The United States’ government-funded and -operated space program’s – the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) – successful flight of three astronauts to the Earth’s sole moon and back across two weeks’ time is nothing short of one of mankind’s most remarkable accomplishments.
Astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong were responsible for conducting experiments on the Moon’s surface, including the collection of tens of pounds of rocks, dirt, and sediment from the Moon.
As a matter of fact, three minerals never before known to man were discovered by the Apollo 11’s mission to the Moon and back: pyroxferroite, tranquillityite, and armalcolite. Though all three can be synthesized by chemists using materials found naturally on planet Earth, moon rocks are still valued at an astronomically-high mark of $50,800 in 2011 United States Dollars.
A Cincinnati, Ohio, woman, Laura Murray, was gifted several grams of authentic sediment from the Moon by NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong, one of the first two men to step foot on the almost-terrestrial body better known as the Moon, when she was just 10 years of age shortly after one-third of NASA’s legendary Apollo 11 Moon mission’s astronautical team – or, in layman’s terms, Neil Armstrong – finished a mandatory quarantine period after landing in the Pacific Ocean following reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere after heading off from the Moon.
Further, Mr. Armstrong provided the 10-year-old Laura Murray, a lifelong resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, with a brief note written by Neil Armstrong himself. It read as follows:
“To Laura Ann Murray – Best of luck – Neil Armstrong Apollo 11.”
Like every responsible pair of parents would do, Laura Murray’s – since being married, Laura’s name is now legally Laura Cicco – mother and father took the vial of moon rock – moon dust, moon sediment, or whatever name one chooses to use; all that’s important is that it’s currently worth more than $50,000 per gram – and hid it away so well that the lifelong southwest Ohio resident never had so much as a clue to where it was located until five years after her parents passed away.
Here’s the crazy part
Ms. Cicco found that vial of moon material last week. To make sure she could rightfully own it, she sued NASA. Mr. Christopher McHugh, an Ohioan attorney, shared to members of press that NASA tries its darndest to seize materials sourced from the Moon from people in possession of such sediment.
What will happen? Only time will tell.
