Although returned to the people of Nicaragua in 2012, the Apollo 11 moon rock gifted to the country has an interesting history. Stolen by a Costa Rican mercenary soldier who opposed the then government, the rock was traded with a Baptist missionary who sold it onto a Las Vegas casino magnate (before 1987). It remained in Las Vegas until 2009, some 2 1/2 years after the mogul’s death, when the attorney responsible for his estate sent it to NASA, presumably realising his client should probably never have had it in his possession.

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(natural state of print) Copyright Anthony Carr

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