New Delhi, Aug. 12 -- In 2002, a shocking theft rocked NASA, literally. Former NASA intern Thad Roberts, along with his then-girlfriend Tiffany Fowler and two other friends, stole 17 pounds (7.7 kg) of lunar samples valued at $21 million. The motive? According to Roberts, it was to impress his love interest. But the FBI later revealed there was also a financial angle.

The bizarre incident, detailed by People magazine and later in Ben Mezrich's 2011 book Sex on the Moon, saw the young intern and his team go to extreme lengths to pull off the heist. They tampered with security cameras, donned Neoprene bodysuits, and carried authentic NASA badges to access the highly secure Building 31, where the moon rocks were stored.

At the time, Robert...