germany are sometimes somewhat strange in estimating, if an item could be attractive for the visitors or not...). Best! Martin -Ursprüngliche Nachricht- Von: Galactic Stone Ironworks [mailto:meteoritem...@gmail.com] Gesendet: Samstag, 9. Mai 2009 16:11 An: Martin Altmann Cc: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks I s the story true? I read it and it sounds like pop-culture fiction. I've never heard anything about this elsewhere. If it's true, the thieves should be treated like Moon Rocks - sterilized and then locked up forever. On 5/9/09, Martin Altmann altm...@meteorite-martin.de wrote: Was that article an exercise in style? At least...due to the efforts of a few enthusiasts on the globe, everyone can have now his piece
Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks
Thieves.I hate them! From: cyna...@charter.net To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 23:30:00 -0500 Subject: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks http://gizmodo.com/5242736/how-an-intern-stole-nasas-moon-rocks How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks By Carmel Hagen, 4:00 PM on Wed May 6 2009 In 2002, rogue NASA interns stole millions of dollars in moon rocks. This is the untold story of how they did it. Building 31 North's white halls are empty, because it is the middle of the night. NASA interns Thad Roberts and Tiffany duck inside a bathroom, and tear off their clothing. Then they change into the contents of their duffel bags—2mm thick neoprene bodysuits. Like in a bad movie, the suits will help Thad and Tiffany avoid heat sensors armed to feel out threatening climate changes inside a vault. The adrenaline, their attraction, the smell of rubber suits and the fear of failure is almost overwhelming. After pulling on the thermally shielded gear, Tiffany and Thad step back into the corridor, moving toward the turnstile lock that guards their target: NASA's prized stash of moon rocks. Building 31 North, which sits on the grounds of Houston's Johnson Space Center, is where NASA keeps all 600 pounds of the moon rocks it has secured. They are the sole property of the government, collected over six lunar missions and protected with the dramatic intensity of national treasures. Building 31 North is one of the few buildings on earth constructed under Class 100 standards—it is a structure that can withstand 1000 years of water submersion, among other durability metrics that should not be tested this side of Armageddon. Breaking into it is designed to be impossible for normal people. But not harder than building a shuttle, or figuring out how to put a rover on Mars. The agency hires people with the ability to find solutions for intimidatingly large problems exactly like this one. In this regard, Roberts was your typical NASA intern. The 25-year-old was pursuing multiple degrees in Physics, Geology and Anthropology. But while Thad was school smart, he also has an almost unquencheable adrenaline-seeking side, and was consumed with a strange Excel spreadsheet of personal goals that read like he was trying to prove himself to Evel Knievel and a rocket scientist at the same time: Experience zero gravity, check; experience severe dehydration, check; find dinosaur tracks, no problem. The list was long, and as he checked off one after another, maybe Thad's ego began to believe anything was possible. But Thad wasn't in this alone. He was on his way to a divorce fueled by an affair he was having with fellow intern Tiffany Fowler. Tiffany was equally dynamic—a firecracker and former cheerleader who spoke French in bed and conducted stem cell research on NASA's behalf. Thad wanted her, so when Tiffany begged to hear his idea to liberate the moon rocks, he told her. And when she wanted to follow through with the plan, the romantic and exciting thing was to start hatching a plan as if it were yet another science problem at work. One that would could make them very rich, or ruin their lives. Soon one more curious co-op, the 19-year-old Shae Saur, had joined in on the heist. After months of preparation, they found themselves embarking on their unauthorized mission, driving for Building 31 North after dark with intel on every security device—and plans to get around them. When it comes to Thad's story, it is worth noting several things. I was not allowed to quote him directly from my interviews, and the others involved in the crime declined to verify his facts. This is his story as he told it to me. And in the time since, he's written a novel about the heist, which was based on truth, but it's embellished. So, take the tale for what it's worth. The Space Center had been under 24-hour supervision since the 9/11 attacks, but the guards planted at each entryway are not in the habit of stopping NASA's carefully selected interns—who are always working—from entering after hours. The guard said, You get a new car? Thad replied, No, sir. Borrowed it to help a friend move. So with a wave of a hand, Shae, Tiffany and Thad were granted access. Thad guided the Jeep Cherokee on the short journey past Rocket Park—an open sky cemetery of former rockets and spacecraft—then parked near the entryway of Building 31. Once they were in range, the three set about linking and looping the cameras inside Building 31, a system that they had previously taped between shifts of employees responsible for watching the cameras. It is unknown how Thad and company received the intel required to do such a thing, even if the idea itself is straight out of a heist flick. But Shae stayed in the car to monitor the rewired cameras, to warn Tiffany and Thad
Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks
Was that article an exercise in style? At least...due to the efforts of a few enthusiasts on the globe, everyone can have now his piece of Moon Rock at a price of a paperback :-) Martin -Ursprüngliche Nachricht- Von: meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com [mailto:meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Pete Pete Gesendet: Samstag, 9. Mai 2009 12:58 An: cyna...@charter.net; meteoritelist meteoritelist Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks Thieves.I hate them! From: cyna...@charter.net To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 23:30:00 -0500 Subject: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks http://gizmodo.com/5242736/how-an-intern-stole-nasas-moon-rocks __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks
Is the story true? I read it and it sounds like pop-culture fiction. I've never heard anything about this elsewhere. If it's true, the thieves should be treated like Moon Rocks - sterilized and then locked up forever. On 5/9/09, Martin Altmann altm...@meteorite-martin.de wrote: Was that article an exercise in style? At least...due to the efforts of a few enthusiasts on the globe, everyone can have now his piece of Moon Rock at a price of a paperback :-) Martin -Ursprüngliche Nachricht- Von: meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com [mailto:meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Pete Pete Gesendet: Samstag, 9. Mai 2009 12:58 An: cyna...@charter.net; meteoritelist meteoritelist Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks Thieves.I hate them! From: cyna...@charter.net To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 23:30:00 -0500 Subject: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks http://gizmodo.com/5242736/how-an-intern-stole-nasas-moon-rocks __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list -- . Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA) Member of the Meteoritical Society. Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network. Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and http://www.glassthrower.com .. __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks
On Sat, 9 May 2009 09:11:22 -0500, you wrote: Is the story true? I read it and it sounds like pop-culture fiction. I've never heard anything about this elsewhere. http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=%22Thad+Roberts%22+moonas_user_ldate=2000/01as_user_hdate=2009/12scoring=thl=enned=usnav_num=38 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks
Yes, a safe was lifted there, as well as the part of the Good-Will Moon Rock, presented to Honduras was stolen and was tried to be trafficked in USA. Currently the Apollo-sample of Malta is missing. Once I saw a strange documentation (was it on BBC or on discovery?), where it was stated, that most of the Apollo-samples once distributed to the nations of the World would have been lost and are missing. Is that true? (was a strange documentation, a man with a big belly and a full beard driving an old car was shown as to be the special agent of NASA, searching for the missing Moon rocks...). Let's open a new thread: Identify the Moon Rock given to your country! I start. Germany should have 3 Moon Rocks. Two are given on permanent loan - one to the Technische Museum Berlin, the other is housed in the exhibition of the Ries-Crater-Museum in Noerdlingen (the astronauts got their a geological training in the Ries-Crater by Eugene Shoemaker). The Good-Will-piece donated to the Federal Rep. of Germany (don't know whether the former German Democratic Rep. got one too?), must be somewhere in the Deutsche Museum in Munich. Wasn't a longer time there, have to go there again, so I don't know, whether it's currently on display or somewhere in the storage (museums in Germany are sometimes somewhat strange in estimating, if an item could be attractive for the visitors or not...). Best! Martin -Ursprüngliche Nachricht- Von: Galactic Stone Ironworks [mailto:meteoritem...@gmail.com] Gesendet: Samstag, 9. Mai 2009 16:11 An: Martin Altmann Cc: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks Is the story true? I read it and it sounds like pop-culture fiction. I've never heard anything about this elsewhere. If it's true, the thieves should be treated like Moon Rocks - sterilized and then locked up forever. On 5/9/09, Martin Altmann altm...@meteorite-martin.de wrote: Was that article an exercise in style? At least...due to the efforts of a few enthusiasts on the globe, everyone can have now his piece of Moon Rock at a price of a paperback :-) Martin -Ursprüngliche Nachricht- Von: meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com [mailto:meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Pete Pete Gesendet: Samstag, 9. Mai 2009 12:58 An: cyna...@charter.net; meteoritelist meteoritelist Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks Thieves.I hate them! From: cyna...@charter.net To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 23:30:00 -0500 Subject: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks http://gizmodo.com/5242736/how-an-intern-stole-nasas-moon-rocks __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list -- . Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA) Member of the Meteoritical Society. Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network. Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and http://www.glassthrower.com .. __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks
