New Bill Defends Astronauts' Rights to Own (and Sell) Space Artifacts

The dispute over whether NASA's early astronauts have title to the space-flown artifacts they kept as souvenirs from their missions may soon be resolved by Congress.

A bill introduced by the chairman and ranking member of the U.S. House of Representatives' Science, Space, and Technology Committee would confirm full ownership rights to the artifacts saved, donated, or sold by astronauts who were part of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.

In a March 2 letter titled "Apollo Astronauts Need Your Help," chairman Ralph Hall (R-Texas) and ranking member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) appealed to their fellow committee members to help confer full ownership of these mementos to the astronauts by supporting "this common sense legislation."

When introduced in the House on Wednesday (March 7), H.R. 4158 — "To confirm full ownership rights for certain United States astronauts to artifacts from the astronauts' space missions" — had the bipartisan support of 17 other congressmen.

"From the beginning of our nation's space program through the Apollo era, NASA astronauts were permitted to retain mementos from their spaceflights," Hall and Johnson said in their joint letter. "Without statutory clarification, some astronauts may be forced to make reparations.".

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I remember as a kid loving Nasa for their larger than life personna..

Now I kind of loath them.

Nasa absolutely makes it hard for me to stand behind them.

I can hear he mother's of the US now.

"I want to go to the moon mommy",,,, well, you can't son......Nasa doesn't have a spaceship anymore, besides they will just sue you for your "underwear" when you get home.

NASA

I hope some good comes out of this bill.

That is all we need though, another law

This sounds like another law whose time has come. When did the moon become the exclusive property and sole possession of the United States and NASA? I'm about sick of the stories where people who received their artifacts by BEING there...or by being given gifts from NASA or those who were, learning they don't own them after all.

Every so often there seems to be a story come up where someone tries to sell a moon or other space artifact which they have every legal right to own themselves...just to see NASA come in like Star Wars storm troopers to seize it as their own.

Don't they have enough?? They need to steal everyone else's back too?? I hope THIS law passes. They can rename it to the "End of Indian GIving by NASA Act" and be just as accurate.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

Don't they have enough?? They need to steal everyone else's back too?? I hope THIS law passes. They can rename it to the "End of Indian GIving by NASA Act" and be just as accurate.

I agree totally and this made me laugh a little.

Honestly, why would they care about something that was going to be gone anyways?

Indian giving Nasa

I really thought that there would be more people coming in and bashing Nasa.

I have to admit that I enjoy reading it

Don't representatives have better things to introduce? (or not!)

No disrespect to the astronauts, but how many people would this new law even apply to?

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Don't they have enough?? They need to steal everyone else's back too?? I hope THIS law passes. They can rename it to the "End of Indian GIving by NASA Act" and be just as accurate.

edit on 10-3-2012 by Wrabbit2000 because: (no reason given)

You do realize that is a highly offensive term? Indian giving should be removed from everyones' vocabulary, if you have no clue about American history concering Indian lands educate yourself.