1 00:00:09,562 --> 00:00:10,322 Speaker 1: Originals. 2 00:00:10,322 --> 00:00:12,522 Speaker 2: This is an iHeart original. 3 00:00:19,322 --> 00:00:25,882 Speaker 3: It's December nineteen seventy two. Canadian Jamie Matthews, age fourteen, 4 00:00:26,522 --> 00:00:31,282 Speaker 3: is sitting comfortably in his airplane seat. It's his first 5 00:00:31,362 --> 00:00:38,122 Speaker 3: trip away from home. Jamie's first love is astronomy, and 6 00:00:38,322 --> 00:00:41,762 Speaker 3: astronomy has earned him the trip of a lifetime. 7 00:00:42,242 --> 00:00:43,082 Speaker 2: He's been to the. 8 00:00:43,082 --> 00:00:47,282 Speaker 3: White House, to NASA's Mission Control in Texas, to the 9 00:00:47,402 --> 00:00:55,162 Speaker 3: United Nations, and now he's returning home. But there's a problem. 10 00:00:55,282 --> 00:00:59,922 Speaker 3: And no it's not the airline food. Someone is threatening 11 00:01:00,122 --> 00:01:05,162 Speaker 3: to kidnap Jamie because he has a rock, and not 12 00:01:05,402 --> 00:01:11,122 Speaker 3: just any rock, moonwalk one retrieved by an astronaut two 13 00:01:11,202 --> 00:01:14,322 Speaker 3: hundred and forty thousand miles from Earth. 14 00:01:14,842 --> 00:01:18,842 Speaker 4: This is your captain speaking Jamie Matthews. Please come to 15 00:01:18,882 --> 00:01:21,882 Speaker 4: the front of the plane. Jamie Matthews, to the front 16 00:01:21,882 --> 00:01:24,762 Speaker 4: of the plane. Two scary men are here to pick 17 00:01:24,802 --> 00:01:29,922 Speaker 4: you up. I repeat, Two very serious looking men are 18 00:01:29,962 --> 00:01:31,602 Speaker 4: here to take you away. 19 00:01:33,202 --> 00:01:39,122 Speaker 3: Jamie takes some tentative steps forward. He's just landed in Detroit. 20 00:01:39,722 --> 00:01:43,242 Speaker 3: Two adults in dark suits meet him on the tarmac. 21 00:01:43,842 --> 00:01:47,762 Speaker 3: Now these men are not the kidnappers. They're from the 22 00:01:47,882 --> 00:01:52,722 Speaker 3: United States Secret Service. They explain to Jamie what's happening. 23 00:01:53,202 --> 00:01:57,282 Speaker 3: His parents back in Canada received an alarming phone call 24 00:01:57,522 --> 00:02:02,442 Speaker 3: threatening his safety all because of this rock. They want 25 00:02:02,482 --> 00:02:07,122 Speaker 3: to escort him to the Canadian border just to be safe. 26 00:02:07,202 --> 00:02:11,562 Speaker 3: Because the moon rock isn't exactly a souvenir, it's one 27 00:02:11,602 --> 00:02:16,722 Speaker 3: of the most rare and valuable materials on Earth. It 28 00:02:16,802 --> 00:02:21,002 Speaker 3: could be worth millions. To Jamie, it's worth even more. 29 00:02:21,922 --> 00:02:25,802 Speaker 3: But what the kidnappers don't know is that Jamie doesn't 30 00:02:25,842 --> 00:02:31,362 Speaker 3: have it, not yet anyway, But you will. And the 31 00:02:31,402 --> 00:02:35,922 Speaker 3: men who called Jamie's parents, they're not the only ones 32 00:02:36,002 --> 00:02:42,082 Speaker 3: who want a piece of the moon. Welcome to very 33 00:02:42,242 --> 00:02:48,082 Speaker 3: special episodes and iHeart original podcast. I'm your host, Danish Schwartz, 34 00:02:48,162 --> 00:02:56,562 Speaker 3: and this is Operation Lunar Eclipse. Okay, So you now, 35 00:02:56,562 --> 00:02:59,242 Speaker 3: how like when kids are like five or six, they 36 00:02:59,242 --> 00:03:02,802 Speaker 3: have like hyper fixations. I feel like it's like dinosaurs, 37 00:03:02,842 --> 00:03:06,242 Speaker 3: it's like trucks. For me, it was like Greek mythology. 38 00:03:06,322 --> 00:03:08,442 Speaker 3: But I feel like for some kids it's also space. 39 00:03:08,602 --> 00:03:11,762 Speaker 3: Were you a space kid, Jason or Zerin, Oh, you 40 00:03:11,762 --> 00:03:12,362 Speaker 3: were a space. 41 00:03:12,242 --> 00:03:13,202 Speaker 5: Kid completely I was. 42 00:03:13,442 --> 00:03:16,522 Speaker 6: I'm still mad that they took planetary status away from Pluto. 43 00:03:16,562 --> 00:03:17,762 Speaker 6: I'm one of those space kids. 44 00:03:18,122 --> 00:03:19,842 Speaker 3: Oh my weird. 45 00:03:19,922 --> 00:03:22,602 Speaker 2: I mean not weird at all. My space connection is. 46 00:03:22,682 --> 00:03:26,042 Speaker 3: I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and when 47 00:03:26,082 --> 00:03:28,682 Speaker 3: I was in high school, every Sunday I would drive 48 00:03:28,762 --> 00:03:33,122 Speaker 3: down to the Adler Planetarium and volunteer all Sunday to 49 00:03:33,242 --> 00:03:36,082 Speaker 3: like teach kids science and space demonstrations. 50 00:03:36,202 --> 00:03:39,402 Speaker 5: Oh wow, I love you for that. That is awesome. 51 00:03:39,602 --> 00:03:41,722 Speaker 3: It was so cool because it's like every kid, I 52 00:03:41,722 --> 00:03:44,082 Speaker 3: mean I was not every kid. I as a dork, 53 00:03:44,482 --> 00:03:47,522 Speaker 3: loved museums and this idea that I had like a badge, 54 00:03:47,562 --> 00:03:49,802 Speaker 3: and I could, like I knew the code to like get. 55 00:03:49,602 --> 00:03:52,002 Speaker 2: Backstage at the museum. It was the coolest thing in 56 00:03:52,042 --> 00:03:52,362 Speaker 2: the world. 57 00:03:52,402 --> 00:03:53,482 Speaker 5: You're a museum insider. 58 00:03:54,242 --> 00:03:55,402 Speaker 2: I was a museum insider. 59 00:03:55,442 --> 00:03:57,402 Speaker 3: I don't mean to like, you know, big time you 60 00:03:57,522 --> 00:03:59,002 Speaker 3: because I'm a huge celebrity. 61 00:03:59,122 --> 00:04:01,322 Speaker 6: Yeah, no, I understand. I mean you can brag on that. 62 00:04:01,202 --> 00:04:03,362 Speaker 6: That's worth it. Sometimes you got a flex on us. 63 00:04:03,402 --> 00:04:04,802 Speaker 2: I taught them about the Moon mission. 64 00:04:04,802 --> 00:04:07,322 Speaker 3: I taught them about gravity, but I did know idea 65 00:04:07,322 --> 00:04:11,402 Speaker 3: about like the legality of buying and owning lunar rocks. 66 00:04:11,402 --> 00:04:13,602 Speaker 5: They don't want you to know that that's what it is. 67 00:04:13,762 --> 00:04:14,882 Speaker 7: Those kids couldn't handle that. 68 00:04:15,042 --> 00:04:16,962 Speaker 5: Yeah, we're all it's all hidden from all of us. 69 00:04:17,042 --> 00:04:18,482 Speaker 3: All right, Well, do you guys want to hear a 70 00:04:18,522 --> 00:04:21,562 Speaker 3: story about about stealing moon rocks and they the black 71 00:04:21,602 --> 00:04:24,122 Speaker 3: market for illegal moon rock commerce. 72 00:04:25,002 --> 00:04:28,682 Speaker 5: I am buckled up and ready, Jason, you let's blast off. 73 00:04:28,762 --> 00:04:29,002 Speaker 4: Do it? 74 00:04:29,042 --> 00:04:32,402 Speaker 8: Do some kind of countdown now, just let's just go 75 00:04:32,442 --> 00:04:33,962 Speaker 8: to the episode. 76 00:04:37,602 --> 00:04:41,602 Speaker 3: For a kid super into astronomy. Jamie Matthews had more 77 00:04:41,682 --> 00:04:44,282 Speaker 3: run ins with the law than you might have expected, 78 00:04:44,802 --> 00:04:48,322 Speaker 3: not because he was breaking the law, but because police 79 00:04:48,402 --> 00:04:52,242 Speaker 3: kept finding him alone in the middle of the night 80 00:04:53,082 --> 00:04:56,602 Speaker 3: when he was just eight years old in the last 81 00:04:56,802 --> 00:04:58,202 Speaker 3: place you'd expect. 82 00:04:59,322 --> 00:05:05,162 Speaker 7: My parents were not rich, and we had a house 83 00:05:05,882 --> 00:05:10,642 Speaker 7: that was close to the cemetery, and so that was 84 00:05:10,722 --> 00:05:13,562 Speaker 7: the best place to look at the stars. 85 00:05:14,002 --> 00:05:16,042 Speaker 2: At night, That's Jamie. 86 00:05:16,322 --> 00:05:21,242 Speaker 7: So occasionally the police would come back by and see 87 00:05:21,282 --> 00:05:24,962 Speaker 7: this guy, and they would come and see a guy 88 00:05:25,042 --> 00:05:30,082 Speaker 7: with a telescope, and so they got me home. I said, 89 00:05:30,122 --> 00:05:31,482 Speaker 7: you know, I knew who I. 90 00:05:31,642 --> 00:05:35,642 Speaker 2: Was as a kid. 91 00:05:35,762 --> 00:05:39,602 Speaker 3: He lived in Chatham, Ontario. It's rural with lots of 92 00:05:39,682 --> 00:05:44,682 Speaker 3: farms and lots of stargazing. As an only child, his parents, 93 00:05:44,802 --> 00:05:49,242 Speaker 3: Jim and June bought him a telescope, which Jamie took 94 00:05:49,322 --> 00:05:53,442 Speaker 3: to the darkest part of the neighborhood, the graveyard. There 95 00:05:53,522 --> 00:05:57,442 Speaker 3: he found ink, black skies, and a galaxy to explore. 