Hi Martin, I did finally click on some of the embedded links in the story and saw the FBI followup article. The ring leader was sentenced to 8 years in prison - which here in America means he probably served about 2-3 years and then walked. (non-violent crime, ivy league white defendant with previously clean record, good behavior and early release) IMO, that sentence should have been 10 years served to deter any future idiocy of that nature. It made me sick to my stomach to imagine the loss of data and study potential these specimens suffered at the hands of these criminals. As a collector it rankles me, I cannot imagine how the scientists studying the samples must have felt. Perhaps a more fitting sentence for the thieves would be stoning by ordinary chondrites. Tie up the thieves to poles out in the open (third world style) and pelt them mercilessly with weathered-up UNWA from the Tucson bargain bin. ;) So, is there any list of missing lunar samples? How many pilfered moon rocks are floating around the collector's market, or sitting in someone's safe? Best regards, MikeG On 5/9/09, Martin Altmann altm...@meteorite-martin.de wrote: Yes, a safe was lifted there, as well as the part of the Good-Will Moon Rock, presented to Honduras was stolen and was tried to be trafficked in USA. Currently the Apollo-sample of Malta is missing. Once I saw a strange documentation (was it on BBC or on discovery?), where it was stated, that most of the Apollo-samples once distributed to the nations of the World would have been lost and are missing. Is that true? (was a strange documentation, a man with a big belly and a full beard driving an old car was shown as to be the special agent of NASA, searching for the missing Moon rocks...). Let's open a new thread: Identify the Moon Rock given to your country! I start. Germany should have 3 Moon Rocks. Two are given on permanent loan - one to the Technische Museum Berlin, the other is housed in the exhibition of the Ries-Crater-Museum in Noerdlingen (the astronauts got their a geological training in the Ries-Crater by Eugene Shoemaker). The Good-Will-piece donated to the Federal Rep. of Germany (don't know whether the former German Democratic Rep. got one too?), must be somewhere in the Deutsche Museum in Munich. Wasn't a longer time there, have to go there again, so I don't know, whether it's currently on display or somewhere in the storage (museums in Germany are sometimes somewhat strange in estimating, if an item could be attractive for the visitors or not...). Best! Martin -Ursprüngliche Nachricht- Von: Galactic Stone Ironworks [mailto:meteoritem...@gmail.com] Gesendet: Samstag, 9. Mai 2009 16:11 An: Martin Altmann Cc: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks Is the story true? I read it and it sounds like pop-culture fiction. I've never heard anything about this elsewhere. If it's true, the thieves should be treated like Moon Rocks - sterilized and then locked up forever. On 5/9/09, Martin Altmann altm...@meteorite-martin.de wrote: Was that article an exercise in style? At least...due to the efforts of a few enthusiasts on the globe, everyone can have now his piece of Moon Rock at a price of a paperback :-) Martin -Ursprüngliche Nachricht- Von: meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com [mailto:meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Pete Pete Gesendet: Samstag, 9. Mai 2009 12:58 An: cyna...@charter.net; meteoritelist meteoritelist Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks Thieves.I hate them! From: cyna...@charter.net To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 23:30:00 -0500 Subject: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks http://gizmodo.com/5242736/how-an-intern-stole-nasas-moon-rocks __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list -- . Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA) Member of the Meteoritical Society. Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network. Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and http://www.glassthrower.com .. __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list -- . Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA) Member of the Meteoritical Society. Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network. Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and http://www.glassthrower.com
[meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks
A more recent theft of Apollo moon rock--2 educational disks stolen from a car in Virginia Beach. http://hamptonroads.com/node/48651 http://www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum23/HTML/001816.html I not sure if these have been recovered. Best, Whitney __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks
Hello Mike, You really should consider switching to decafe ;-) -Walter Branch - - Original Message - From: Galactic Stone Ironworks meteoritem...@gmail.com To: Martin Altmann altm...@meteorite-martin.de Cc: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Sent: Saturday, May 09, 2009 10:40 AM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks Hi Martin, I did finally click on some of the embedded links in the story and saw the FBI followup article. The ring leader was sentenced to 8 years in prison - which here in America means he probably served about 2-3 years and then walked. (non-violent crime, ivy league white defendant with previously clean record, good behavior and early release) IMO, that sentence should have been 10 years served to deter any future idiocy of that nature. It made me sick to my stomach to imagine the loss of data and study potential these specimens suffered at the hands of these criminals. As a collector it rankles me, I cannot imagine how the scientists studying the samples must have felt. Perhaps a more fitting sentence for the thieves would be stoning by ordinary chondrites. Tie up the thieves to poles out in the open (third world style) and pelt them mercilessly with weathered-up UNWA from the Tucson bargain bin. ;) So, is there any list of missing lunar samples? How many pilfered moon rocks are floating around the collector's market, or sitting in someone's safe? Best regards, MikeG On 5/9/09, Martin Altmann altm...@meteorite-martin.de wrote: Yes, a safe was lifted there, as well as the part of the Good-Will Moon Rock, presented to Honduras was stolen and was tried to be trafficked in USA. Currently the Apollo-sample of Malta is missing. Once I saw a strange documentation (was it on BBC or on discovery?), where it was stated, that most of the Apollo-samples once distributed to the nations of the World would have been lost and are missing. Is that true? (was a strange documentation, a man with a big belly and a full beard driving an old car was shown as to be the special agent of NASA, searching for the missing Moon rocks...). Let's open a new thread: Identify the Moon Rock given to your country! I start. Germany should have 3 Moon Rocks. Two are given on permanent loan - one to the Technische Museum Berlin, the other is housed in the exhibition of the Ries-Crater-Museum in Noerdlingen (the astronauts got their a geological training in the Ries-Crater by Eugene Shoemaker). The Good-Will-piece donated to the Federal Rep. of Germany (don't know whether the former German Democratic Rep. got one too?), must be somewhere in the Deutsche Museum in Munich. Wasn't a longer time there, have to go there again, so I don't know, whether it's currently on display or somewhere in the storage (museums in Germany are sometimes somewhat strange in estimating, if an item could be attractive for the visitors or not...). Best! Martin -Ursprüngliche Nachricht- Von: Galactic Stone Ironworks [mailto:meteoritem...@gmail.com] Gesendet: Samstag, 9. Mai 2009 16:11 An: Martin Altmann Cc: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks Is the story true? I read it and it sounds like pop-culture fiction. I've never heard anything about this elsewhere. If it's true, the thieves should be treated like Moon Rocks - sterilized and then locked up forever. On 5/9/09, Martin Altmann altm...@meteorite-martin.de wrote: Was that article an exercise in style? At least...due to the efforts of a few enthusiasts on the globe, everyone can have now his piece of Moon Rock at a price of a paperback :-) Martin -Ursprüngliche Nachricht- Von: meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com [mailto:meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Pete Pete Gesendet: Samstag, 9. Mai 2009 12:58 An: cyna...@charter.net; meteoritelist meteoritelist Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks Thieves.I hate them! From: cyna...@charter.net To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 23:30:00 -0500 Subject: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks http://gizmodo.com/5242736/how-an-intern-stole-nasas-moon-rocks __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list -- . Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA) Member of the Meteoritical Society. Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network. Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and http://www.glassthrower.com .. __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks
Meteoric moon rocks yes. They are cheap compared to the ones that were obtained by the Apollo missions. The only source that I know that offers real Apollo moon dust (that is all that one can legally own) is Florian Noller at Spaceflori, a dealer of Apollo and space era artifacts. I recently obtained (won) an Apollo 11 Moon Dust presentation, for an amazingly low price as few believed it was real. The last one of these is listed at Spaceflori for $1,895.00,Only a few hundred were made. And they are steadily increasing in value. Just a few grains of moon dust from the Sea of Tranquility obtained when Armstrong dropped the camera magazine, virtually in the same spot where he took his first step on the moon. Tiny specks of dust, a few strands of beta fibers from his spacesuit glove... in a tiny triangular swatch of tape that Mr. Slezak removed from that magazine as he was delegated to develop the first images from the moon. What is such worth? Certainly more than a meteorite lunar chip. The history of it is what makes it valuable. What it cost our nation to obtain, and the supreme risks that the astronauts had to endure to go to the moon for the first time. That, no matter how much moon rock that we later gather, will not compare to the first step on the moon, and the Apollo missions that follow, and the rocks that they brought home. Historical significance will forever make those rocks and dust valuable, and a true national treasure. Steve Schoner IMCA 4470 Message: 2 Date: Sat, 9 May 2009 15:25:05 +0200 From: Martin Altmann altm...