Apollo 11 Lunar Sample Return Bag

The bag carried lunar samples collected on Apollo 11 in July 1969. Decades later it was found in the garage of Max Ary, former director of the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, who was convicted in 2005 of theft of government property and other charges. Mislabelled, it was sold at a US Marshals auction in 2015, where the Illinois lawyer Nancy Lee Carlson bought it for $995. When she sent it to NASA for authentication, NASA kept it; Carlson sued, a court returned it to her, and Sotheby's sold it on 20 July 2017 for $1,812,500.

1. July 1969

   Used to return lunar samples on Apollo 11B

2. 2003

   Found among items held by Max AryA

   Former director of the Kansas Cosmosphere, later convicted of theft of government property.

3. 2015

   Sold at a US Marshals auction for $995B

   Bought by Nancy Lee Carlson.

4. Before July 2017

   Returned to Carlson by court order after NASA retained itB

5. 20 July 2017

   Sold at Sotheby's for $1,812,500B

Used by · 20 July 1969

Neil ArmstrongBmedium confidence

Used at · July 1969

Apollo 11B

Owned by · 1969

NASAB

Associated with

Kansas Cosmosphere and Space CenterAmedium confidence

Associated with · 2017

Sotheby'sB

1. A

   Space.com, 'Woman Sues NASA Again Over $2 million Apollo 11 Moon Rock Bag'

   ↗ View original record
2. B

   NPR, 'Moon Dust Bag Accidentally In Private Hands To Be Auctioned Off Today' (20 July 2017)

   ↗ View original record