96 00:05:58,202 --> 00:06:01,402 Speaker 3: Jamie isn't sure where his love of science came from. 97 00:06:01,842 --> 00:06:06,042 Speaker 3: His parents were blue collar workers. Neither was a college graduate, 98 00:06:06,522 --> 00:06:10,362 Speaker 3: but they they recognized their son had a fascination, so 99 00:06:10,442 --> 00:06:12,562 Speaker 3: they nourished it any chance they could. 100 00:06:13,402 --> 00:06:17,882 Speaker 7: My first memory was at two, looking at the stars, 101 00:06:18,442 --> 00:06:23,722 Speaker 7: and from then on I was totally gone with the stars. 102 00:06:24,842 --> 00:06:29,202 Speaker 3: Of course, they all watched as Neil Armstrong took mankind's 103 00:06:29,362 --> 00:06:33,002 Speaker 3: first steps on the Moon during the Apollo eleven mission 104 00:06:33,082 --> 00:06:34,482 Speaker 3: in nineteen sixty nine. 105 00:06:35,522 --> 00:06:42,602 Speaker 9: Formula for Man barn by a Man. 106 00:06:46,042 --> 00:06:50,842 Speaker 3: Everyone remembers that it was a monumental milestone of the 107 00:06:50,882 --> 00:06:55,082 Speaker 3: twentieth century, but people tend to forget how quickly the 108 00:06:55,122 --> 00:07:02,282 Speaker 3: world moved on, how easily the impossible became routine. NASA 109 00:07:02,402 --> 00:07:06,042 Speaker 3: continued to visit the Moon in future Apollo missions, six 110 00:07:06,082 --> 00:07:10,802 Speaker 3: of them in all, but each time public interest fell off. 111 00:07:11,442 --> 00:07:15,042 Speaker 3: By the time of the Apollo seventeen mission in December 112 00:07:15,242 --> 00:07:19,562 Speaker 3: nineteen seventy two, NASA had decided this would be the 113 00:07:19,682 --> 00:07:23,682 Speaker 3: last mission for at least a decade. To commemorate it, 114 00:07:24,122 --> 00:07:28,402 Speaker 3: NASA and the US State Department sponsored what they called 115 00:07:28,522 --> 00:07:35,602 Speaker 3: the International Youth Science Tour. It worked like this, Every 116 00:07:35,682 --> 00:07:38,882 Speaker 3: country in the UN was invited to send a youth 117 00:07:39,042 --> 00:07:44,562 Speaker 3: representative to watch the final Moon mission. Kids aged fifteen 118 00:07:44,642 --> 00:07:49,482 Speaker 3: to seventeen were eligible. They'd see everything from the launch 119 00:07:49,562 --> 00:07:54,122 Speaker 3: at Kennedy Space Center to the splashdown on TV from 120 00:07:54,282 --> 00:07:58,562 Speaker 3: UN headquarters in New York City. The seventeen day trip 121 00:07:58,682 --> 00:08:03,282 Speaker 3: would also include Disneyland, and the kids would get something 122 00:08:03,322 --> 00:08:06,762 Speaker 3: else besides a front row seat to a Moon mission. 123 00:08:07,402 --> 00:08:11,642 Speaker 3: NASA was arranging for each kid to receive a piece 124 00:08:11,762 --> 00:08:15,282 Speaker 3: of Moon rock. They would present it to their country 125 00:08:15,642 --> 00:08:18,962 Speaker 3: as a good will gesture from the United States to 126 00:08:19,122 --> 00:08:24,642 Speaker 3: the world. Gathering moonrocks was a priority of the Apollo missions. 127 00:08:25,082 --> 00:08:28,482 Speaker 3: The samples revealed clues about the age of the Moon 128 00:08:28,642 --> 00:08:31,922 Speaker 3: and how it might have been formed. A Moon rock 129 00:08:32,402 --> 00:08:36,842 Speaker 3: was one sentence or a sentence fragment in the story 130 00:08:36,962 --> 00:08:41,682 Speaker 3: of our galaxy. For Jamie, the chance to hold the 131 00:08:41,802 --> 00:08:45,282 Speaker 3: rock in his hand would come later. For now, his 132 00:08:45,362 --> 00:08:49,682 Speaker 3: objective was seeing a rocket launch, which was plenty exciting. 133 00:08:50,322 --> 00:08:55,562 Speaker 3: Canada's Youth Science Foundation organized an essay contest the topic 134 00:08:56,082 --> 00:09:01,282 Speaker 3: the importance of space exploration to humanity, I mean obviously 135 00:09:01,962 --> 00:09:05,842 Speaker 3: two thousand words, in which Jamie brought forth a passionate 136 00:09:06,002 --> 00:09:11,362 Speaker 3: argument for reaching the stars and beyond. He and a 137 00:09:11,402 --> 00:09:16,602 Speaker 3: friend both entered, Both sent their essays off, and then 138 00:09:16,922 --> 00:09:22,762 Speaker 3: they waited. In November nineteen seventy two, Jamie received a 139 00:09:22,842 --> 00:09:26,562 Speaker 3: letter from the US Embassy in Ottawa. There were a 140 00:09:26,602 --> 00:09:30,402 Speaker 3: few words on the page, but Jamie just focused on 141 00:09:30,402 --> 00:09:35,402 Speaker 3: one of them, congratulations. It said you're going to the 142 00:09:35,522 --> 00:09:40,162 Speaker 3: United States. It was somewhat bittersweet. Jamie winning meant his 143 00:09:40,202 --> 00:09:45,322 Speaker 3: friend didn't. There was another wrinkle. Remember that the contest 144 00:09:45,402 --> 00:09:49,922 Speaker 3: was only open to kids between fifteen and seventeen. Jamie 145 00:09:50,042 --> 00:09:53,602 Speaker 3: was thirteen. He lied about his age when he submitted 146 00:09:53,602 --> 00:09:54,162 Speaker 3: his essay. 147 00:09:54,642 --> 00:09:57,522 Speaker 7: They found out a little bit before I got there, 148 00:09:57,602 --> 00:10:00,082 Speaker 7: but because there were other things that I had to do, 149 00:10:00,922 --> 00:10:04,362 Speaker 7: and I guess finally I said that how old I was. 150 00:10:05,442 --> 00:10:07,922 Speaker 7: They didn't like it, but by that time it was 151 00:10:07,922 --> 00:10:09,682 Speaker 7: too late, so I got to do. 152 00:10:11,082 --> 00:10:15,802 Speaker 3: Jamie had just turned fourteen, so they let it slide. Still, 153 00:10:15,882 --> 00:10:18,602 Speaker 3: he was the youngest of the eighty kids from around 154 00:10:18,682 --> 00:10:22,562 Speaker 3: the world who would see Apollo seventeen touch down on 155 00:10:22,682 --> 00:10:26,042 Speaker 3: the Moon. His parents naturally were thrilled. 156 00:10:27,482 --> 00:10:30,042 Speaker 7: Oh, they loved it, so they thought it was wonderful 157 00:10:30,082 --> 00:10:30,322 Speaker 7: for me. 158 00:10:32,242 --> 00:10:37,122 Speaker 3: The International Youth Science Tours first stop was in Washington, 159 00:10:37,202 --> 00:10:41,402 Speaker 3: d C. Where a chartered plane delivered an assembly of 160 00:10:41,442 --> 00:10:47,922 Speaker 3: students to the current president, Richard Milhouse Nixon. Nixon was 161 00:10:47,962 --> 00:10:51,602 Speaker 3: a proponent of the space program. He had arranged for 162 00:10:51,682 --> 00:10:55,122 Speaker 3: moon rock samples to be dispensed from the Apollo eleven 163 00:10:55,202 --> 00:10:59,682 Speaker 3: mission and was doing the same for Apollo seventeen. Jamie 164 00:10:59,682 --> 00:11:04,042 Speaker 3: met Nixon, but the President didn't leave much of an impression. 165 00:11:04,602 --> 00:11:07,442 Speaker 7: To be honest, I don't remember anything that he did. 166 00:11:07,762 --> 00:11:12,682 Speaker 7: I remember taking his hand, and that's about all I know. 167 00:11:12,402 --> 00:11:15,482 Speaker 7: I know, to be honest. At that time, to me, 168 00:11:15,602 --> 00:11:20,242 Speaker 7: it was just another guy. So there were other more 169 00:11:20,322 --> 00:11:23,402 Speaker 7: people later that I liked, but Nixon nah. 170 00:11:23,962 --> 00:11:27,322 Speaker 3: When the tour moved to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, 171 00:11:27,482 --> 00:11:30,282 Speaker 3: Jamie was put in a hotel room next to the 172 00:11:30,322 --> 00:11:34,802 Speaker 3: man he really wanted to meet the first human on 173 00:11:34,882 --> 00:11:35,242 Speaker 3: the Moon. 174 00:11:36,362 --> 00:11:40,562 Speaker 7: We were in a hotel with Neil Armstrong, and in 175 00:11:40,562 --> 00:11:44,722 Speaker 7: fact I with Neil Armstrong. His wife and his kids 176 00:11:45,002 --> 00:11:49,362 Speaker 7: were in the pool together for the entire afternoon, and 177 00:11:49,402 --> 00:11:54,042 Speaker 7: so I got to do Marco Polo with the man 178 00:11:54,082 --> 00:11:58,042 Speaker 7: that went on the Moon. There you go. 179 00:11:59,722 --> 00:12:02,322 Speaker 3: All of them went to Kennedy Space Center for the 180 00:12:02,402 --> 00:12:06,602 Speaker 3: launch of Apollo seventeen. This launch was notable not only 181 00:12:06,642 --> 00:12:11,162 Speaker 3: for the last manned Moon mission, but the first Saturn 182 00:12:11,282 --> 00:12:13,562 Speaker 3: five rocket to take off at. 183 00:12:13,522 --> 00:12:14,722 Speaker 7: Night one zero. 184 00:12:14,842 --> 00:12:15,802 Speaker 9: We have a lift dog. 185 00:12:16,402 --> 00:12:18,962 Speaker 7: It's like daylight here at Kennedy Space Centers. 