NASA just opened an untouched Moon rock sample
(CNN)Scientists
from NASA have opened up an untouched Moon rock and soil sample that
was brought back by the Apollo 17 lunar mission, which returned to Earth
in December 1972.
The samples were opened on Tuesday as a part of NASA's Apollo Next-Generation Sample Analysis (ANGSA) initiative.
The
purpose of these tests is to practice techniques in order to study
future samples collected from the Moon on Artemis missions, which is
NASA's mission to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024.
"Opening
these samples now will enable new scientific discoveries about the Moon
and will allow a new generation of scientists to refine their
techniques to better study future samples returned by Artemis
astronauts," said Francis McCubbin,
NASA's astromaterials curator. "Our scientific technologies have vastly
improved in the past 50 years and scientists have an opportunity to
analyze these samples in ways not previously possible."
NASA opened an untouched lunar sample from the Apollo 17 mission.
Most
of the samples that were brought back from the Apollo missions have
either been studied or are part of ongoing research at NASA. However, a
number of samples were carefully stored and set aside to be tested with
more advanced technology as it is developed.
"We
are able to make measurements today that were just not possible during
the years of the Apollo program," said Dr. Sarah Noble, ANGSA program
scientist. "The analysis of these samples will maximize the science
return from Apollo, as well as enable a new generation of scientists and
curators to refine their techniques and help prepare future explorers
for lunar missions anticipated in the 2020s and beyond."
NASA
will use advances in techniques such as non-destructive 3D imaging,
mass spectrometry and ultra-high resolution microtomy to study the
samples.
"The
findings from these samples will provide NASA new insights into the
Moon, including the history of impacts on the lunar surface, how
landslides occur on the lunar surface, and how the Moon's crust has
evolved over time," said Charles Shearer, science co-lead for ANGSA.
"This research will help NASA better understand how volatile reservoirs
develop, evolve and interact on the Moon and other planetary bodies."
NASA
will equip astronauts with new instruments and tools to study the moon
for the Artemis missions in 2024. Ultimately, NASA hopes that all of
this research will be used to prepare for the next phase of space
exploration, which is sending astronauts to Mars.
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