A Houston lawyer is on a mission to identify and possibly recover moon rocks that were brought back to Earth and then subsequently lost after being loaned to scientists, museums and agencies throughout the world.

The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden regarding the ownership of early space exploration mementos and artifacts.

Agency Will Work Cooperatively to Resolve Artifact Ownership Issues WASHINGTON, Jan.

The firm man to walk on the moon had some strong words for the U.S. space program on Thursday, telling the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology that the retirement of the space shuttle has left it in an "embarrassing" state.

Moon rocks, excavated from the Moon via six Apollo missions and three unmanned Soviet missions more than 30 years ago, are the subject of a far-reaching black market for the precious stones, which have been tracked down -- with some success -- by a former NASA investigator.