The newest small exhibit at the Maine State Museum features several exquisite photographs of Apollo 17’s 1972 manned moon landing and a very special moon rock fragment collected during that mission by astronaut Jack Schmitt.

Maine’s moon rock is one of many fragments cut from rock sample 70017, which was recovered near the Taurus-Littrow lunar landing site.

As a goodwill gesture, in 1973 President Richard Nixon presented moon rocks from sample 70017 to 135 nations and each of the 50 U.S. states. Governor Kenneth Curtis received Maine’s moon rock, a 1.1 gram, thumbnail-sized specimen encased in an acrylic globe and mounted on a walnut plaque. Also included was a small Maine State flag that was carried to the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission.