Cyprus lunar sample displays
The Cyprus lunar sample displays are part of two commemorative plaques consisting of tiny fragments of Moon specimens brought back with the Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 lunar missions. These plaques were given to the people of the Republic of Cyprus by United States President Richard Nixon as goodwill gifts.
Description
= Apollo 11 =
{{main| Apollo 11 lunar sample display}}
{{Apollo 11 lunar sample display}}
= Apollo 17 =
{{main|Apollo 17 lunar sample display}}
{{Apollo 17 lunar sample display}}
History
An international mystery of how the Cyprus goodwill Moon rock was offered for sale on the black market begins in 1960. During a coup of 1974 the Presidential Palace burned. The Cyprus "Moon rock" plaque from Apollo 17 was considered lost at that time.{{cite news |url=http://www.topix.com/forum/world/cyprus/T4N38HHK1FLLS70FD |title=Cyprus a victim of lunar larceny |location=London, UK |publisher=Topix Cyprus |date=September 17, 2009 |access-date=November 4, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305134052/http://www.topix.com/forum/world/cyprus/T4N38HHK1FLLS70FD |archive-date=March 5, 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/Misplaced-from-space-1544200.php |date=7 May 2010 |access-date=13 November 2012 |work=Houston Chronicle |first=Mike |last=Tolson |title=Misplaced From Space: Every nation received a moon rock — some of them can't find it |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110821001720/https://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/Misplaced-from-space-1544200.php |archive-date=2011-08-21}} Subsequent information revealed that the display was never actually given to the Cyprus government, rather was kept at the US embassy in Nicosia during the 1974 coup d'état (Turkish invasion), which caused a delayed presentation of the plaque. But American diplomatic personnel left the island and the display went missing, showing up on the black market years later, in the hands of the son of a previous US diplomat.
NASA reported in May 2010 that the Office of Inspector General recovered the Apollo 17 plaque and are preparing to re-gift it. According to Robert Pearlman, the whereabouts of the Cyprus Apollo 11 goodwill lunar display are unknown.
See also
References
{{reflist|2}}
Further reading
- {{cite book |title=The Case of the Missing Moon Rocks |pages=47 |first1=Joe |last1=Kloc|publisher=The Atavist/Amazon Digital Services, Inc |date=February 19, 2012 |asin=B007BGZNZ8}}
{{Lunar sample displays|state=expanded}}
{{The Moon}}
Category:Stolen and missing Moon rocks
Category:Unexplained disappearances