Lunar Profits

An aura of the extraterrestrial Frank Merriwell has always clung to the nation's astronauts--an image of cool, technological grit. In an era of diminished heroes, they were paragons of what almost seemed an archaic ethic of know-how, daring and purity.

But now the patina seems slightly worn. This summer NASA announced that the three Apollo 15 astronauts--David Scott, James Irwin and Alfred Worden--had carried 400 unauthorized stamped envelopes to the moon and back, then let 100 of them out for sale through a German philatelist (TIME, July 24). The three never actually profited by the arrangement, but it raised a sour question of exploitation.

Last week the stain grew larger. NASA reported that 15 astronauts, all unnamed, were "admonished" for their parts in another commercial scheme. According to NASA, the 15 had been paid $37,500 for signing more than 30,000 stamps and postcards. If these were added to such other astronaut souvenirs as watches, medals and figurines that reached the market, the total price would be just over $1,000,000.

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