@meteorite-martin.de Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Message-ID: 01c9d0a9$9165ad20$177f2...@name86d88d87e2 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Was that article an exercise in style? At least...due to the efforts of a few enthusiasts on the globe, everyone can have now his piece of Moon Rock at a price of a paperback :-) Martin Click here for to find products that will help grow your small business. http://thirdpartyoffers.mybluelight.com/TGL2341/fc/BLSrjpdjQi9iDzDaeo9roLpGNO91LfkSQiznsWph5pa0p9zvpXielxSvhwU/ __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks
admission of being out of his league, but hopelessly obsessed, in trying to impress to assist in getting intimate with former Texas cheerleader, Ms. Fowler, the whole time pic: http://www.baylor.edu/content/imglib/19876.jpg . So much that it had destroyed his marriage with his wife Kaydee at the same time this whole thing was planned (Kaydee herself a woman with a superb and strong mind). So Roberts was clearly messed up as a boy in a broken marriage trying to impress his new exciting woman he thought he couldn't have. He went to the extreme to get her attention... Now, 8 years later the first thing he does when he is released, this diabolical guy does - is go after her again to beg to resume an 8-year old intimate relationship. Well, I'm sure jail war ped his mind, but it doesn't meet the smell test for manipulative and mastermind that he was labeled with - more evidence of a nerd who just never understood the real world; that this was third-world justice of the most arbitrary kind, and this guy was just wetting his diapers like the rest of them while dreaming he was Mr. Crown of the Thomas Crown Affair pursuing Rene Z. This story is nothing new, just a variant of the 2004 article posted to the list from the LA Times. Except, I hadn't notice the comment that Mr. Roberts and Ms. Fowler laid out all the stolen rocks on a bed in a hotel room and had intimate relations among the stolen moon rocks and meteorites, shortly after their heist. Well, when comments like this start getting cycled, you can bet that a potential movie deal is not far off. That is the only all-American part I see in this whole scandal. One of the oddest things to me was the claim that there were 6 notebooks containing a researcher's original notes packed in the safe with the rocks. Apparently this claim was never proven despite the FBI's forensic resources. Considering all of the interns turned against each other looking for clemency, I find it surprising, that this was categorically denied, if in fact, they had been there. What is even more amusing is that a scientist would store his notebooks in the relatively small safe with all of these specimens. Of course it is possible, but it just seems awfully strange that handwritten unbackedup notes of 33 years of one leading researcher would be commingled with Lunar material under any conditions, rather than store them with his own things. In any case again, at first reading and makes you think twice, considering this was the most experienced lab in the world... In the end, what happened with Fowler, who was an equal during the theft? Ans: She is a graduate student now at Texas AM College Station in Wayne Versaw's group being financed by the US government under an NSF grant. That's taxpayer supported. I am sure she is a bright woman, and life hasn't been easy, so if you root for the underdog, I guess it is almost admirable what she's managed to do... And What of Shae Saur, the younger woman who wanted a piece of the action and acted as the lookout during the operation, and kept the stolen goods in her storage locker while these dreamers went about emailing the hot goods for sales? Ans: She became president of the Society of Women Engineers as she worked on her engineering degree at the University of Texas in San Antonio. I can't help think of the reforms she must have made to deserve this, not to mention that here again is an example of a woman that is a leader, not an automaton programmed by ol' Roberts, acting of all things - as a role model to women engineers. And what of Axe l? Ans: He was a list contributor a while back. But it seems he never received a thank you token Moon Rock from NASA as others including myself thought would be most appropriate. I´ll stop there, because the rest of the actors will most likely receive a bit of unneeded notoriety when the movie comes out... Best wishes, Doug -Original Message- From: Walter Branch waltbra...@birch.net To: Galactic Stone Ironworks meteoritem...@gmail.com Cc: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Sent: Sat, 9 May 2009 2:35 pm Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks Hello Mike, You really should consider switching to decafe ;-) -Walter Branch - - Original Message - From: Galactic Stone Ironworks meteoritem...@gmail.com To: Martin Altmann altm...@meteorite-martin.de Cc: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Sent: Saturday, May 09, 2009 10:40 AM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks Hi Martin, I did finally click on some of the embedded links in the story and saw the FBI followup article. The ring leader was sentenced to 8 years in prison - which here in America means he probably served about 2-3 years and then walked. (non-violent crime, ivy league white defendant with previously clean record, good behavior and early
