A proverbial interstellar art heist has befallen a space museum in Ohio as a solid gold replica of the famed Apollo lunar module was stolen by some enterprising thieves.
Previously on display at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum, the remarkable model was pilfered late Friday evening during what appears to have been a targeted break-in at the building.
Authorities in the city of Wapakoneta, where the museum calls home, say that they were alerted to suspicious activity when the alarm sounded at the site.
However, they arrived at the location after the burglars had already accomplished their nefarious handiwork and escaped with the statue in tow.
By its very nature, the model is surely quite valuable, but the historic backstory to the statue likely makes it worth more than its weight in gold.
The commemorate piece was one of only three such statues made by the famed jeweler Cartier at the behest of a French newspaper which awarded the models to the three Apollo 11 astronauts.
As one may have surmised based on the museum's name, this particular model was the one which was gifted to Neil Armstrong, making it all the more enticing to those who value space-related relics.
By virtue of its rarity and historical significance, the piece would no doubt fetch a high price on the black market as one of the other three models sold at auction for $50,000 back in 2003.
One hopes that local authorities, with help from the FBI, can crack the case and track down the model before it falls into the hands of a wealthy and unscrupulous collector.
Source: Space.com