To the best of my understanding, Constellation is meant to be the umbrella program under which Orion, Ares, etc. fall under.
The intention appears to be that like Apollo, when Apollo Command Modules launched the crew, so will Orion and Orion Command Modules (the vehicles now-but-soon-to-be-formerly known as Crew Exploration Vehicles). At the same time, Constellation might be overseeing/ planning/ drafting other projects...
Even the Apollo samples that where presented to foreign heads of state where really on permanent loan to those countries. The US government has never given away or sold any lunar material, so any for sale is either fake or stolen.
This is not true. The 135 samples gifted to the foreign heads of state were just that, gifts. They are free and clear the property of the recepient nation and if they so chose to (under their own laws) could sell their rock to a private owner. Romania may have done just that...
Lunar "touchstones" are located at the National Air & Space Museum, Space Center Houston and the Museo de Las Ciencias in Mexico. (I believe Kennedy Space Center also has a touchstone, but I am not sure.)
You could also buy touchable lunar dust earlier this year...
For comparison:
Three small lunar rocks (we're talking microscopic) returned by a Soviet robotic probe was sold at Sotheby's in the early 90s for $700,000.
Christie's sold a lunar-dust stained patch, removed from moonwalker James Irwin's spacesuit for $310,000.
Millimeter size cuts of dust-stained scotch tape were sold earlier this year for $6,000.
The U.S. is not claiming the rock you cite RE: "recent disagreement" rather enforcing its own laws.
The rock, gifted to the country of Honduras in 1973, was smuggled back into the United States in 1995 -- the carrier never declared it at customs. The U.S. also prohibits stolen material from reentering the country and according to a law professor familiar with the Honduran legal system, the rock was illegimately obtained (for their part, the Honduran gov't is asking for the rock to be returned.)
The wonders the web holds. One of the defendents identified by agents as the ring leader maintained an autobiography on NASA JSC's Co-Op website (since removed by NASA but archived by collectSPACE.com).
Quoting Thad Roberts:
"At NASA I have been assigned to the coolest department of all. Formally known as the Earth Science and Solar System Exploration Division (ESSSE) it is now know as the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division (ARES). Most of the people in my building are Geologists, and that's how I got in here.
"There are so many potential adventures to be had in my building."
Somehow, I don't think NASA had his type of adventures in mind...
Most of the items flown for local schools and organizations (and apparently, golf courses) are at the request of the crew.
Take for example, #s 48 and 52 -- both of which were gathered from West Orange, NJ (by coincidence, my hometown). I don't know positively, but its a good bet that pilot Mike Kelly requested these items be flown as he also grew up in West Orange.
That might also account for Edison's cylinder record. The location of Edison's historical site and laboratory? Yep, you guessed it: West Orange.
(BTW, in addition to the Official Flight Kit, the astronauts each have their own little stash of personal items onboard. That's called a Personal Preference Kit (PPK), the contents of which are not released to the public.)
If the Space Shuttle was only launching to carry the 11,000 souvenirs, than yes -- this would be (literally) pound wise and penny foolish.
But the prime cargo are the larger items in the payload bay, followed by the astronauts. So, you might as well stuff every nook and cranny aboard that orbiter -- as its going to launch regardless (a.k.a. there are no savings for lighter cargo)
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To the best of my understanding, Constellation is meant to be the umbrella program under which Orion, Ares, etc. fall under.
The intention appears to be that like Apollo, when Apollo Command Modules launched the crew, so will Orion and Orion Command Modules (the vehicles now-but-soon-to-be-formerly known as Crew Exploration Vehicles). At the same time, Constellation might be overseeing/ planning/ drafting other projects...
An article explaining this all is available here.
You could also buy touchable lunar dust earlier this year...
Christie's sold a lunar-dust stained patch, removed from moonwalker James Irwin's spacesuit for $310,000.
Millimeter size cuts of dust-stained scotch tape were sold earlier this year for $6,000.
More examples can be found here.
The rock, gifted to the country of Honduras in 1973, was smuggled back into the United States in 1995 -- the carrier never declared it at customs. The U.S. also prohibits stolen material from reentering the country and according to a law professor familiar with the Honduran legal system, the rock was illegimately obtained (for their part, the Honduran gov't is asking for the rock to be returned.)
You can read the latest on this case, here.
Quoting Thad Roberts:
Somehow, I don't think NASA had his type of adventures in mind...(More on this story here.)
Most of the items flown for local schools and organizations (and apparently, golf courses) are at the request of the crew.
Take for example, #s 48 and 52 -- both of which were gathered from West Orange, NJ (by coincidence, my hometown). I don't know positively, but its a good bet that pilot Mike Kelly requested these items be flown as he also grew up in West Orange.
That might also account for Edison's cylinder record. The location of Edison's historical site and laboratory? Yep, you guessed it: West Orange.
(BTW, in addition to the Official Flight Kit, the astronauts each have their own little stash of personal items onboard. That's called a Personal Preference Kit (PPK), the contents of which are not released to the public.)
But the prime cargo are the larger items in the payload bay, followed by the astronauts. So, you might as well stuff every nook and cranny aboard that orbiter -- as its going to launch regardless (a.k.a. there are no savings for lighter cargo)