The Race for Space Rocks: Meteorite Hunter Travels the Globe

The World

Soon after the shock wore out from a meteor exploding over Russia last week, the race began to collect all those space rock fragments that fell from the sky.

Right away you could find pieces of the meteorite for sale on Ebay and Russian websites.

But scientists and meteorite collectors in the know contacted one man.

Michael Farmer has been a full-time meteorite hunter.

He’s traversed the globe for the past 17 years in search of these cosmic souvenirs and he has sometimes found himself in rather dicey situations.

He was once kidnapped in Kenya and also thrown in jail in Oman. But, nothing seems to be too risky for Farmer when it comes to collecting meteorites.

Anchor, Aaron Schachter speaks with Farmer about his wheeling and dealing in space rocks.

Invest in independent global news

The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!