186 00:12:18,962 --> 00:12:20,562 Speaker 5: The Battern five is moving. 187 00:12:20,282 --> 00:12:23,922 Speaker 7: Off the pad. It lifted off at midnight, and so 188 00:12:24,042 --> 00:12:28,322 Speaker 7: it was like the sun rose. It was really amazing. 189 00:12:28,402 --> 00:12:29,962 Speaker 7: It really was amazing. 190 00:12:30,602 --> 00:12:34,002 Speaker 3: Jamie and the others were situated about three miles from 191 00:12:34,002 --> 00:12:38,282 Speaker 3: the Saturn rocket. That may not sound close, but consider 192 00:12:38,482 --> 00:12:42,482 Speaker 3: that three miles was roughly the distance any shrapnel would 193 00:12:42,482 --> 00:12:45,602 Speaker 3: be able to travel in the event the rocket flew up. 194 00:12:46,042 --> 00:12:49,842 Speaker 7: Yeah, yeah, and thot, it's really loud, but also so 195 00:12:50,002 --> 00:12:54,802 Speaker 7: allowed that all of your body is saving at the time. 196 00:12:55,002 --> 00:13:00,042 Speaker 7: It's it's really loud, But it was wonderful. It really was. 197 00:13:00,522 --> 00:13:03,362 Speaker 7: I had not known what it would be like, and 198 00:13:03,722 --> 00:13:06,762 Speaker 7: no one else will ever see it again, so it 199 00:13:06,802 --> 00:13:07,682 Speaker 7: was wonderful for me. 200 00:13:09,922 --> 00:13:13,722 Speaker 3: Later, Jamie went to mission control at the Manned Spacecraft 201 00:13:13,802 --> 00:13:17,442 Speaker 3: Center in Houston, which is now named for Lyndon Johnson. 202 00:13:17,842 --> 00:13:21,202 Speaker 3: You've seen it or a version of it in practically 203 00:13:21,282 --> 00:13:25,202 Speaker 3: every movie ever made about space travel. Lots of guys 204 00:13:25,242 --> 00:13:28,882 Speaker 3: with flat buzz cuts and short sleeved shirts, sweating over 205 00:13:28,962 --> 00:13:32,682 Speaker 3: every switch, flipped and root to the moon. But Jamie 206 00:13:32,922 --> 00:13:36,522 Speaker 3: got to see the real thing in person on a screen. 207 00:13:36,722 --> 00:13:41,802 Speaker 3: Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmidt traversed the lunar surface. 208 00:13:42,482 --> 00:13:46,122 Speaker 3: Cernan was the commander, Schmidt the co pilot, and the 209 00:13:46,122 --> 00:13:48,842 Speaker 3: only trained geologist to ever visit the. 210 00:13:48,802 --> 00:13:58,042 Speaker 9: Moon mark gravity mark. Okay, now, want to get to work. 211 00:14:02,002 --> 00:14:05,442 Speaker 3: The men leapt between boulders the size of U haul 212 00:14:05,562 --> 00:14:08,602 Speaker 3: trailers in the moon's Taurus Littrow Valley. 213 00:14:09,202 --> 00:14:10,002 Speaker 2: They rode a. 214 00:14:10,002 --> 00:14:14,322 Speaker 3: Lunar rover over uneven terrain, and they chipped away at rock, 215 00:14:14,842 --> 00:14:18,522 Speaker 3: coming away with one sample, in particular the size of 216 00:14:18,562 --> 00:14:22,402 Speaker 3: a brick. But it was when Eugene Cernan spoke to 217 00:14:22,442 --> 00:14:26,442 Speaker 3: the camera that the youth Tour really began to perk up. 218 00:14:27,402 --> 00:14:32,442 Speaker 7: During the moonwalks, we were there at mission control and 219 00:14:32,482 --> 00:14:36,882 Speaker 7: then on the last moonlock just before they left the moon. 220 00:14:37,602 --> 00:14:41,722 Speaker 7: Sunnan who was the captain, and Smith, who was the 221 00:14:41,962 --> 00:14:45,802 Speaker 7: other person on the moon. They got a big rock 222 00:14:47,082 --> 00:14:50,042 Speaker 7: and they brought it to the camera and said, this 223 00:14:50,242 --> 00:14:54,482 Speaker 7: is for you, this is for us. They said, when 224 00:14:54,482 --> 00:14:59,082 Speaker 7: they gets back to Earth, they'll get it into small 225 00:14:59,122 --> 00:15:01,562 Speaker 7: places and each of us will get one. 226 00:15:02,242 --> 00:15:03,762 Speaker 5: And we did so. 227 00:15:03,882 --> 00:15:08,762 Speaker 7: Yeah, the moon rock was what we're getting. It was wonderful, 228 00:15:08,842 --> 00:15:09,522 Speaker 7: it really was. 229 00:15:10,082 --> 00:15:13,362 Speaker 3: Here's what Eugene Cernon said to the kids. 230 00:15:13,082 --> 00:15:16,922 Speaker 9: That day, when we return this rock. Are some of 231 00:15:16,962 --> 00:15:20,202 Speaker 9: the others like it? The Houston, we'd like to share 232 00:15:20,242 --> 00:15:23,602 Speaker 9: a piece of this rock, but so many of the 233 00:15:23,722 --> 00:15:26,362 Speaker 9: countries throughout the world. We hope that this will be 234 00:15:26,442 --> 00:15:31,242 Speaker 9: a symbol of what our feelings are, what the feelings 235 00:15:31,242 --> 00:15:34,762 Speaker 9: of the Apollo program are, and a symbol of mankind 236 00:15:34,842 --> 00:15:37,962 Speaker 9: that we can live in peace and harmony in the future. 237 00:15:41,682 --> 00:15:45,922 Speaker 3: The tour wound down after that, Jamie and the others 238 00:15:45,962 --> 00:15:49,442 Speaker 3: watched on TV from the United Nations Building as the 239 00:15:49,522 --> 00:15:53,842 Speaker 3: capsule splashed down, and soon Jamie was headed back home 240 00:15:54,242 --> 00:15:58,962 Speaker 3: to be escorted to the Canadian border by Secret Service agents. 241 00:15:59,322 --> 00:16:02,602 Speaker 3: But Jamie wasn't yet in possession of the rock. 242 00:16:03,242 --> 00:16:05,882 Speaker 7: No well, because it was on the boat, So they 243 00:16:05,922 --> 00:16:08,642 Speaker 7: had to wait until they got that. And then they 244 00:16:08,682 --> 00:16:12,122 Speaker 7: had this right get into little pieces, and then each 245 00:16:12,162 --> 00:16:16,762 Speaker 7: one was gone in a peace of plastic. And then 246 00:16:17,122 --> 00:16:20,962 Speaker 7: it got to me like in a month or so. 247 00:16:20,962 --> 00:16:23,842 Speaker 7: So somebody had held them and said that they were 248 00:16:23,842 --> 00:16:27,002 Speaker 7: going to kidnap me and the rock, even though it 249 00:16:27,082 --> 00:16:27,682 Speaker 7: wasn't there. 250 00:16:28,682 --> 00:16:32,242 Speaker 3: The police guarded his house for a few months afterward. 251 00:16:32,882 --> 00:16:37,282 Speaker 3: Eventually they grew satisfied that the kidnapping threat against Jamie 252 00:16:37,362 --> 00:16:41,202 Speaker 3: would never materialize. This isn't a story, by the way, 253 00:16:41,282 --> 00:16:46,082 Speaker 3: about a young Canadian science enthusiast getting kidnapped, but that 254 00:16:46,242 --> 00:16:51,402 Speaker 3: young Canadian moonrock. The brick sized moon rock, would be 255 00:16:51,442 --> 00:16:55,402 Speaker 3: analyzed by NASA scientists before it was divvied up for 256 00:16:55,442 --> 00:16:59,082 Speaker 3: one hundred and thirty five countries plus every US state 257 00:16:59,282 --> 00:17:04,242 Speaker 3: and territory. A few weeks later, via special delivery, Canada's 258 00:17:04,282 --> 00:17:09,242 Speaker 3: Peace arrived on Jamie's front door. Stuff the rock fragment 259 00:17:09,482 --> 00:17:13,402 Speaker 3: was encased in looseight. Below it was a Canadian flag 260 00:17:13,442 --> 00:17:16,162 Speaker 3: which had been brought to the Moon and back. The 261 00:17:16,282 --> 00:17:20,882 Speaker 3: junior astronomer was in possession of something very few civilians 262 00:17:21,202 --> 00:17:25,042 Speaker 3: have ever seen up close, a moon rock, a little 263 00:17:25,082 --> 00:17:28,362 Speaker 3: over one gram in size. 264 00:17:28,562 --> 00:17:32,882 Speaker 7: It was very dark. People don't realize that the moon 265 00:17:33,162 --> 00:17:37,042 Speaker 7: is really dark. We only see it because it's in 266 00:17:37,082 --> 00:17:40,282 Speaker 7: the sky at night, but if you look at it 267 00:17:40,442 --> 00:17:46,962 Speaker 7: without that, it reflects only about five six seven percent 268 00:17:47,082 --> 00:17:51,962 Speaker 7: of the light from the sun, so it's almost like tarcoal. 269 00:17:52,562 --> 00:17:55,642 Speaker 3: Jamie didn't put it in a safety deposit box, nor 270 00:17:55,762 --> 00:17:58,962 Speaker 3: did he stick it anywhere for safe keeping. It went 271 00:17:59,082 --> 00:18:01,522 Speaker 3: in a shoe box under his bed, where it could 272 00:18:01,602 --> 00:18:05,642 Speaker 3: be periodically pulled out to show family or friends, or 273 00:18:05,722 --> 00:18:08,602 Speaker 3: just to stare at before going to bed. Once it 274 00:18:08,682 --> 00:18:10,522 Speaker 3: even wound up in the family car. 275 00:18:11,042 --> 00:18:14,722 Speaker 7: It was in our car without the doors locked at 276 00:18:14,762 --> 00:18:18,682 Speaker 7: all for about two hours, and it was just there. 277 00:18:18,922 --> 00:18:20,202 Speaker 7: Somebody could have done it. 278 00:18:20,442 --> 00:18:24,802 Speaker 3: But Jamie had been only a temporary custodian. The moondust 279 00:18:24,922 --> 00:18:28,562 Speaker 3: sprinkled over his life for a fleeting period of time. 280 00:18:29,122 --> 00:18:32,922 Speaker 3: In early nineteen seventy three, he got a notice it 281 00:18:32,962 --> 00:18:35,802 Speaker 3: was time to hand the moon Rock over to its 282 00:18:35,802 --> 00:18:40,962 Speaker 3: intended recipient, the country of Canada. During a ceremony at 283 00:18:41,042 --> 00:18:46,562 Speaker 3: Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Jamie dutifully but dolefully handed over 284 00:18:46,602 --> 00:18:51,202 Speaker 3: the rock to Roland Missioner, the Governor General. Because Canada 285 00:18:51,362 --> 00:18:54,842 Speaker 3: didn't want him to leave empty handed, they prepared a 286 00:18:54,882 --> 00:18:56,322 Speaker 3: gift for him in return. 287 00:18:57,282 --> 00:19:00,682 Speaker 7: You know what I got in return? I got a 288 00:19:00,722 --> 00:19:03,282 Speaker 7: book called The Birds of Canada. 289 00:19:04,442 --> 00:19:09,562 Speaker 3: Did Canada confuse astronomy with ornithology? Jamie never found out 290 00:19:09,562 --> 00:19:13,202 Speaker 3: why he was given a book about birds. Maybe it's 291 00:19:13,242 --> 00:19:16,962 Speaker 3: all they had lying around. But Governor General Mishner was 292 00:19:17,002 --> 00:19:20,122 Speaker 3: not the final stop for the moon Rock. It was 293 00:19:20,162 --> 00:19:23,882 Speaker 3: given to the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Ottawa, 294 00:19:24,402 --> 00:19:27,522 Speaker 3: and for Jamie it was like being forced to put 295 00:19:27,562 --> 00:19:31,442 Speaker 3: it up for adoption. He agonized over the rocks well 296 00:19:31,482 --> 00:19:32,322 Speaker 3: being for. 297 00:19:32,322 --> 00:19:35,122 Speaker 7: A few years. I didn't go and see it, but 298 00:19:35,282 --> 00:19:38,282 Speaker 7: I would call them occasionally and just say how is it. 299 00:19:38,802 --> 00:19:43,562 Speaker 3: Then in nineteen seventy eight, Jamie made his customary call. 300 00:19:44,402 --> 00:19:48,482 Speaker 3: The museum had some bad news for Jamie. 301 00:19:48,642 --> 00:19:54,002 Speaker 7: I called and it was gone, and they said that 302 00:19:54,122 --> 00:19:57,202 Speaker 7: it was stolen, And I thought, geez, if you could 303 00:19:57,242 --> 00:19:59,202 Speaker 7: have done that, I should have just ket it in 304 00:19:59,242 --> 00:20:01,162 Speaker 7: a jew box in my bed. 305 00:20:10,602 --> 00:20:14,002 Speaker 3: There was a reason the US government dispatched the Secret 306 00:20:14,082 --> 00:20:17,802 Speaker 3: Service to meet Jamie Matthews at the airport. Of course, 307 00:20:17,842 --> 00:20:20,202 Speaker 3: they were concerned for the welfare of a child on 308 00:20:20,242 --> 00:20:23,882 Speaker 3: a good will trip to improve foreign relations, but there 309 00:20:23,922 --> 00:20:27,322 Speaker 3: was another factor at play. Moon rocks are one of 310 00:20:27,362 --> 00:20:32,002 Speaker 3: the great black markets in the world. They're worth millions. 311 00:20:32,562 --> 00:20:35,122 Speaker 1: This moon rock ended up in my pocket for almost 312 00:20:35,162 --> 00:20:36,322 Speaker 1: twenty four hours. 313 00:20:36,882 --> 00:20:40,682 Speaker 3: That's Joseph Goudheins. Joseph has one heck of a resume. 314 00:20:41,322 --> 00:20:46,282 Speaker 1: Started off as an arby aviator and intelligence officer and 315 00:20:46,922 --> 00:20:50,562 Speaker 1: went to work for the FA. I was recruited away 316 00:20:50,562 --> 00:20:53,402 Speaker 1: as a special agent. Recruited away from the FA by 317 00:20:53,562 --> 00:20:58,802 Speaker 1: US Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. And then 318 00:20:58,842 --> 00:21:04,762 Speaker 1: I was recruited away from DOTIG by NASAG, where I 319 00:21:04,882 --> 00:21:09,322 Speaker 1: served for about ten years looover actually as a senior 320 00:21:09,442 --> 00:21:13,802 Speaker 1: special Agent, which means I headed up Task Force investigations. 321 00:21:14,762 --> 00:21:19,882 Speaker 3: That's right, NASA has special agents. They're armed, they can 322 00:21:19,922 --> 00:21:23,802 Speaker 3: make arrests. They look into things like missing NASA property, 323 00:21:23,962 --> 00:21:28,562 Speaker 3: people pretending to be astronauts, and cybercrime. How this isn't 324 00:21:28,602 --> 00:21:33,202 Speaker 3: a CSI spinoff yet is beyond me. But anyway, In 325 00:21:33,242 --> 00:21:36,922 Speaker 3: the late nineteen nineties, Joseph took note of the fact 326 00:21:37,042 --> 00:21:40,082 Speaker 3: that a number of the moonrocks gifted by the United 327 00:21:40,082 --> 00:21:44,922 Speaker 3: States to foreign governments couldn't be accounted for. Some countries 328 00:21:45,002 --> 00:21:48,962 Speaker 3: said they had no record of receiving them. Others said 329 00:21:49,002 --> 00:21:54,042 Speaker 3: they had been reported missing or stolen. And sometimes Joseph 330 00:21:54,122 --> 00:21:57,362 Speaker 3: would get word of a con man who purported to 331 00:21:57,482 --> 00:22:01,842 Speaker 3: have a moonrock for sale. Usually they didn't. It would 332 00:22:01,882 --> 00:22:05,362 Speaker 3: be a fake, like two brothers who insisted their father 333 00:22:05,482 --> 00:22:09,762 Speaker 3: had been given some moonrock by astronaut John Glenn. John 334 00:22:09,802 --> 00:22:13,202 Speaker 3: Glenn was an astronaut, but he never went to the Moon. 335 00:22:14,162 --> 00:22:17,762 Speaker 3: For the most part, moon rocks belonged to NASA and 336 00:22:17,882 --> 00:22:22,642 Speaker 3: the US government. Some have been retrieved by Russia and China, 337 00:22:23,162 --> 00:22:27,682 Speaker 3: and some lunar meteorites have landed on Earth, but most 338 00:22:27,962 --> 00:22:32,282 Speaker 3: moon samples were from the Apollo missions. They can only 339 00:22:32,362 --> 00:22:37,002 Speaker 3: be gifted or loaned out by NASA. If anyone acquires 340 00:22:37,082 --> 00:22:42,162 Speaker 3: an Apollo mission moonrock from anyone other than NASA, well 341 00:22:42,602 --> 00:22:45,922 Speaker 3: that would be wrong. It would have to be offered, 342 00:22:46,362 --> 00:22:49,882 Speaker 3: as in the case of the Apollo eleven and seventeen missions. 343 00:22:50,522 --> 00:22:54,682 Speaker 1: NASA takes the position, as does the United States, that 344 00:22:54,922 --> 00:22:58,922 Speaker 1: nobody can own a moon rock or duns. And so 345 00:22:59,082 --> 00:23:03,802 Speaker 1: we gifted to the nations of world one hundred and 346 00:23:03,842 --> 00:23:09,482 Speaker 1: thirty five Paul eleven moonrocks on a stand, and we 347 00:23:09,722 --> 00:23:12,082 Speaker 1: gifted to the nations of the world one hundred and 348 00:23:12,082 --> 00:23:16,642 Speaker 1: thirty five food rocks on a plaque like this, and 349 00:23:16,842 --> 00:23:19,882 Speaker 1: essentially these were our way of saying, hey, look all 350 00:23:19,922 --> 00:23:22,282 Speaker 1: the members of the United Nations were all in on 351 00:23:22,402 --> 00:23:25,842 Speaker 1: this together. We may be sending the rockets to and 352 00:23:25,922 --> 00:23:29,042 Speaker 1: from the boon, but this is a global effort. 353 00:23:29,562 --> 00:23:32,202 Speaker 3: There is one sort of exception. 354 00:23:32,442 --> 00:23:34,802 Speaker 1: The astronauts when they came back from the boon. 355 00:23:36,122 --> 00:23:41,642 Speaker 3: The moon isn't exactly a sterile working environment like coal miners, 356 00:23:42,082 --> 00:23:45,002 Speaker 3: astronauts can come home dirty. 