Latest news with #moonrocks
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA intern stole $21M of Lunar to use during sex to have ‘sex on the moon'
He promised her the Moon — and meant it. More than 23 years ago, NASA intern Thad Roberts hatched a daring plan to steal 17 pounds of moon rocks and a meteorite from Houston's Johnson Space Center — priceless samples from every Apollo mission, locked in a 600-pound safe and valued at $21 million, according to the FBI. Only 24 years old with a triple major in physics, geology, and geophysics at the University of Utah, with a wife he was supporting back in Utah, and financially struggling, Roberts thought his plan was foolproof. The first step was finding a buyer. With help from friend Gordon McWhorter, Roberts connected online with a potential Belgian purchaser willing to pay $1,000 to $5,000 per gram. The buyer, however, grew suspicious and alerted the FBI, who instructed him to keep talking while they investigated. Around this time, he met Tiffany Fowler, a 22-year-old NASA intern conducting stem cell research. Their friendship quickly became romantic, and after three weeks, they moved in together. When Roberts revealed his plan, Fowler agreed to help. They recruited another NASA intern, Shae Saur, and one night the trio used their NASA IDs to slip into the Johnson Space Center, making off with the entire safe. Back at the hotel, they cracked it open with a power saw. On July 20, 2002—the 33rd anniversary of the first moon landing—Roberts and Fowler drove to Orlando to meet family members of the Belgian buyer. While waiting, Roberts placed moon rocks beneath the bed covers, later claiming the couple had 'sex on the moon' as a symbolic gesture. 'I take some of the moon rocks and I put them underneath the blanket on the bed… I never said anything but I'm sure she could feel it,' he told CBS News in 2012. 'It was more about the symbol of what we were doing, basically having sex on the moon. It's more uncomfortable than not, but it wasn't about the comfort at that point. It was about the expression. And no one had ever had sex on the moon before. I think we can safely say that.' When they met with the supposed buyers, they were instead greeted by undercover FBI agents. The moon rocks were recovered from their hotel room, though the FBI reported they were now 'virtually useless to the scientific community' and that the heist destroyed three decades of handwritten research notes by a NASA scientist. After his arrest, Roberts admitted to also stealing dinosaur bones and fossils from the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City. When asked why he stole the moon rocks, Robert told CBS News he 'wasn't' looking at it like stealing at the time. 'We weren't going to take this money we were getting from it to go buy a yacht or lots of cars or a big house. We were gonna live just the small kind of lifestyle we were, but fund science that might change the world, you know?' he said. In the end, Roberts, Fowler, and Saur all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft and interstate transportation of stolen property. Roberts was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, serving six. Fowler and Saur each received 180 days of house arrest and 150 hours of community service. McWhorter, convicted at trial, was given six years in prison. Roberts and Fowler never saw each other again. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Man Steals $21M of Lunar Rocks from NASA to Use During Sex After Promising His Girlfriend the Moon
Thad Roberts, 48, was sentenced to eight years in prisonNEED TO KNOW Former NASA intern Thad Roberts and several accomplices stole 17 pounds of moon rocks from NASA in 2002 The scheme included authentic NASA badges, rewriting security cameras and Neoprene bodysuits to avoid setting off thermal alarms Roberts and his girlfriend had sex atop the rocks: "No one had ever had sex on the moon before," he saidThe most out-of-this-world heist occurred just over 23 years ago, which ultimately led to sex on the moon — literally. In July 2002, NASA intern Thad Roberts, his girlfriend of three weeks and another friend stole 17 pounds of moon rocks and a meteorite from Houston's Johnson Space Center in a daring dead-of-the-night burglary. The crime involved authentic NASA badges, rewriring security cameras