NASA Scientist Arrested For Espionage

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What Did The Moon Scientist Want To Tell The Israelis? Some Clues

From: The Atlantic
by Marc Ambinder

There's nothing like a good, diverting spy scandal. The FBI today arrested an eminent space scientist, Stewart David Nozette, and charged him with espionage.

He allegedly agreed to sell information about American nuclear weapons to an operative of Israel's Mossad -- only the agent turned out to be an uncover FBI agent. Nozette was the principal investigator on the NASA team that discovered water on the moon.

But he spent years as a top scientist at the Department of Energy, where he specialized in satellite technology. According to CBS News, his work for an Israeli defense/aerospace consulting company owned by the Israeli government -- work that involved providing unspecified but presumably sensitive technical assistance -- brought him to the attention of investigators.

The affidavit alleges that Nozette secreted two computer drives out of the company and brought them to a third country. What he did with them -- and what was contained on those disks the FBI isn't saying. From the FBI release, it's hard to figure out what he might have given the Israelis when he worked for them. Left somewhat vague is what he tried to sell to the undercover agent. But his resume provides a clue.

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