357 00:23:45,922 --> 00:23:50,202 Speaker 1: They were allowed to keep their gloves and patches, and 358 00:23:50,282 --> 00:23:55,922 Speaker 1: on the patches and gloves was looted debris. And so 359 00:23:56,802 --> 00:24:00,042 Speaker 1: there was one astronaut that would actually bang on his 360 00:24:00,162 --> 00:24:04,922 Speaker 1: gloves and cut pieces of his actions apart and put 361 00:24:05,002 --> 00:24:10,602 Speaker 1: him in painting city, and so es sexually NASA ruled, Okay, 362 00:24:10,802 --> 00:24:12,602 Speaker 1: we kind of gifted that away too. 363 00:24:14,042 --> 00:24:17,842 Speaker 3: But for most people who haven't been blasted into space, 364 00:24:18,402 --> 00:24:22,922 Speaker 3: being in possession of a lunar rock is suspicious and 365 00:24:23,122 --> 00:24:24,922 Speaker 3: it didn't sit right with Joe. 366 00:24:26,002 --> 00:24:31,442 Speaker 1: Risk to our astronauts. Remember we had astronauts Guy in 367 00:24:31,562 --> 00:24:35,482 Speaker 1: practice and apollow one. These guys were risking their lives. 368 00:24:35,562 --> 00:24:39,962 Speaker 1: They got it, they accomplished something. The world united seeing 369 00:24:40,042 --> 00:24:43,722 Speaker 1: Gil Armstrong take that first step down the boom and 370 00:24:43,842 --> 00:24:47,402 Speaker 1: the idea that petty thugs would be stealing these moon 371 00:24:47,482 --> 00:24:51,162 Speaker 1: rocks for their own wealth something that I never could 372 00:24:51,362 --> 00:24:55,482 Speaker 1: understand and it seemed wrong. It's something that I wanted 373 00:24:55,522 --> 00:24:57,242 Speaker 1: to accomplish when I was an agent. 374 00:24:58,082 --> 00:25:02,162 Speaker 3: So in nineteen ninety eight, Joseph decided to take a 375 00:25:02,242 --> 00:25:07,402 Speaker 3: closer look at the illicit moon rock market. His idea 376 00:25:07,682 --> 00:25:12,362 Speaker 3: was incredibly simple. He would invite criminals to come to him. 377 00:25:12,762 --> 00:25:15,802 Speaker 1: And essentially what we did was we put an ad 378 00:25:15,922 --> 00:25:20,882 Speaker 1: in USA today moon Rocks wanted with an astronaut jumping 379 00:25:20,922 --> 00:25:23,842 Speaker 1: on the moon, and I was looking for con artists 380 00:25:23,882 --> 00:25:28,002 Speaker 1: to approach me so that we could do the sting operation. 381 00:25:29,162 --> 00:25:34,202 Speaker 3: Moon Rocks wanted send asking price. What Joseph expected were 382 00:25:34,282 --> 00:25:37,882 Speaker 3: a series of calls from con artists, and he did 383 00:25:38,082 --> 00:25:40,642 Speaker 3: get some of those, but then he got a call 384 00:25:40,762 --> 00:25:42,522 Speaker 3: from someone named Alan. 385 00:25:43,842 --> 00:25:46,842 Speaker 1: What we didn't expect guy by the name of Alan 386 00:25:46,922 --> 00:25:49,002 Speaker 1: Rosen to call me and say, hey, look, get all 387 00:25:49,042 --> 00:25:53,802 Speaker 1: those other guys that are calling you. That's bogus. You're 388 00:25:54,002 --> 00:25:56,002 Speaker 1: you know, nobody's allowed to own a moon rock. But 389 00:25:56,162 --> 00:26:01,162 Speaker 1: guess what I've got and it's for sale. And I said, 390 00:26:01,162 --> 00:26:05,002 Speaker 1: what's the asking price? He said five billion, dollars. 391 00:26:05,762 --> 00:26:09,282 Speaker 3: Allan didn't sound like the others. For one thing, he 392 00:26:09,362 --> 00:26:11,962 Speaker 3: had proof he was in possession of a moonrock. 393 00:26:12,562 --> 00:26:13,922 Speaker 2: He sent Joseph a. 394 00:26:13,762 --> 00:26:17,322 Speaker 3: Photo of the very same plaque used in the Goodwill 395 00:26:17,402 --> 00:26:21,322 Speaker 3: Moonrock tour, the wooden plaque with the country's flag and 396 00:26:21,562 --> 00:26:27,122 Speaker 3: Nixon's dedication. Alan, however, had taken one measure to make 397 00:26:27,162 --> 00:26:31,002 Speaker 3: a positive identification of which country it was from a 398 00:26:31,002 --> 00:26:32,162 Speaker 3: little more difficult. 399 00:26:32,842 --> 00:26:36,442 Speaker 1: The center of the flag was blocked out, as was 400 00:26:36,482 --> 00:26:40,682 Speaker 1: the recipient country. We contacted one country after the next, 401 00:26:40,722 --> 00:26:44,202 Speaker 1: and we found out, guess what, nobody knows where their 402 00:26:44,242 --> 00:26:47,562 Speaker 1: moon rocks. Some are We gifted the moon rocks, and 403 00:26:47,602 --> 00:26:50,082 Speaker 1: they don't know where they are. Some thought they never 404 00:26:50,122 --> 00:26:51,042 Speaker 1: even received them. 405 00:26:51,602 --> 00:26:55,882 Speaker 3: Joseph later learned that the rock belonged to Honduras. So 406 00:26:56,082 --> 00:26:59,962 Speaker 3: began the plan for the world's first ever sting operation 407 00:27:00,562 --> 00:27:05,202 Speaker 3: to recover a stolen moonrock. But there was another problem. 408 00:27:05,882 --> 00:27:10,082 Speaker 3: Alan knew what he had was very rare and very valuable. 409 00:27:10,642 --> 00:27:15,522 Speaker 3: His asking price was five million dollars in order to 410 00:27:15,642 --> 00:27:20,162 Speaker 3: provide Alan with proof of funds, Joe needed five million 411 00:27:20,242 --> 00:27:24,202 Speaker 3: dollars and NASA didn't pay him that well. So he 412 00:27:24,282 --> 00:27:28,042 Speaker 3: went to the FBI, who, according to Joseph, told him 413 00:27:28,162 --> 00:27:31,722 Speaker 3: they couldn't help. So he went to the CIA, and 414 00:27:32,002 --> 00:27:36,322 Speaker 3: they couldn't help either. Finally, Joseph called his father, a 415 00:27:36,362 --> 00:27:40,202 Speaker 3: former marine. His father didn't have the money, but he 416 00:27:40,282 --> 00:27:46,442 Speaker 3: had something more valuable, some fatherly advice. His dad told 417 00:27:46,522 --> 00:27:50,402 Speaker 3: him to make a phone call to one person in particular. 418 00:27:51,122 --> 00:27:54,322 Speaker 1: And so what we did was we contacted the guy 419 00:27:54,362 --> 00:27:58,362 Speaker 1: by name of h ross Brung, the billionaire who ran 420 00:27:58,442 --> 00:28:02,922 Speaker 1: for president nineteen ninety two, and got through to his 421 00:28:03,002 --> 00:28:06,842 Speaker 1: secretary and I said, hey, look, I need a need 422 00:28:06,762 --> 00:28:11,722 Speaker 1: a favor I'm looking for somebody. Can't really talk about it, 423 00:28:12,282 --> 00:28:16,322 Speaker 1: but if h ross broke all life, I'll convey that 424 00:28:16,402 --> 00:28:17,962 Speaker 1: information to him. 425 00:28:18,562 --> 00:28:21,882 Speaker 3: H ross Pro was one of the great characters of 426 00:28:21,922 --> 00:28:26,682 Speaker 3: the nineteen nineties, an excitable Texas billionaire who ran for 427 00:28:26,802 --> 00:28:30,922 Speaker 3: president in nineteen ninety two as an independent. He got 428 00:28:30,962 --> 00:28:35,642 Speaker 3: almost twenty million votes and lost to Bill Clinton, but 429 00:28:35,682 --> 00:28:37,562 Speaker 3: that didn't affect his patriotism. 430 00:28:38,482 --> 00:28:43,002 Speaker 1: Ten seconds later, the phone rings and h ross Pro's 431 00:28:43,122 --> 00:28:46,122 Speaker 1: on the other side and he goes, hello, Joe, how 432 00:28:46,162 --> 00:28:50,602 Speaker 1: can I help you? I said, mister prow what we 433 00:28:50,642 --> 00:28:52,962 Speaker 1: need is five million dollars to get back a Moon Rong. 434 00:28:53,722 --> 00:28:58,482 Speaker 1: He goes no problem and with the money in hand 435 00:28:58,642 --> 00:29:01,002 Speaker 1: to the bank, willing to give a letter saying that 436 00:29:01,042 --> 00:29:04,442 Speaker 1: we had the money, and so forth we set up 437 00:29:04,562 --> 00:29:10,242 Speaker 1: staying at a bank in Miami where he had the 438 00:29:10,282 --> 00:29:14,482 Speaker 1: Moon Rock in a vault, and so we put in 439 00:29:14,522 --> 00:29:17,402 Speaker 1: an undercover agent in the bank to pretend you'd be 440 00:29:17,442 --> 00:29:19,282 Speaker 1: an official that's going to photograph it. 441 00:29:20,322 --> 00:29:23,402 Speaker 3: Alan agreed to meet in Miami and have a bank 442 00:29:23,482 --> 00:29:27,402 Speaker 3: official photographed the Moon Rock so Joseph could verify that 443 00:29:27,442 --> 00:29:31,962 Speaker 3: Alan had it. Only the bank official was an undercover agent. 444 00:29:32,562 --> 00:29:37,442 Speaker 3: Joseph and his colleagues were waiting for Alan outside. It 445 00:29:37,522 --> 00:29:41,682 Speaker 3: turned out Alan had acquired the rock from Colonel Argucia Ugarte, 446 00:29:42,042 --> 00:29:45,202 Speaker 3: who claimed he'd been given it in the nineteen seventies 447 00:29:45,562 --> 00:29:49,962 Speaker 3: during political unrest in Honduras. Alan had agreed to buy 448 00:29:50,002 --> 00:29:54,602 Speaker 3: it for fifty thousand dollars. A judge had approved a 449 00:29:54,682 --> 00:29:58,482 Speaker 3: warrant to seize the rock. But now Joseph had to 450 00:29:58,522 --> 00:30:02,162 Speaker 3: get it back to NASA, which brings us back to 451 00:30:02,242 --> 00:30:02,882 Speaker 3: his pocket. 