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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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Apollo 11 Crew Cleared Customs After Splashdown

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(Newser) – What do you do when you’re the first men back from the moon and you have a cargo of moon rocks and other lunar specimens? Make a customs declaration, of course. Well, not really, Space.com reports. A customs form, filed in Honolulu and released by NASA to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11’s return to earth, bears the signatures of all three astronauts—who were quarantined on an aircraft carrier at the time.

"Yes, it's authentic," a NASA rep says of the document, which lists a starting point of Cape Canaveral with a stopover on the moon. "It was a little joke at the time." Nowadays, with the space program an international effort, astronauts are clearing customs for real as they travel the globe for training on disparate systems. “They do have to go through customs,” the rep says. "Just like the rest of us."

Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins and Buzz Aldrin after the July, 1969 Apollo 11 mission.
Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins and Buzz Aldrin after the July, 1969 Apollo 11 mission.   (AP Photo)
Buzz Aldrin on the moon.
Buzz Aldrin on the moon.   (AP Photo)
In this July 24, 1969 file photo, President Richard Nixon greets the Apollo 11 astronauts in the quarantine van on board the U.S.S. Hornet after splashdown and recovery.
In this July 24, 1969 file photo, President Richard Nixon greets the Apollo 11 astronauts in the quarantine van on board the U.S.S. Hornet after splashdown and recovery.   (AP Photo)
In this 1969 file photo, Apollo 11 astronauts stand next to their spacecraft.
In this 1969 file photo, Apollo 11 astronauts stand next to their spacecraft.   (AP Photo)
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2 comments
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Timinator2K
Jul 24, 09 2:43 PM CDT
Good thing their passports were in order as well. Reply
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Kookey90
Jul 24, 09 6:13 PM CDT
Did Buzz Aldrin declare that one pound bag of marijuana he's stashed on board in case they had gotten stranded in space? Now you know why he's call "Buzz". Reply
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The customs form itself
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