Apollo 11 Customs Forms

Short of maybe going to the DMV, there are few things we dread more than airport security and customs. We know we’re only bringing back a few bottles of export-only Blanton’s whiskey and Cantillon beer that it’s perfectly legal to transport as long as it’s properly declared, but it still gives us sweaty palms. Now imagine if you were Armstrong, Aldrin or Collins returning from the Moon only to discover you’d have to sign a customs document declaring your moon rock, moon dust and samples. In a recently republished piece–in honor of the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary we’ve been celebrating all year–it was revealed that the three Apollo 11 astronauts had to do just that. “Yes, it’s authentic,” NASA spokesperson John Yembrick told Space.com. “It was a little joke at the time.” Even if it was only a joke, it’s a fantastic piece of history and one more reason to celebrate Apollo 11.