452 00:30:04,002 --> 00:30:07,842 Speaker 1: And so I fly back from Miami to Houston and 453 00:30:08,322 --> 00:30:13,122 Speaker 1: the boot rock semi pocket, got a briefcase I've armed, 454 00:30:13,762 --> 00:30:16,842 Speaker 1: and the whole nine yards and what I was thinking was, 455 00:30:16,882 --> 00:30:19,042 Speaker 1: if someone's going to steal anything, they're going to steal 456 00:30:19,082 --> 00:30:22,362 Speaker 1: the briefcase. They're not going to steal what's in my pocket. 457 00:30:22,882 --> 00:30:28,162 Speaker 1: And so then we brought that back immediately to Space 458 00:30:28,162 --> 00:30:30,962 Speaker 1: Center's Lunar Lab, where it was tested. 459 00:30:31,962 --> 00:30:36,602 Speaker 3: The sting, which was dubbed Operation Lunar Eclipse, was successful. 460 00:30:37,202 --> 00:30:40,002 Speaker 3: Alan Rosen tried to get the rock returned to him 461 00:30:40,042 --> 00:30:44,082 Speaker 3: in court, arguing he obtained it legally, but a judge 462 00:30:44,122 --> 00:30:46,882 Speaker 3: sided with NASA and ruled the rock had to be 463 00:30:47,002 --> 00:30:51,762 Speaker 3: forfeited to the US government. The Space Agency then returned 464 00:30:51,762 --> 00:30:55,722 Speaker 3: it to Honduras, but NASA didn't have the resources to 465 00:30:55,842 --> 00:30:59,562 Speaker 3: make a hunt for missing moon rocks an ongoing project. 466 00:31:00,322 --> 00:31:03,882 Speaker 3: When Joseph retired from the Space Agency in two thousand, 467 00:31:04,282 --> 00:31:07,282 Speaker 3: he decided to outsource the search to a g he 468 00:31:07,362 --> 00:31:10,842 Speaker 3: knew would be very devoted to the cause, his students 469 00:31:10,962 --> 00:31:12,722 Speaker 3: at the University of Phoenix. 470 00:31:13,202 --> 00:31:17,602 Speaker 1: But again, NASA Office of Inspector General is very, very small. 471 00:31:18,242 --> 00:31:22,002 Speaker 1: We have under one hundred agents, and so I could 472 00:31:22,042 --> 00:31:26,282 Speaker 1: not sell them with the idea of expending resources to 473 00:31:26,442 --> 00:31:30,802 Speaker 1: look for moon rocks that we gifted away. And so 474 00:31:31,522 --> 00:31:37,802 Speaker 1: when I retired from NASA, I started telling my graduate 475 00:31:37,882 --> 00:31:43,042 Speaker 1: criminal justice graduate students, I've got this really great investigative 476 00:31:43,202 --> 00:31:45,202 Speaker 1: rill that i want you to go through. It's called 477 00:31:45,202 --> 00:31:48,682 Speaker 1: the Moon Rock Project. And here are all the moon 478 00:31:48,762 --> 00:31:51,002 Speaker 1: rocks that we're trying to account for all over the world. 479 00:31:51,042 --> 00:31:52,682 Speaker 1: I want you to go out and try to find. 480 00:31:53,842 --> 00:31:56,322 Speaker 1: And what we did not realize at the time was 481 00:31:56,362 --> 00:31:59,802 Speaker 1: that so many were actually stolen and missing, and that 482 00:31:59,882 --> 00:32:03,682 Speaker 1: virtually no country had it in an inventory control system, 483 00:32:03,842 --> 00:32:06,122 Speaker 1: that even if they had it, they knew where they were. 484 00:32:07,162 --> 00:32:11,482 Speaker 3: Systematically, He and his students tried to chase down as 485 00:32:11,522 --> 00:32:14,722 Speaker 3: many leads as they could for the missing rocks, which 486 00:32:14,762 --> 00:32:19,642 Speaker 3: turned up in some surprising places. The Apollo seventeen rock, 487 00:32:19,802 --> 00:32:23,522 Speaker 3: gifted to Arkansas, was found in the archives of former 488 00:32:23,602 --> 00:32:28,282 Speaker 3: Governor Bill Clinton. His predecessor David Pryor, had received it 489 00:32:28,322 --> 00:32:31,762 Speaker 3: in nineteen seventy six, and it was probably just packed 490 00:32:31,842 --> 00:32:36,322 Speaker 3: up when Clinton lost reelection in nineteen eighty. He was 491 00:32:36,402 --> 00:32:39,482 Speaker 3: one of three governors who happened to be in possession 492 00:32:39,602 --> 00:32:44,922 Speaker 3: of a rock in Cyprus, the American ambassador had been assassinated. 493 00:32:45,362 --> 00:32:49,042 Speaker 3: A diplomat relative grabbed the rock and held onto it 494 00:32:49,402 --> 00:32:52,082 Speaker 3: until she read about the missing rocks. In two thousand 495 00:32:52,122 --> 00:32:56,242 Speaker 3: and nine, some rocks were in storage, at least one 496 00:32:56,562 --> 00:33:00,762 Speaker 3: probably wound up in a landfill. Joseph and his team 497 00:33:01,082 --> 00:33:06,002 Speaker 3: found seventy eight of them, but many are still missing. 498 00:33:06,042 --> 00:33:08,322 Speaker 1: And those are just and again one hundred and fifty 499 00:33:08,322 --> 00:33:11,082 Speaker 1: are missing. Some of the states are missing them. The 500 00:33:11,322 --> 00:33:15,762 Speaker 1: Orc's missing their poll eleven, Delaware's missing their poll eleven. 501 00:33:16,442 --> 00:33:20,162 Speaker 1: New Jersey's missing their poul seventeen. And a lot of 502 00:33:20,202 --> 00:33:24,602 Speaker 1: the nations the world are missing them, no doubt, there's 503 00:33:24,682 --> 00:33:26,842 Speaker 1: no doubt in my mind that is a black market. 504 00:33:27,962 --> 00:33:32,202 Speaker 3: But what about Canada's Goodwill Rock, the Jamie Matthews Rock. 505 00:33:32,722 --> 00:33:36,002 Speaker 3: By the time Joseph began his Moon Rock project in 506 00:33:36,002 --> 00:33:39,322 Speaker 3: two thousand and two, Jamie's rock had been missing for 507 00:33:39,402 --> 00:33:44,802 Speaker 3: well over two decades, and it carried a significant price tag. 508 00:33:45,562 --> 00:33:49,002 Speaker 1: One of a kind and to a collector, that's in value. 509 00:33:49,482 --> 00:33:53,362 Speaker 1: When we in Operation Lunar Eclipse, and remember this goes 510 00:33:53,442 --> 00:33:57,842 Speaker 1: back some time, the seller Alan Rosen offered it to 511 00:33:57,882 --> 00:34:01,642 Speaker 1: be for five dollars and I said, oh well, let 512 00:34:01,722 --> 00:34:04,722 Speaker 1: me research that and talk to you. And I talked 513 00:34:04,762 --> 00:34:08,802 Speaker 1: to some experts in Nassa. Priceless, that's what they said. 514 00:34:09,282 --> 00:34:13,402 Speaker 1: But along the lines of priceless five million dollars could 515 00:34:13,442 --> 00:34:14,842 Speaker 1: be a reasonable. 516 00:34:15,602 --> 00:34:19,562 Speaker 3: And as Joe's students began diving into the story, they 517 00:34:19,682 --> 00:34:21,442 Speaker 3: discovered something odd. 518 00:34:22,642 --> 00:34:25,602 Speaker 1: In two thousand and two, they started finding the story 519 00:34:25,722 --> 00:34:29,842 Speaker 1: that he's recounting that it was stolen in nineteen seventy eight. 520 00:34:30,682 --> 00:34:34,162 Speaker 1: And I'm going to my students, they go, that's not acceptable. 521 00:34:34,522 --> 00:34:37,602 Speaker 1: It's not acceptable that you're getting a story that says 522 00:34:37,642 --> 00:34:43,522 Speaker 1: it was stolen. Where's the police report, where's the newspaper stories. 523 00:34:44,402 --> 00:34:47,282 Speaker 1: You know, this is a piece of Canadian history and 524 00:34:47,562 --> 00:34:52,802 Speaker 1: NASA history. Where is the trail? And so they kept 525 00:34:52,842 --> 00:34:53,402 Speaker 1: cracking it. 526 00:34:54,242 --> 00:34:59,482 Speaker 3: There was no police report and no news stories. Jamie's 527 00:34:59,482 --> 00:35:04,802 Speaker 3: moon Rock was nowhere. For years afterward, Jamie had kept 528 00:35:04,842 --> 00:35:08,802 Speaker 3: on calling the museum asked if the moon Rock had reappeared. 529 00:35:09,722 --> 00:35:14,042 Speaker 7: I kept calling back like every year to find out, 530 00:35:14,242 --> 00:35:18,162 Speaker 7: and they said, we don't know. And finally, after like 531 00:35:18,442 --> 00:35:24,122 Speaker 7: ten years, I just said, Okay, it's never gonna get back. 532 00:35:24,962 --> 00:35:29,282 Speaker 3: The nineteen seventies turned into the nineteen eighties. Jamie attended 533 00:35:29,322 --> 00:35:33,242 Speaker 3: the University of Toronto and the University of Western Ontario. 