NASA is still studying the rocks brought back by Apollo



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  Apollo 17

Scientist-Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is photographed standing next to a huge lunar rock cleft during the Third Extravehicular Activity Apollo 17 (EVA) at the Landing Site of Taurus-Littrow NASA

NASA has not yet studied nor conducted research on much of the Moon's rock samples that were brought back to Earth by Apollo astronauts. . Eugene Cernan- part of the Apollo 17 mission which ended in December 1972.

Each mission, from Apollo 11 to Apollo 17 (except Apollo 13, which was to turn around the Moon and return) reported samples of rock and The last mission on the moon by humans has actually brought back 110 kg or rocks and dust from the moon. So where did all this rock and dust go? NASA certainly used all this for research?

According to recent reports, NASA still has to review or even study a majority of Moon samples brought back by astronauts. Thanks to all the missions on the Moon, the astronauts have brought about 2,200 individual samples of rocks of the Moon, which represents about 382 kg, reports Futurism. The study of these samples is an ongoing process and over the course of more than 45 years, scientists have barely scratched the samples, says Ryan Zeigler, NASA curator, responsible for all the rocks from extraterrestrial sources on Earth

  16

The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) receives a high-speed training session from astronaut John W. Young as part of the Grand Prix at the Third Extravehicular Event held in Montreal. Apollo 16 at the landing site of Descartes 19659004] He then explained that only 16% of the rocks were used for research. The rest of the samples are kept in perfect conditions. Of the 16%, less than a third was exposed to people's sight, the rest was used for research. A quarter of the samples studied were destroyed through the research process.

All the remaining samples are kept safe, "Trying not to exhaust the samples so that future scientists still have the opportunity to work with them is certainly something we consider," says Zeigler

As to why these samples should be so well preserved, he goes on to explain that, while considering Apollo Moon as a scientific resource, he adds that, as a scientist, he is clearly biased, it is undeniable that these samples also of great historical and cultural importance, and must therefore be preserved for these reasons too. "

Another reason why the samples are still intact, Zeigler says over the years since the samples were brought back to Earth, there is had significant advances in the instrumentation and techniques that allowed the samples to In these applications, scientists would have asked for about 692 individual samples each year, but the requested samples are really small, most of them for about 1 or 2 grams each. In addition, 75% of the sample requests are loaned, so they are likely to recover them.

About 84% of Apollo samples remain intact, reports NASA even though humans have not been on the moon for more than 4 decades.

  Apollo 11

Crater of impact on the Moon Project Apollo Archive

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