JUNEAU -- Alaska's moon rocks are back in NASA's custody, but the curator of the state museum says he would like to see them back in Alaska.

The moon rocks were collected by Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969 and were a gift to Alaska by President Richard Nixon. The tiny rocks, encased in plastic, were distributed to every state. The display plaque included a small Alaska flag that had also been to the moon.

Alaska's moon rocks were in the Alaska Transportation Museum in Anchorage in 1973 when the museum burned and the rocks went missing. They surfaced recently in what has resulted in a custody dispute.

The Juneau Empire says a trial to establish ownership is scheduled for early next year.