14 DAY TRIAL // Representatives from the Arizona State University (ASU), in Tempe, announce that a rock brought back from the Moon by the Apollo 15 mission will be displayed in the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Visitor Gallery, inside the Interdisciplinary A building on campus, starting November 5.
The rock is loaned to ASU by the American space agency, which is the custodian of the sample. All Moon rocks belong to the US government, according to federal law. This particular one weighs around 77 grams (2.7 ounces), and is installed on a rotating platform, enabling visitors to see all its sides.
According to NASA, the sample was cut from the largest rock brought back by the Apollo 15 crew. The initial object weighed a total of 21 pounds (9.6 kilograms). Between 1969 and 1972, about 382 kilograms (842 pounds) of lunar rocks were collected during six Apollo missions.