[plg94]

But are you allowed to sell it? I'd think it still belongs to NASA. If an airplane flies over your house and drops an engine into your back yard, you can't just auction it off but have to hand it over to the authorities. Or if someone – accidentally or not – throws his Rolex watch into your window. He'll have to pay for the damage, but the object is still his property.

[userbinator]

NASA was disposing of it.

[plg94]

That doesn't matter, in most jurisdictions stealing trash is still stealing. If I'm disposing chemical waste in your backyard, do you automatically become the owner?

[bombcar]

As part of the settlement with NASA over it, I'd try to get to keep it.