Moon Rocks

Fragments of a lunar samples collected by the first and last Apollo lunar landing missions were placed into presentations also containing flown national or state flags and gifted to the nations of the world and to the American states.

For the Apollo 11 presentation, the lunar sample consists of approximately 0.05 grams of moon dust, collected on that mission.

For Apollo 17, the presentation consists of fragments from a moon rock (sample 70017), recovered by Apollo 17 astronaut Jack Schmitt. The collection of this Apollo 17 sample was made on live television, and astronaut Gene Cernan likened the rock, which was "composed of many fragments, of many sizes, and many shapes, probably from all parts of the Moon" with "fragments of all sizes and shapes -- and even colors -- that have grown together to become a cohesive rock, outlasting the nature of space, sort of living together in a very coherent, very peaceful manner" to the nations of the world. The Apollo 17 presentations came to be known as "Goodwill Moon Rocks."

The Oklahoma History Center houses both of these presentations.