[meteorite-list] How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks
http://gizmodo.com/5242736/how-an-intern-stole-nasas-moon-rocks How an Intern Stole NASA's Moon Rocks By Carmel Hagen, 4:00 PM on Wed May 6 2009 In 2002, rogue NASA interns stole millions of dollars in moon rocks. This is the untold story of how they did it. Building 31 North's white halls are empty, because it is the middle of the night. NASA interns Thad Roberts and Tiffany duck inside a bathroom, and tear off their clothing. Then they change into the contents of their duffel bags2mm thick neoprene bodysuits. Like in a bad movie, the suits will help Thad and Tiffany avoid heat sensors armed to feel out threatening climate changes inside a vault. The adrenaline, their attraction, the smell of rubber suits and the fear of failure is almost overwhelming. After pulling on the thermally shielded gear, Tiffany and Thad step back into the corridor, moving toward the turnstile lock that guards their target: NASA's prized stash of moon rocks. Building 31 North, which sits on the grounds of Houston's Johnson Space Center, is where NASA keeps all 600 pounds of the moon rocks it has secured. They are the sole property of the government, collected over six lunar missions and protected with the dramatic intensity of national treasures. Building 31 North is one of the few buildings on earth constructed under Class 100 standardsit is a structure that can withstand 1000 years of water submersion, among other durability metrics that should not be tested this side of Armageddon. Breaking into it is designed to be impossible for normal people. But not harder than building a shuttle, or figuring out how to put a rover on Mars. The agency hires people with the ability to find solutions for intimidatingly large problems exactly like this one. In this regard, Roberts was your typical NASA intern. The 25-year-old was pursuing multiple degrees in Physics, Geology and Anthropology. But while Thad was school smart, he also has an almost unquencheable adrenaline-seeking side, and was consumed with a strange Excel spreadsheet of personal goals that read like he was trying to prove himself to Evel Knievel and a rocket scientist at the same time: Experience zero gravity, check; experience severe dehydration, check; find dinosaur tracks, no problem. The list was long, and as he checked off one after another, maybe Thad's ego began to believe anything was possible. But Thad wasn't in this alone. He was on his way to a divorce fueled by an affair he was having with fellow intern Tiffany Fowler. Tiffany was equally dynamica firecracker and former cheerleader who spoke French in bed and conducted stem cell research on NASA's behalf. Thad wanted her, so when Tiffany begged to hear his idea to liberate the moon rocks, he told her. And when she wanted to follow through with the plan, the romantic and exciting thing was to start hatching a plan as if it were yet another science problem at work. One that would could make them very rich, or ruin their lives. Soon one more curious co-op, the 19-year-old Shae Saur, had joined in on the heist. After months of preparation, they found themselves embarking on their unauthorized mission, driving for Building 31 North after dark with intel on every security deviceand plans to get around them. When it comes to Thad's story, it is worth noting several things. I was not allowed to quote him directly from my interviews, and the others involved in the crime declined to verify his facts. This is his story as he told it to me. And in the time since, he's written a novel about the heist, which was based on truth, but it's embellished. So, take the tale for what it's worth. The Space Center had been under 24-hour supervision since the 9/11 attacks, but the guards planted at each entryway are not in the habit of stopping NASA's carefully selected internswho are always workingfrom entering after hours. The guard said, You get a new car? Thad replied, No, sir. Borrowed it to help a friend move. So with a wave of a hand, Shae, Tiffany and Thad were granted access. Thad guided the Jeep Cherokee on the short journey past Rocket Parkan open sky cemetery of former rockets and spacecraftthen parked near the entryway of Building 31. Once they were in range, the three set about linking and looping the cameras inside Building 31, a system that they had previously taped between shifts of employees responsible for watching the cameras. It is unknown how Thad and company received the intel required to do such a thing, even if the idea itself is straight out of a heist flick. But Shae stayed in the car to monitor the rewired cameras, to warn Tiffany and Thad if anything went wrong. While they prepped, they watched for the presence of fellow late night co-workers, but Thad timed their arrival well and they are alone. So far so good. Thad and Tiffany crawled out of the Jeep, grabbed their duffel bags, and headed for the entryway. Getting inside the front door was easya former coworker had simply
