Apollo 15 covers: Halt to astronaut sales

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Author	Topic: Apollo 15 covers: Halt to astronaut sales
spacehiker Member Posts: 389 From: London, UK Registered: Aug 2009	posted 01-18-2020 06:04 AM I've just finished Chris Kraft's book and I was intrigued by a few comments he made regarding the Apollo 15 Sieger stamp scandal. He makes the comment that he insisted that for all future missions each astronaut sign an agreement which prevented them from selling any items from their personal packs but allowed them to gift items. How does this therefore tie in with the sale by many post-Apollo 15 astronauts of items they took into space? Kraft also comments that 15 or more astronauts were suspended. Does anyone know who was suspended aside from the Apollo 15 crew? Thanks.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 43073 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 01-18-2020 01:23 PM Any such agreement would only be enforceable so long as they were active astronauts. Once retired, no such restrictions apply. Similar restrictions exist for astronauts today, by way of federal law, that prevent any civil servant (astronaut or otherwise) from using their position to personally profit (or profit others). But that law only applies while employed by the government. Once retired, anything in the (legal) possession of the former civil servant is theirs to do with what they like. And then there is the 2012 law that affirms the Apollo-era astronauts' rights to the mementos they kept from their time as NASA employees. That law clears any question about the legality of any sale (or donation), other than loose lunar dust, soil or rock.
spacehiker Member Posts: 389 From: London, UK Registered: Aug 2009	posted 01-18-2020 01:43 PM Thanks for clarifying the position Robert. I was aware of the 2012 law but was unsure of the position prior to this.

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