534 00:35:33,722 --> 00:35:34,842 Speaker 3: He got a job. 535 00:35:34,962 --> 00:35:36,842 Speaker 2: He sometimes forgot about the rock. 536 00:35:37,442 --> 00:35:40,842 Speaker 3: The nineteen eighties turned into the nineteen nineties and then 537 00:35:40,922 --> 00:35:45,322 Speaker 3: the two thousands. When something is missing for decades, the 538 00:35:45,362 --> 00:35:49,482 Speaker 3: odds of ever finding it again are slim. The Moonrock 539 00:35:49,642 --> 00:35:54,802 Speaker 3: had officially wound up on the proverbial milk carton. Then 540 00:35:55,442 --> 00:35:59,322 Speaker 3: one day in two thousand and eight, Jamie decided to 541 00:35:59,442 --> 00:36:04,082 Speaker 3: use the single best investigative tool of them all, Google. 542 00:36:15,202 --> 00:36:18,122 Speaker 3: In two thousand and eight, Jamie wasn't really looking for 543 00:36:18,202 --> 00:36:21,882 Speaker 3: the rock fragment, but for the rock itself. He was 544 00:36:21,922 --> 00:36:25,242 Speaker 3: hoping to find a picture of the larger piece, the 545 00:36:25,242 --> 00:36:28,642 Speaker 3: one the astronauts of Apollo seventeen had returned to Earth 546 00:36:28,682 --> 00:36:32,842 Speaker 3: with before it was segmented into smaller sections. But when 547 00:36:32,882 --> 00:36:36,162 Speaker 3: he tried googling, he found something else instead. 548 00:36:36,802 --> 00:36:40,202 Speaker 7: And I wanted to get a thing before it was 549 00:36:40,282 --> 00:36:44,082 Speaker 7: gotten into all those paces, so the big thing the 550 00:36:44,122 --> 00:36:47,682 Speaker 7: first time. So I was looking there. I figured somebody 551 00:36:47,762 --> 00:36:51,882 Speaker 7: must have it, and then I found my thing. 552 00:36:52,762 --> 00:36:56,242 Speaker 3: What Jamie found was a photo of a man holding 553 00:36:56,282 --> 00:37:00,722 Speaker 3: his moon rock, really Canada's moon rock, but still it 554 00:37:00,842 --> 00:37:04,442 Speaker 3: was on the plaque. The digital photo had a visible 555 00:37:04,562 --> 00:37:08,962 Speaker 3: watermark with the date the photo from two thousand, eight 556 00:37:09,042 --> 00:37:12,882 Speaker 3: years prior. Jamie was able to trace the origin of 557 00:37:12,922 --> 00:37:17,282 Speaker 3: the photo to a storage facility in Aylmer, Quebec, one 558 00:37:17,482 --> 00:37:22,242 Speaker 3: that belonged to the museum. He phoned the curator and. 559 00:37:22,282 --> 00:37:26,282 Speaker 7: I said, wait what And so I looked and I 560 00:37:26,362 --> 00:37:31,162 Speaker 7: found out that it was in a warehouse in a 561 00:37:31,202 --> 00:37:37,242 Speaker 7: place in Quebec for thirty five years and nobody knows 562 00:37:37,562 --> 00:37:40,682 Speaker 7: how it got there. But as soon as I knew it, 563 00:37:40,842 --> 00:37:45,602 Speaker 7: I called the curator and I said, hey, you've got 564 00:37:45,642 --> 00:37:49,322 Speaker 7: my room rock. It took me a while to say 565 00:37:49,602 --> 00:37:52,202 Speaker 7: because he didn't believe me at first. 566 00:37:53,242 --> 00:37:57,082 Speaker 3: As more of the story came out, it seemed increasingly 567 00:37:57,242 --> 00:38:01,922 Speaker 3: unlikely the rock had ever been stolen. The museum had 568 00:38:01,962 --> 00:38:06,242 Speaker 3: no record of a theft, Joseph Goodheinz had never found 569 00:38:06,322 --> 00:38:11,002 Speaker 3: a police. More than likely it had been clinton and 570 00:38:11,322 --> 00:38:15,722 Speaker 3: misplaced for decades. Here's Joseph Goodheinz again. 571 00:38:17,002 --> 00:38:20,802 Speaker 1: What my guess is, and only having dealt with these 572 00:38:20,842 --> 00:38:25,802 Speaker 1: all over the world is because nobody accounted for these 573 00:38:27,202 --> 00:38:29,922 Speaker 1: that after they were done with their lou tour, they 574 00:38:30,722 --> 00:38:32,802 Speaker 1: they said, okay, where do we put put them over 575 00:38:32,842 --> 00:38:36,402 Speaker 1: in storage over here? They did and it was sort 576 00:38:36,442 --> 00:38:40,202 Speaker 1: of like you know in box three thousand and five. 577 00:38:40,322 --> 00:38:44,842 Speaker 1: Who knows, but they just lost bracket over the decades. 578 00:38:46,202 --> 00:38:49,282 Speaker 3: But why had the museum told Jamie the rock had 579 00:38:49,322 --> 00:38:52,082 Speaker 3: been stolen instead of misplaced? 580 00:38:52,842 --> 00:38:55,442 Speaker 7: And nobody knows how it got there. So it's a 581 00:38:55,442 --> 00:38:59,362 Speaker 7: little bit like Indiana Jones at the Last movie, except 582 00:38:59,402 --> 00:39:04,082 Speaker 7: for me. It's like Indiana Jamie and the Lost Run Rock. 583 00:39:04,522 --> 00:39:07,082 Speaker 7: It was just there and nobody knows how it got there. 584 00:39:07,402 --> 00:39:10,402 Speaker 7: Nobody knows because if you go back to that time, 585 00:39:10,842 --> 00:39:12,202 Speaker 7: nobody is around anymore. 586 00:39:12,882 --> 00:39:16,522 Speaker 3: Maybe they simply wanted him to stop calling. But there's 587 00:39:16,602 --> 00:39:20,482 Speaker 3: another wrinkle to the story. Remember that Joseph and his 588 00:39:20,602 --> 00:39:24,002 Speaker 3: graduate students were looking into the rock as early as 589 00:39:24,042 --> 00:39:27,402 Speaker 3: two thousand and two. Jamie found the photo in two 590 00:39:27,402 --> 00:39:28,242 Speaker 3: thousand and eight. 591 00:39:29,162 --> 00:39:32,122 Speaker 1: My students actually tracked it down in two thousand and three. 592 00:39:32,202 --> 00:39:37,042 Speaker 3: Then, according to Joseph, his students had actually located the 593 00:39:37,162 --> 00:39:41,482 Speaker 3: rock five years earlier, in two thousand and three in Aylmer, 594 00:39:42,322 --> 00:39:45,882 Speaker 3: not through Google, but through detective work. They called every 595 00:39:46,002 --> 00:39:50,642 Speaker 3: museum and museum associated building in the area. The problem was, 596 00:39:50,842 --> 00:39:52,842 Speaker 3: no one told Jamie. 597 00:39:52,922 --> 00:39:57,362 Speaker 1: Well, here's the thing he's start wrong two thousand. He 598 00:39:57,802 --> 00:40:01,882 Speaker 1: probably did discovery two thousand and eight. Because the problem 599 00:40:01,962 --> 00:40:06,082 Speaker 1: with that Boon rock is it was never into an 600 00:40:06,082 --> 00:40:09,762 Speaker 1: inventory control system and maybe there was somebody that discovered 601 00:40:09,762 --> 00:40:13,602 Speaker 1: it nineteen ninety five. But you discover it, there it is, 602 00:40:14,842 --> 00:40:16,282 Speaker 1: and then you forget about it. 603 00:40:17,202 --> 00:40:20,602 Speaker 3: Jamie didn't realize they had it until two thousand and eight, 604 00:40:21,122 --> 00:40:24,082 Speaker 3: and it wasn't until two thousand and nine when Boy 605 00:40:24,202 --> 00:40:29,122 Speaker 3: and Rock were reunited. The National Museum of Natural Sciences 606 00:40:29,282 --> 00:40:33,082 Speaker 3: now known as the Canadian Museum of Nature wasn't able 607 00:40:33,122 --> 00:40:35,922 Speaker 3: to put the Moon Rock back on display, so it 608 00:40:36,002 --> 00:40:39,522 Speaker 3: went to the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa 609 00:40:39,922 --> 00:40:44,002 Speaker 3: on loan. There, Jamie was able to see it for 610 00:40:44,122 --> 00:40:48,522 Speaker 3: the first time in over thirty years. Fittingly, it was 611 00:40:48,562 --> 00:40:54,442 Speaker 3: the fortieth anniversary of the Apollo eleven moon landing. Canada's 612 00:40:54,482 --> 00:40:58,002 Speaker 3: goodwill Moonrock is now with the Canadian Museum of Nature, 613 00:40:58,122 --> 00:41:02,362 Speaker 3: where it periodically goes on display. The rock's journey had 614 00:41:02,402 --> 00:41:06,922 Speaker 3: been a little murky. Jamie's wasn't. A love of astronom 615 00:41:07,082 --> 00:41:11,242 Speaker 3: me turned into a love of astrophysics. He became Doctor 616 00:41:11,522 --> 00:41:17,002 Speaker 3: Jamie Matthews and then Professor Jamie Matthews, an astrophysicist at 617 00:41:17,042 --> 00:41:21,122 Speaker 3: the University of British Columbia, where he measures the vibrations 618 00:41:21,162 --> 00:41:24,042 Speaker 3: of stars too far away to be seen by a 619 00:41:24,122 --> 00:41:28,562 Speaker 3: telescope on Earth, not even a telescope in a cemetery. 