"Stolen" moon camera?

<p>I ran into this article about NASA claiming that astronaut Edgar Mitchell was trying to sell a stolen camera that was once on the moon: <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/30/us-nasa-camera-lawsuit-idUSTRE75T6J520110630">Click</a></p>

 

Here is a link to the auction listing: http://www.bonhams.com/usa/auction/19144/lot/207/

Reminds me of the Fred Ward/Gus Grissom scene in The Right Stuff where all the toys fall out if his pocket.

 

Anyway, this happened back in March, and the auction listing link goes to nowhere.

<p>This must be another government conspiracy to prove that men <em>did</em> go to the moon. :-) </p>

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<p>Mitchell is now retired and runs a website selling his autographed picture.</p>

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<p>Man, I gotta get into that line of work. Sounds way easier than running this joint.<br /></p>

<p>Alan Bean does really great paintings and uses moon boot covers and tools he took to the moon to create an embedded background over which he paints his moon scenes. Minimum price I saw for drawings was about $30k, and some pieces sell upwards of $400,000. He sells his work by the "inch". </p>

<p>AlanBean.com (I'm not associated with this vendor, but wish I was). </p>

<p>If NASA wanted to be really nasty, I imagine they could conceivably go after him for selling photos on the grounds that it's government property made public domain, therefore illegal for anyone to profit.<br>

<a href="http://www.edmitchellapollo14.com/autographed_photos.htm">http://www.edmitchellapollo14.com/autographed_photos.htm</a> </p>

<p>Oh for crying out loud. Can't NASA just drop it! Those guys took the risk, and it was a risk, to go to the moon. It's just amazing that all 12 who walked on the moon got back and there were no fatalities on those 6 landings. There are enough billion dollar corporate thieves loose in the country the government gave money to and now they want to shake down this 81 year old for a lousy 60K camera.</p>

<p>John, unless the camera was an authorized gift from NASA as Mitchell claims, it would likely be classified as a national treasure with the same status as moon rocks. These cultural artifacts belong to the people. The monetary value would not be relevant.</p>

"government property made public domain, therefore illegal for anyone to profit"

 

Not at all. Public domain means that anyone can use the photo for any purpose, without restriction. To claim a copyright for it might be fraud, but nothing is wrong with selling a copy. In stores around Boulder, many tourist shops sell old-time photographs.

<p>You're right, Marc. Here's the official NASA policy:<br>

<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/Merchandising_Guidelines.html">http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/Merchandising_Guidelines.html</a><br>

and<br>

<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html">http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html</a></p>

<p>Michael, I've looked at moon rocks at the Science and Industry museum in Chicago in the early 1970's. Couldn't tell them from road gravel. For all I know they could have been road gravel presented as moon rocks. But stuff that went to the moon? So what. Other than a curiosity you can only look at behind glass artifacts just don't impress me. And I'm a real space nut. I love to read about the Apollo program and see interviews from the principals involved. From the flight controllers to the astronauts, I'm interested in it all. Of course they are all getting into their 70's and 80's and will be gone someday so I think perhaps even if Mitchell is legally wrong at this late date NASA could just let go.</p>

<p>I would be interested to hear comments from other Apollo astronauts. I wonder what Gene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt, Jim Lovell, Al Bean, Fred Haise, Michael Collins et al would say about this lawsuit. It would be interesting to hear their thoughts on this.</p>

<p>John, I agree that NASA could have handled it more discretely, but since they've decided to pursue it as an actionable legal matter which they're entitled to do, it'll be up to the courts to decide. </p>

<p>Personally, I don't think Mitchell would have been so brazen as to steal a camera then attempt to sell it given its heritage. </p>

<p>Here's an interesting read on stolen and missing moon rocks:<br>

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_and_missing_moon_rocks">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_and_missing_moon_rocks</a></p>

<p>Interesting read Michael. Just last week there was a report on NPR about this very thing. I was 20 when the Apollo 13 accident happened and well remember standing with a crowd in downtown Chicago watching the breaking news on a reader board. I had no television so went over to a friends house to keep up on events. At the time we really did not realize just how close a call it was.</p>

<p>Seems sad that this is what all this has been reduced to after accomplishing something as fantastic, miraculous and just downright out of this world bat sh*t amazing as going to the moon.</p>

<p>The moon? eh, been there, done that. I've got the t-shirt to remind me.</p>

<p>Now you'll have to excuse me while I keep up with the Michael Jackson/Conrad Murray trial. I can't seem to get enough of that. I've got all news channels covering it tuned in synchronous orbit on my multi-screen/PIP plasma TV. Excuse me while I kiss the sky and adjust the satellite feed with my remote.</p>

<p>Tim, time to switch channels - Steve Jobs passed away. </p>