5 ms·

> their ownership was unclear It was NASA's property and the astronaut stole it.

davebindy 12y ago
The items would have been lost (probably forever) when the LEM was crashed back onto the moon, so where's the harm? Other people did know that Armstrong had the items - as the article states, he reported the bag to Collins, who in turn told NASA about it, so he wasn't exactly being sneaky about it. I suppose you could argue that it wasn't really "trash" but NASA obviously considered the articles "disposable" once they'd served their purpose. Armstrong stuck the bag in a closet for 40 years. At least he didn't try to sell them. NASA turned a blind eye to Mercury and Gemini astronauts taking personal items (and things like stamps, paper money and coins) into space, because they gave them to family and friends. Only when these "space flown" items started being sold for considerable sums of money did NASA try to put a halt to the practice. I'm sure Armstrong's "mementos" could have been sold - either above or below board - for large amounts, but I doubt that's something Armstrong would have ever considered.
- benihana 12y ago
  In fact I think remember hearing (in When We Left Earth) one of the Mercury astronauts say they made a military pilot's salary (which while not bad, probably wasn't in line with what they were doing) so they sold those space mementos to put their kids through college. They weren't trying to get rich, just trying to do what any reasonable parent would do.
benihana 12y ago
I'd love to see you try to prosecute Neil Armstrong in an American court for stealing a bag that belonged to NASA from a spaceship that was about to be deorbited into the moon, which he just left at the height of the Cold War.
coldtea 12y ago
Yeah, and his life was his property, but he risked it for one of the greatest missions of mankind on behalf of NASA. So that kind of makes it even. Or let's put it this way: this man did more for mankind than the collective sum of those who would accuse him as a thief over that that it makes them as insignificant as fruit flies in comparison (and I'm not even American).
jkot 12y ago
Some proof? Perhaps his boss gave it to him. Perhaps it was thrown away. Perhaps it is a replica. Who cares.
- visakanv 12y ago
  Lots of people care, actually.
DonHopkins 12y ago
Well at least he didn't steal an election like George W Bush did.

The items would have been lost (probably forever) when the LEM was crashed back onto the moon, so where's the harm? Other people did know that Armstrong had the items - as the article states, he reported the bag to Collins, who in turn told NASA about it, so he wasn't exactly being sneaky about it. I suppose you could argue that it wasn't really "trash" but NASA obviously considered the articles "disposable" once they'd served their purpose. Armstrong stuck the bag in a closet for 40 years. At least he didn't try to sell them. NASA turned a blind eye to Mercury and Gemini astronauts taking personal items (and things like stamps, paper money and coins) into space, because they gave them to family and friends. Only when these "space flown" items started being sold for considerable sums of money did NASA try to put a halt to the practice. I'm sure Armstrong's "mementos" could have been sold - either above or below board - for large amounts, but I doubt that's something Armstrong would have ever considered.

benihana 12y ago
In fact I think remember hearing (in When We Left Earth) one of the Mercury astronauts say they made a military pilot's salary (which while not bad, probably wasn't in line with what they were doing) so they sold those space mementos to put their kids through college. They weren't trying to get rich, just trying to do what any reasonable parent would do.

benihana 12y ago

I'd love to see you try to prosecute Neil Armstrong in an American court for stealing a bag that belonged to NASA from a spaceship that was about to be deorbited into the moon, which he just left at the height of the Cold War.

coldtea 12y ago

Yeah, and his life was his property, but he risked it for one of the greatest missions of mankind on behalf of NASA. So that kind of makes it even. Or let's put it this way: this man did more for mankind than the collective sum of those who would accuse him as a thief over that that it makes them as insignificant as fruit flies in comparison (and I'm not even American).

jkot 12y ago

Some proof? Perhaps his boss gave it to him. Perhaps it was thrown away. Perhaps it is a replica. Who cares.

visakanv 12y ago
Lots of people care, actually.

DonHopkins 12y ago

Well at least he didn't steal an election like George W Bush did.