I have to disagree, tanks and aircraft are expected to land, drive back into base, etc. This part was expected to drop into the ocean and be non-recoverable. When I was in the US Navy, it was common to throw aluminum and steel parts that were no longer serviceable or repairable over the side of the ship (such as bolts that had stripped threads, or a pump shaft that was sheared in half). If a Navy sailor threw something like that over the side and somebody found it later, it wouldn’t be reasonable for the Navy go tell them, “Hey, that’s US Government property and we gotta have that back!” This Apollo 16 part has the same status as a spent shell casing. NASA disposed of it in the sea, nobody ever had a reasonable expectation to see it ever again, and they lost rights to it as soon as it hit the water.
The part from Apollo 16 also wouldn’t be used in any kind of crash/mishap investigation, to NASA couldn’t take that tack, either.
I had assumed it was not a disposable part. My error.
Thanks for pointing out that difference.