and Neoprene bodysuits to avoid setting off thermal alarms. It took NASA several days to notice the missing 601-pound safe containing an estimated $21 million worth of moon rocks from every lunar landing from 1969 to 1972. Roberts, the brains behind the heist, was 24 years old when he arrived at NASA, having completed a triple degree in physics, geology and geophysics at the University of Utah. Eventually, Roberts met Tiffany Fowler, a 22-year-old who worked in NASA's tissue culture laboratory, conducting stem cell research. They began a relationship and moved in together within three weeks. Not long after, he told her about his idea to steal moon rocks, which was said to have intrigued her. 'I was in love with Tiffany,' he told the LA Times in 2004. 'In my mind, I was thinking, 'Baby, I'd give you the moon.' It would be a romantic start to our relationship.' When Fowler agreed to be an accomplice, the duo grabbed a third person, Shae Saur, also a NASA intern, to help. One July evening, the three interns pulled up to Building 31, where the moon rocks were being housed. Roberts, now 48, and Fowler headed into the building, while Saur reportedly served as a lookout and watched the rewired cameras. The couple donned Neoprene bodysuits, went straight into the airless room and fled with the safe, which was cracked using a power saw. "In my own head, stealing something wasn't the way I looked at it," Roberts told CBS in 2012. "We weren't going to take this money we were getting from it to go buy a yacht or lots of cars or a big house. We were gonna live just the small kind of lifestyle we were, but fund science that might change the world, you know?' Asked why he went through with he heist, he said, "I mean, the simple answer is to say that I did it for love. I did it because I wanted to be loved. I wanted someone to know that I'd literally cared about them that much. And to have the symbol there to remind them of it." Using the defense that he was essentially a fool in love, Roberts has argued that the theft wasn't financially motivated, but the FBI said otherwise, indicating he had been in contact with a buyer from Belgium, who was willing to pay the asking price of $1,000 to $5,000 per gram. The buyer, though, got suspicious and contacted the FBI, who quickly sent undercover agents to Orlando, where the sale was set to take place. On July 20, 2002, the 33rd anniversary of the first moon walk, Roberts and Fowler drove from Houston to Orlando to meet with the buyer. About an hour before the sale, though, Roberts had an idea. "I take some of the moon rocks, and I put 'em underneath the blanket in the bed," he said. He and Fowler then had sex. 'I never said anything, but I'm sure she could feel it. She never said anything directly, either, but it was more about the symbol of what we were doing — you know, basically having sex on the moon,' he told CBS. 'It's more uncomfortable than not, but it wasn't about the comfort at that point. It was about the expression. And no one had ever had sex on the moon before. I think we can safely say that.' Roberts' luck ran out shortly at the meeting with the undercover agents, who placed him and Flower in handcuffs. Authorities nabbed Saur later that day, and a fourth accomplice, Gordon McWhorter, who helped find the Belgian buyer, was also arrested. Still, the FBI said the rocks are now 'virtually useless to the scientific community.' A press release added, 'They also destroyed three decades worth of handwritten research notes by a NASA scientist that had been locked in the safe.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Roberts pleaded guilty in 2002 to stealing moon rocks. He also admitted to stealing dinosaur bones and fossils from the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City while he was attending the University of Utah, the Deseret News reported. He was released two years early from prison in 2008 after serving more than six years of an eight-year sentence. Fowler and Saur pleaded guilty and were given 180 days of house arrest, 150 hours of community service, a three-year prohibition, and ordered to pay more than $9,000 in restitution to NASA. McWhorter was found guilty in trial and received a six-year prison sentence. Roberts and Fowler reportedly never saw each other again. The story was documented in Ben Mezrich's 2011 book, Sex on the Moon. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Daily Mail
