House approves moon rock giveaway to Apollo survivors

From CNN Radio Congressional Correspondent John Bisney

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Thirty-two moon rocks may soon be in private hands for the first time, under legislation passed Tuesday by the House of Representatives on a 419-0 vote.

The lunar samples would be the central feature of an "Apollo Exploration Award" to be given to every Apollo astronaut or a surviving family member.

Although small moon rocks (roughly 1 gram each) were presented to U.S. governors and some heads of state following the manned moon landings, they remain the property of the state or country, not the individual who received them.

In addition, while those samples were encased in lucite, the House bill specifies "the design of the award shall permit free access to and removal of the lunar sample by the award recipient."

That provision is of some concern to Gary Lofgren, lunar curator at NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, where the samples are now stored and studied.

"Some of these samples are 'crumbly," said Lofgren, "and they could break apart without great care."

But a Johnson Space Center source who asked not to be identified said there's a sufficient amount of lunar material on which scientific analysis has been completed to satisfy the requirement the transfer would not compromise such studies.

The legislation prohibits the sale, barter or exchange of an award by the recipient, and while it could be passed down within an astronaut's family, it would have to be returned to NASA if there is no heir.

The award would be presented to each crewmember from all 12 three-man Apollo missions, including the Apollo 7 and 9 Earth-orbit flights as well as the Apollo 1 crew, which perished in a launch pad fire in 1967. That would mean 32 awards, as four astronauts flew twice.

The bill is expected to pass the Senate before Congress adjourns in October.