When the Apollo 11 crew returned home they splashed down 900 miles southwest of Hawaii in the North Pacific Ocean. There was a remote possibility that they’d brought home some contaminants so they put on special Biological Isolation Garments, got any nasty space germs scrubbed off, and were hoisted aboard the USS Hornet aircraft carrier. There they were escorted to a Mobile Quarantine Facility where they would stay in quarantine for 3 weeks. NASA would employ this practice throughout the Apollo 14 mission, which proved the Moon was sterile. While in quarantine the men talked to their families, friends, even President Nixon. Believe it or not, they also had to fill out customs forms, declaring the roughly fifty pounds of moon rocks, dust and samples taken from the lunar surface.

You’ve been listening to Nani wale e ka mahina (a chant about the beauty of the moon at night) by Al Kealoha Perry and his Singing Surfriders.

Check out this amazing selection of photos of the Apollo 11 Mission from NASA. And here’s a link to that Customs form!