The Colombia lunar sample displays are two unmounted

commemorative plaque A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, bearing text or an image in relief, or both, ...

s consisting of small fragments of

Moon rock Moon rock or lunar rock is rock originating from Earth's Moon. This includes lunar material collected during the course of human exploration of the Moon, and rock that has been ejected naturally from the Moon's surface and landed on Earth ...

brought back with the

Apollo 11 Apollo 11 was a spaceflight conducted from July 16 to 24, 1969, by the United States and launched by NASA. It marked the first time that humans Moon landing, landed on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin l ...

and

Apollo 17 Apollo 17 (December 7–19, 1972) was the eleventh and final mission of NASA's Apollo program, the sixth and most recent time humans have set foot on the Moon. Commander Gene Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt walked on the Moon, ...

lunar missions. The samples are part of the permanent collection of the Bogotá Planetarium where they are displayed to the general public along with the

flags of Colombia A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and flags have e ...

which were transported aboard the Apollo missions and other related documents and photographs.

Description

Apollo 11

Lunar fragments from the Sea of Tranquility

At the request of then United States President Richard Nixon,

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

had about 250 presentation plaques made following

in 1969. Each included about four rice-sized particles of

Moon dust Lunar regolith is the unconsolidated material found on the surface of the Moon and in the Moon's tenuous atmosphere. Sometimes referred to as Lunar soil, Lunar soil specifically refers to the component of regolith smaller than 1 cm. It differ ...

from the mission totaling about 50 mg. The Apollo 11 lunar sample display has an acrylic plastic button containing the Moon dust mounted with the recipient's country or state flag that had been to the Moon and back. All 135 countries received the display, as did the 50 states of the United States and the U.S. provinces and the United Nations. The plaques were given as gifts by Nixon in 1970. Since being placed on public viewing, the Colombia Apollo 11 lunar display has been dismounted from the wooden stand in which it was originally presented and placed in a custom

display case A display case (also called a showcase, display cabinet, shadow box, or vitrine) is a Cabinet (furniture), cabinet with one or often more transparency and translucency, transparent tempered glass (or plastic, normally Poly(methyl methacrylate), ...

along with the Apollo 17 lunar display.

Apollo 17

The sample Moon rock collected during the

mission was later named lunar basalt 70017, and dubbed the ''Goodwill rock''. Pieces of the rock weighing about 1.14 grams were placed inside a piece of acrylic lucite, and mounted, along with a flag of the country which would receive it, that had flown on Apollo 17. In 1973, then United States President Richard Nixon had the plaques sent to 135 countries, including Colombia, as a goodwill gesture. The display for Colombia was personally presented by

Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aerospace engineering, aeronautical engineer who, in 1969, became the Apollo 11#Lunar surface operations, first person to walk on the Moon. He was al ...

to the people of Colombia. Since being placed on public viewing, the Colombia Apollo 17 lunar display has been dismounted from the wooden stand in which it was originally presented and placed in a custom display case along with the Apollo 11 lunar display.

History

Misael Pastrana Borrero Misael Eduardo Pastrana Borrero (14 November 1923 – 21 August 1997) was a Colombian politician and lawyer who served as the 23rd President of Colombia from 1970 to 1974. He was also the father of the 30th President Andrés Pastrana Arango. ...

, as

President of Colombia The president of Colombia (President of the Republic) is the head of state and head of government of Colombia. The president heads the executive branch of the Government of Colombia, national government and is the commander-in-chief of the Mil ...

between 1970 and 1974, received from

both lunar sample displays which he kept on his desk at the

Casa de Nariño The Casa de Nariño (), literally the House of Nariño, is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of Colombia. It houses the main office of the executive branch and is located in the capital city of Bogotá, Colombia. It w ...

. Allegedly believing that the displays were a personal

diplomatic gift A diplomatic gift is a gift given by a :diplomat, politician or leader when visiting a foreign country. Usually the gift is reciprocated by the host. The use of diplomatic gifts dates back to the ancient world and givers have competed to outdo e ...

, Pastrana kept the Moon rocks after the end of his presidential term as interior decoration in the living room of his private residence in

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...

. It was not until 1980 when journalist

Daniel Samper Pizano Daniel Samper Pizano (born 8 June 1945) is a Colombian people, Colombian lawyer, journalist, and prolific writer. Career Samper attended the Gimnasio Moderno, where he began writing in the student newspaper ''El Aguilucho''. At the age of 19 he ...

, in search of the thought to be missing lunar displays, embarked on a mission that included contacting the Embassy of the United States in Bogotá which confirmed that the displays were not a personal gift to then President Pastrana but rather to all people of Colombia. Having received this information, Samper published an article with the allegation that Pastrana had stolen the lunar displays prompting Juan Carlos Pastrana, son of Misael Pastrana Borrero, to bestow the displays to the Bogotá Planetarium on behalf of his father. Since their return to public hands, the lunar sample displays remained in secured storage within the Bogotá Planetarium until 2003 when they were displayed for the first time to the public as part of the planetarium's permanent collection.

Notes

External links

Collect Space - Moonrock list

References

{{Reflist Apollo 11 Apollo 17 Apollo program lunar sample displays Colombia–United States relations Lunar samples Tourist attractions in Bogotá