Intern took $21 million worth of lunar material for use during sexual activities to achieve ‘sex on the moon’

The Unusual Heist of NASA Moon Rocks

Over two decades ago, a NASA intern named Sad Roberts devised a daring scheme to steal a collection of lunar rocks weighing 17 pounds from the Johnson Space Center in Houston. These samples, originating from various Apollo missions, are kept in a hefty safe, valued at a staggering $21 million.

At just 24 years old, Roberts was juggling a triple major in physics, geology, and geophysics at the University of Utah. He was also facing financial struggles while trying to assist his wife in getting back to Utah. It felt like a daunting task.

The first hurdle was securing a buyer. With the assistance of a friend, Gordon McWater, Roberts found online connections to Belgian buyers who were prepared to offer between $1,000 and $5,000 per gram. Unfortunately, suspicion arose, and the buyers alerted the FBI, who then advised them to keep interactions going during an investigation.

During this time, Roberts met Tiffany Fowler, a fellow NASA intern working in stem cell research. Their connection quickly developed into a romantic relationship, and within weeks, they were cohabiting. Once Roberts shared his plans with Fowler, she agreed to lend a hand.

They brought in another intern, Shae Saur, and one night, the trio managed to sneak into the Johnson Space Center using their NASA credentials, successfully taking the entire safe.

Afterward, they attempted to open it in their hotel room using a power saw.

On July 20, 2002, the day marking the 33rd anniversary of the first moon landing, Roberts and Fowler traveled to Orlando to meet with the family of a Belgian buyer. While waiting, Roberts cleverly tucked a piece of the moon rock under the bedspread, humorously claiming it was their way of having “moon sex” to symbolize their audacious act.

“I placed some moon rocks under the blanket in my bed… I didn’t mention it, but I think she could feel it,” he stated in a later interview.

When they finally met the supposed buyers, they were instead confronted by an undercover FBI agent. The agency later noted that the stolen items were “essentially useless” to scientific research and reported that Roberts had also destroyed a significant amount of handwritten research notes from NASA scientists, although the moon rock was retrieved from his hotel room.

Following his arrest, Roberts confessed to additional crimes, including stealing dinosaur bones and fossils from a natural history museum.

Ultimately, Roberts received an eight-year federal prison sentence, though he completed only six years. Fowler and Saur were each handed 180 days of house arrest alongside community service, while McWater was sentenced to six years in prison.