NASA worker stole $21m Apollo moon rocks to give to his girlfriend... and ended up spending 10 years in prison
A NASA worker was given ten years in prison for stealing Apollo moon rocks from the Johnson Space Center to give to his girlfriend. Thad Roberts was a 25-year-old intern in 2002 when he enlisted his girlfriend Tiffany Fowler (who was also a NASA intern at the time) and another intern named Shae Saur to help him steal 17lb of moon rocks worth up to $21million. The trio used their NASA IDs to slip into the Johnson Space Center after-hours and make off with a 600lb safe containing moon rocks from every Apollo mission. Immediately after the heist, Roberts and Fowler scattered the moon rocks across the former's bed and had sex on top of them. The story has recently gone viral on Instagram, where one user posted: 'First man to ever say "I'll give you the moon" and did. A real one right there mate!!!!' Wild as it may seem now, the stunt triggered an international manhunt after the group tried to sell the stolen samples online for a hefty price - and Roberts ended up serving ten years in prison. Roberts and his accomplices listed the moon rocks for $2,000 to $8,000 per gram on the website of the Mineralogy Club of Antwerp, Belgium. A Belgian rock collector spotted the online posting and contacted the FBI who concocted a plan to catch the thieves. The agents had the collector email the interns, who had listed the rocks for sale under the pseudonym 'Orb Robinson', and say he was interested in buying them. A fourth accomplice - Gordon McWhorter - had set up the online listing and corresponded with the collector. 'Contact my brother and sister-in-law in Pennsylvania to set up a meeting,' the collector wrote. But these supposed U.S. relatives would actually be undercover FBI agents. 'Orb' agreed to meet at an Italian restaurant in Orlando, Florida, on July 20, 2002. When Roberts, McWhorter, and Fowler showed up to the meeting, Roberts said: 'I'm just hoping you don't have a wire on you.' FBI agent Lynn Billings - who sat across from him at the restaurant - was, in fact, wearing a wire. 'I think they're trying to trick me. You know, just catch me,' Roberts was caught saying on tape. But despite his suspicions, the audio recordings of the meeting suggested that Roberts and his accomplices totally fell for the FBI's ruse. All three of them seemed excited and giddy, with McWhorter joking that he tipped a waitress $30 just to make her day. Roberts said he was so excited he couldn't finish his meal, and offered it to Fowler. Billings and her partner then went with the thieves back to a hotel room where they were keeping the stolen moon rocks. The agents arrested them on the spot. Saur was arrested in Houston, Texas, later that same day. Ironically, it was the 33rd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Roberts, Fowler, and Saur all pled guilty to conspiracy to commit theft and interstate transportation of stolen property. On October 29, 2003, Roberts was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for his leading role in the moon rock heist, and for stealing dinosaur bones from a Utah museum. Those fossils turned up during an FBI search of his house. Fowler and Saur were sentenced to 180 days of house arrest and 150 hours of community service, while McWhorter received six years in prison. The moon rocks Roberts and his associates stole from NASA were rendered scientifically useless due to contamination. The interns also destroyed three decades worth of handwritten research notes by a NASA scientist that had been locked in the safe. Roberts was released from prison early in 2008, and has since become a theoretical physicist, philosopher of physics, and an author. During a 2011 interview with NBC News, he was asked what it was like to have those stolen moon rocks in his possession. He said: 'I, like many others, am filled with awe when I reflect upon how those rocks demonstrate humanity's limitless potential. 'But that awe does not live within those rocks. It belongs to all of us. From experience I can say that there are more appropriate, and more productive, ways to come face-to-face with our magnificent insignificance than stealing a piece of the moon. 'Whatever you do, don't repeat my mistakes.'
