Thad Roberts, a young NASA intern, devised an audacious plan over 23 years ago to steal 17 pounds of priceless moon rocks and a meteorite from the Johnson Space Center, valued at an estimated $21 million. At just 24 years old, he was juggling a triple major in physics, geology, and geophysics while struggling financially to support his wife back in Utah. Roberts believed his plan was failproof, convinced that he could navigate the complexities of the heist. His journey began with identifying a buyer; he connected with a Belgian individual willing to pay between $1,000 and $5,000 per gram of the coveted samples.
As Roberts planned the heist, he encountered Tiffany Fowler, another NASA intern conducting stem cell research. Their friendship swiftly blossomed into a romantic relationship, and soon they were living together. Fully aware of Roberts’ illegal intentions, Fowler agreed to assist him in executing the theft. They also enlisted the help of another intern, Shae Saur. Under the guise of their position at NASA, the trio managed to sneak into the Johnson Space Center one night and successfully accessed a secure area, making off with an entire safe that contained the moon rocks.
Upon returning to their hotel, Roberts and his accomplices cracked open the safe with a power saw. In a bizarre twist, they planned to deliver the rocks on July 20, 2002—the anniversary of the first moon landing. To commemorate this unique occasion, Roberts placed moon rocks beneath their bedcovers, metaphorically asserting they were “having sex on the moon.” He later expressed to CBS News that this act was more about symbolism than comfort, marking an unheard-of experience in their twisted narrative surrounding the moon rocks.
Unfortunately for Roberts, Fowler, and Saur, their rendezvous with the supposed buyers turned out to be a trap set by undercover FBI agents. When the FBI arrived at their hotel, the stolen moon rocks were recovered, but not without damage; the agency later reported that these samples had become “virtually useless to the scientific community,” and the heist also resulted in the loss of decades’ worth of handwritten research notes belonging to a NASA scientist. This chaotic outcome laid bare the consequences of their misguided ambitions.
In the aftermath, Roberts confessed to additional thefts, including dinosaur bones from a museum, but claimed he didn’t perceive his actions as outright theft. He insisted that he planned to use the money generated from these illegal sales to fund scientific endeavors rather than indulge in material luxuries. Despite his intentions, the law took a firm stance against the trio’s actions, leading to guilty pleas for conspiracy to commit theft and interstate transportation of stolen property. The repercussions varied, with Roberts sentenced to eight years in federal prison, of which he served six, while his accomplices received lighter sentences.
Ultimately, Roberts and Fowler never rekindled their relationship after their respective sentences, and the entire escapade left an indelible mark on Robert’s life. His misguided quest for brilliance and financial relief through theft carried significant consequences, not only for him and his partners but also for the scientific community that lost valuable lunar research. The saga stands as a cautionary tale about ambition gone awry and the sometimes perilous paths driven by desperation.