620 00:41:29,522 --> 00:41:33,642 Speaker 3: A stroke has resulted in some expressive aphasia, a little 621 00:41:33,682 --> 00:41:37,882 Speaker 3: trouble finding words, but it hasn't slowed his work or 622 00:41:37,922 --> 00:41:42,002 Speaker 3: his love for it. Bearing witness to the Apollo seventeen mission, 623 00:41:42,522 --> 00:41:45,682 Speaker 3: caring for a piece of lunar rock set him on 624 00:41:45,762 --> 00:41:47,042 Speaker 3: a path for life. 625 00:41:47,962 --> 00:41:50,202 Speaker 7: Oh no, it was. It was really good for me. 626 00:41:50,482 --> 00:41:54,362 Speaker 7: So after this I did lots of lots of things 627 00:41:54,442 --> 00:41:58,402 Speaker 7: after that with space and astronomy and so on. So no, 628 00:41:58,642 --> 00:42:02,002 Speaker 7: this was a come on, how many people have their 629 00:42:02,082 --> 00:42:07,602 Speaker 7: own moonlock? I mean, it's wonderful for me, So that 630 00:42:07,682 --> 00:42:10,442 Speaker 7: will always be one of the things that I like 631 00:42:10,762 --> 00:42:14,802 Speaker 7: is the fact that I actually am had a real 632 00:42:15,082 --> 00:42:21,002 Speaker 7: moon rock, And so yeah, I couldn't expect anything more 633 00:42:21,082 --> 00:42:22,202 Speaker 7: than that, to be honest. 634 00:42:22,762 --> 00:42:25,882 Speaker 3: There was a study released in late twenty twenty three 635 00:42:26,362 --> 00:42:30,882 Speaker 3: the Apollo seventeen lunar lander module, which was left behind 636 00:42:30,922 --> 00:42:36,082 Speaker 3: on the Moon, may be causing tiny moonquakes, small changes 637 00:42:36,162 --> 00:42:40,522 Speaker 3: to the lunar surface from the materials expanding and contracting 638 00:42:40,642 --> 00:42:45,282 Speaker 3: with temperature changes. But Apollo seventeen has been causing those 639 00:42:45,322 --> 00:42:50,242 Speaker 3: tremors for a long time. The mission reverberated through dozens 640 00:42:50,242 --> 00:42:54,162 Speaker 3: of teenagers who were invited to witness history in nineteen 641 00:42:54,282 --> 00:42:58,402 Speaker 3: seventy two, through people like Joseph Goodheitz, who want to 642 00:42:58,522 --> 00:43:02,562 Speaker 3: protect the legacy of those missions, missions that were only 643 00:43:02,642 --> 00:43:08,562 Speaker 3: possible because astronauts sacrificed themselves in our pursuit of lofty goals, 644 00:43:09,282 --> 00:43:13,602 Speaker 3: And through Jamie Matthews, who for a brief time owned 645 00:43:13,642 --> 00:43:16,882 Speaker 3: a tiny piece of it all and got a book 646 00:43:16,922 --> 00:43:18,362 Speaker 3: about birds in return. 647 00:43:19,362 --> 00:43:23,042 Speaker 7: And I still have it, of course, So no, now 648 00:43:23,082 --> 00:43:26,202 Speaker 7: it's it really is nice for me, But at the 649 00:43:26,242 --> 00:43:28,522 Speaker 7: time it was like birds. 650 00:43:28,282 --> 00:43:35,762 Speaker 3: Nah, okay, I have to feel like coming back that. 651 00:43:36,162 --> 00:43:39,482 Speaker 3: Playing Marco Polo with Neil Armstrong is like maybe the 652 00:43:39,522 --> 00:43:40,842 Speaker 3: biggest flex of all time. 653 00:43:41,282 --> 00:43:42,922 Speaker 6: Oh are you kidding me? He touched the moon. You 654 00:43:42,922 --> 00:43:44,602 Speaker 6: got to touch him playing Marco Polo. I mean not 655 00:43:44,602 --> 00:43:46,642 Speaker 6: to be weird about it, but you're like, Neil Boom 656 00:43:46,722 --> 00:43:47,082 Speaker 6: got you. 657 00:43:47,442 --> 00:43:48,122 Speaker 5: That's crazy. 658 00:43:48,242 --> 00:43:50,162 Speaker 3: He touched the moon and so if you touched him, 659 00:43:50,202 --> 00:43:51,562 Speaker 3: it's like you've touched the moon. 660 00:43:51,602 --> 00:43:54,002 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's like two degrees of Kevin Bacon but the moon. 661 00:43:54,802 --> 00:43:58,282 Speaker 8: And in that story he just casually mentions like, oh yeah, 662 00:43:58,322 --> 00:44:02,202 Speaker 8: I met Richard Nixon, but Nah didn't do anything for him. 663 00:44:02,362 --> 00:44:03,162 Speaker 4: That's so good. 664 00:44:04,042 --> 00:44:04,962 Speaker 7: I love Jamie. 665 00:44:05,122 --> 00:44:08,042 Speaker 3: I have to say that, like living in la and 666 00:44:08,122 --> 00:44:11,042 Speaker 3: like pitching TV constantly, you're always like talking to network 667 00:44:11,082 --> 00:44:13,522 Speaker 3: executives who are just like we're looking for like the 668 00:44:13,522 --> 00:44:16,522 Speaker 3: next procedural we really want, just like a crime procedural. 669 00:44:16,562 --> 00:44:19,602 Speaker 3: And I'm like, where is NASA's Special Agents? 670 00:44:20,122 --> 00:44:21,162 Speaker 2: Where's that show? 671 00:44:21,602 --> 00:44:23,762 Speaker 5: I mean that is like CBS written all over it. 672 00:44:24,082 --> 00:44:26,202 Speaker 2: Oh God, right, CSI, NASA? 673 00:44:26,322 --> 00:44:26,522 Speaker 7: Yeah? 674 00:44:26,562 --> 00:44:27,242 Speaker 5: Are you kidding me? 675 00:44:27,602 --> 00:44:27,762 Speaker 7: Now? 676 00:44:27,802 --> 00:44:29,882 Speaker 6: Did you guys have a very special character of this 677 00:44:29,922 --> 00:44:31,162 Speaker 6: episode that was your favorite? 678 00:44:31,202 --> 00:44:32,682 Speaker 5: Do you have one that just jumped out for you? 679 00:44:33,242 --> 00:44:34,042 Speaker 2: M Jason? 680 00:44:34,602 --> 00:44:37,602 Speaker 8: I was thinking about going with Neil Armstrong and his 681 00:44:37,962 --> 00:44:40,922 Speaker 8: wife and kids splashing around the pool, which just was 682 00:44:41,282 --> 00:44:42,122 Speaker 8: a cool cameo. 683 00:44:44,082 --> 00:44:45,762 Speaker 5: But did we just talked about Neil? 684 00:44:45,962 --> 00:44:48,642 Speaker 3: I actually think the very special character in this episode 685 00:44:48,682 --> 00:44:52,602 Speaker 3: is me, Dana Schwartz, the volunteer at the Adler Planetarium, 686 00:44:52,762 --> 00:44:56,842 Speaker 3: tangentially related to the story, just devoted to educating the 687 00:44:56,882 --> 00:44:59,002 Speaker 3: next generation of space loving kids. 688 00:44:59,282 --> 00:45:01,522 Speaker 8: Actually I have a different character. 689 00:45:01,602 --> 00:45:03,762 Speaker 2: Let me just re is it also me? 690 00:45:05,682 --> 00:45:09,482 Speaker 8: How about the guy at the museum who, after fielding 691 00:45:09,522 --> 00:45:12,802 Speaker 8: these calls for several years just decides like, I know 692 00:45:12,842 --> 00:45:14,962 Speaker 8: how to put an end to this. I'll tell them 693 00:45:15,002 --> 00:45:20,242 Speaker 8: it's stolen. What a great way to get get someone 694 00:45:20,282 --> 00:45:20,922 Speaker 8: off your back. 695 00:45:21,082 --> 00:45:22,682 Speaker 6: Yeah, that is one hundred percent a great way to 696 00:45:22,682 --> 00:45:24,002 Speaker 6: get someone off your back. In fact, I think I've 697 00:45:24,042 --> 00:45:25,722 Speaker 6: done that. They're like, oh, I don't know where it is. 698 00:45:25,762 --> 00:45:29,002 Speaker 6: Your card was stolen? Man to stop calling me now, Dan, 699 00:45:29,122 --> 00:45:31,522 Speaker 6: I got to say, in all honesty, you were also 700 00:45:31,602 --> 00:45:34,082 Speaker 6: my favorite Special Episode characters. So I don't know what 701 00:45:34,122 --> 00:45:36,522 Speaker 6: you why Jason was thinking, but I went with you too. 702 00:45:37,242 --> 00:45:38,962 Speaker 2: Thank you very much. I appreciate it. 703 00:45:39,002 --> 00:45:40,082 Speaker 7: Top five, Top five. 704 00:45:40,162 --> 00:45:42,642 Speaker 6: Yeah, come on, volunteers. We got to support the volunteers. 705 00:45:42,762 --> 00:45:43,482 Speaker 6: Do it for love. 706 00:45:48,442 --> 00:45:51,682 Speaker 10: Very Special Episodes is made by some very special people. 707 00:45:52,562 --> 00:45:57,642 Speaker 10: This episode was written by Jake Rawson. Our producer, editor 708 00:45:57,842 --> 00:46:03,082 Speaker 10: and sound designer is Josh Fisher. Additional editing by John Washington, 709 00:46:03,842 --> 00:46:07,602 Speaker 10: mixing and mastering by the Heath Fraser. Very Special Episodes 710 00:46:07,682 --> 00:46:12,282 Speaker 10: is hosted by Danish Wartz, Sarah Burnette and me Jason English. 711 00:46:12,802 --> 00:46:17,802 Speaker 10: Original music by Elise McCoy. Our story editor is Marisa Brown. 712 00:46:18,682 --> 00:46:22,482 Speaker 10: Research in fact checking by Marissa Brown, Austin Thompson and 713 00:46:22,602 --> 00:46:28,482 Speaker 10: Jake Rawson. Show logo by Lucy Quintania. Our executive producer 714 00:46:28,522 --> 00:46:31,922 Speaker 10: is me Jason English. Go to see you back here 715 00:46:31,962 --> 00:46:36,642 Speaker 10: next week after our first very Special field trip Very 716 00:46:36,682 --> 00:46:39,762 Speaker 10: Special Episodes is a production of iHeart Podcasts.