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Daily Mail
NASA worker stole Apollo moon rocks for unthinkable act
Thad Roberts was a 25-year-old intern at NASA's Johnson Space Center when he promised to give his girlfriend the moon. But unlike so many young lovers before him, he actually delivered on that promise. In 2002, Roberts enlisted his girlfriend Tiffany Fowler (who was also a NASA intern at the time) and another intern named Shae Saur to help him break into Johnson Space Center and steal 17 pounds of moon rocks worth up to $21 million. The trio used their NASA IDs to slip into the space center after hours and make off with a 600-pound safe containing moon rocks brought back from every Apollo mission. But what Roberts and Fowler did next was even more shocking. Immediately after the heist, the couple scattered the moon rocks across Roberts' bed and had sex on top of them. The story has recently resurfaced on Instagram, where one user posted: 'First man to ever say 'I'll give you the moon' and did. A real one right there mate!!!!' Wild as it may seem now, the stunt triggered an international manhunt after the group tried to sell the stolen samples online for a hefty price — and Roberts ended up serving 10 years in prison. Following the romantic gesture, Roberts and his accomplices listed the moon rocks for $2,000 to $8,000 per gram on the website of the Mineralogy Club of Antwerp, Belgium. A Belgian rock collector spotted the online posting and contacted the FBI who concocted a plan to catch the thieves. The agents had the collector email the interns, who had listed the rocks for sale under the pseudonym 'Orb Robinson,' and say he was interested in buying them. A fourth accomplice — Gordon McWhorter — had set up the online listing and corresponded with the collector. 'Contact my brother and sister-in-law in Pennsylvania to set up a meeting,' the collector wrote. But these supposed American relatives would actually be undercover FBI agents. 'Orb' agreed to meet at an Italian restaurant in Orlando, Florida on July 20, 2002. When Roberts, McWhorter and Fowler showed up to the meeting, Roberts said: 'I'm just hoping you don't have a wire on you.' FBI agent Lynn Billings — who sat across from him at the restaurant — was, in fact, wearing a wire. 'I think they're trying to trick me. You know, just catch me,' Roberts was caught saying on tape. But despite his suspicions, the audio recordings of the meeting suggested that Roberts and his accomplices totally fell for the FBI's ruse. All three of them seemed excited and giddy, with MacWhorter joking that he tipped a waitress $30 just to make her day. Roberts said he was so excited he couldn't finish his meal, and offered it to Fowler. Billings and her partner then went with the thieves back to a hotel room where they were keeping the stolen moon rocks. The agents arrested them on the spot. Saur was arrested in Houston, Texas later that same day. Ironically, it was the 33rd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Roberts, Fowler and Saur all pled guilty to conspiracy to commit theft and interstate transportation of stolen property. On October 29, 2003, Roberts was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for his leading role in the moon rock heist, and for stealing dinosaur bones from a Utah museum. Those fossils turned up during an FBI search of his house. Fowler and Saur were sentenced to 180 days of house arrest and 150 hours of community service, while McWhorter received six years in prison. The moon rocks Roberts and his associates stole from NASA were rendered scientifically useless due to contamination. The interns also destroyed three decades worth of handwritten research notes by a NASA scientist that had been locked in the safe. Roberts was released from prison early in 2008, and has since become a theoretical physicist, philosopher of physics and an author. During a 2011 interview with NBC News, he was asked what it was like to have those stolen moon rocks in his possession. 'I, like many others, am filled with awe when I reflect upon how those rocks demonstrate humanity's limitless potential,' Roberts said. 'But that awe does not live within those rocks. It belongs to all of us. From experience I can say that there are more appropriate, and more productive, ways to come face-to-face with our magnificent insignificance than stealing a piece of the moon.'
Sky News
09-05-2025
- Science
- Sky News
First moon rocks on Earth in half a century arrive in UK
The first samples of moon dust brought back to Earth for more than 50 years are in the UK - being studied by scientists in Milton Keynes. "It really humbles me to think that I am one of the seven billion plus people on this planet who has a chance to work with these precious samples," said Professor Mahesh Anand. The professor of planetary science and exploration at The Open University is just one of seven international scientists chosen by China to study the samples, and travelled to Beijing to pick them up. They are the first moon rocks brought to Earth since the last Soviet Luna mission of 1976. Knowing how rare the samples are, Prof Anand was reluctant to let them out of his sight on his journey back from China - so he carried them in his hand luggage. "I couldn't risk losing them," he told Sky News, speaking from a train to Manchester where he was still carrying the samples to show graduating students. "Today, when I'm carrying one of these samples with me, they are actually in triple-sealed containers. Of course, these are not coming into contact with any terrestrial atmosphere." Prof Anand has spent his career studying moon samples brought back to Earth by the Apollo missions. Those samples were collected from the six moon landing sites where astronauts walked. 0:44 These new samples, collected by China's Chang'e 5 mission in 2020, come from a completely different part of the moon. "It turns out that from a chemical point of view, they are very, very different and they are telling us something very different about the moon's geological history," Prof Anand said. 3:07 He and his team hope to better understand the origins of the moon and the history of elements that are essential for life on Earth, like hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen. That work is "absolutely crucial" for plans to get humans living on the moon, he said. He added: "I have a huge obligation and huge responsibility, but I'm just so happy to be given a chance.
