Explore Search
 
 News & Events
											News & Events
															All NASA News
															Video Series on NASA+
															Podcasts
															Blogs
															Newsletters
															Social Media
															Media Resources
															Upcoming Launches & Landings
															Virtual Events
					Multimedia
											Multimedia
															NASA+
															Images
															NASA TV
															Sounds and Ringtones
															Interactives
															NASA Apps
															Podcasts
															e-Books
															STEM Multimedia
					NASA+


Search
 Suggested Searches Climate Change
								Artemis
								Expedition 64
								Mars perseverance
								SpaceX Crew-2
								International Space Station
							View All Topics A-Z


HomeMissionsHumans in SpaceEarth & ClimateThe Solar SystemThe UniverseScienceAeronauticsTechnologyLearning ResourcesAbout NASAEspañol			News & Events
			Multimedia
			NASA+
 Featured Sols 4214–4215: The Best Laid Plans...3 min readSols 4214–4215: The Best Laid Plans...article21 hours ago Hubble Observes a Cosmic Fossil2 min readHubble Observes a Cosmic Fossilarticle11 hours ago Voyager 1 Returning Science Data From All Four Instruments2 min readVoyager 1 Returning Science Data From All Four Instrumentsarticle22 hours ago
 Back
 Missions Search All NASA MissionsA to Z List of MissionsUpcoming Launches and LandingsSpaceships and RocketsCommunicating with MissionsArtemisJames Webb Space TelescopeHubble Space TelescopeInternational Space Station
 Humans in Space Why Go to SpaceAstronautsCommercial SpaceDestinationsSpaceships and RocketsLiving in Space
 Earth & Climate Explore Earth ScienceClimate ChangeEarth, Our PlanetEarth Science in ActionEarth MultimediaEarth DataEarth Science Researchers
 The Solar System The SunMercuryVenusEarthThe MoonMarsJupiterSaturnUranusNeptunePluto & Dwarf PlanetsAsteroids, Comets & MeteorsThe Kuiper BeltThe Oort CloudSkywatching
 The Universe ExoplanetsThe Search for Life in the UniverseStarsGalaxiesBlack HolesThe Big BangDark Energy & Dark Matter
 Science Earth SciencePlanetary ScienceAstrophysics & Space ScienceThe Sun & HeliophysicsBiological & Physical SciencesLunar ScienceCitizen ScienceAstromaterialsAeronautics ResearchHuman Space Travel Research
 Aeronautics Science in the AirNASA AircraftFlight InnovationSupersonic FlightAir Traffic SolutionsGreen Aviation TechDrones & You
 Technology Technology Transfer & SpinoffsSpace Travel TechnologyTechnology Living in SpaceManufacturing and MaterialsRoboticsScience InstrumentsComputing
 Learning Resources For Kids and StudentsFor EducatorsFor Colleges and UniversitiesFor ProfessionalsScience for EveryoneRequests for Exhibits, Artifacts, or SpeakersSTEM Engagement at NASA
 About NASA NASA's ImpactsCenters and FacilitiesDirectoratesOrganizationsPeople of NASACareersInternshipsOur HistoryDoing Business with NASAGet InvolvedContact
 Español CienciaAeronáuticaCiencias TerrestresSistema SolarUniverso
 News & Events All NASA NewsVideo Series on NASA+PodcastsBlogsNewslettersSocial MediaMedia ResourcesUpcoming Launches & LandingsVirtual Events
 Multimedia NASA+ImagesNASA TVSounds and RingtonesInteractivesNASA AppsPodcastse-BooksSTEM Multimedia
 Highlights A large propeller plane takes off from a runway, surrounded by brown and green grasses with low buildings out of focus in the background. The plane is white with a blue stripe down the middle, and has a NASA logo on the tail. The sky is a hazy blue with some clouds.

	2 min read

		NASA-Led Mission to Map Air Pollution Over Both U.S. Coasts

		article

			3 hours ago Students watch a sounding rocket launch at sunrise.

	4 min read

		NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility to Launch Student Experiments

		article

			4 hours ago NASA’s Hubble Restarts Science in New Pointing Mode

	3 min read

		NASA’s Hubble Restarts Science in New Pointing Mode

		article

			4 hours ago
 Highlights A woman with long, wavy hair and a bright smile sits at a round table during a formal event, surrounded by other attendees. She is wearing a brown cardigan and a patterned blouse.

	5 min read

		Lakita Lowe: Leading Space Commercialization Innovations and Fostering STEM Engagement

		article

			2 days ago NASA’s Repository Supports Research of Commercial Astronaut Health

	2 min read

		NASA’s Repository Supports Research of Commercial Astronaut Health

		article

			3 days ago NASA astronaut Doug “Wheels” Wheelock and Axiom Space astronaut Peggy Whitson prepare for a test of full-scale mockups of spacesuits developed by Axiom Space and SpaceX’s Starship human landing system developed for NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon.

	4 min read

		NASA Astronauts Practice Next Giant Leap for Artemis

		article

			1 week ago
 Highlights A large propeller plane takes off from a runway, surrounded by brown and green grasses with low buildings out of focus in the background. The plane is white with a blue stripe down the middle, and has a NASA logo on the tail. The sky is a hazy blue with some clouds.

	2 min read

		NASA-Led Mission to Map Air Pollution Over Both U.S. Coasts

		article

			3 hours ago NASA Announces New System to Aid Disaster Response

	4 min read

		NASA Announces New System to Aid Disaster Response

		article

			1 day ago Amendment 21: A.3 Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry: NSPIRES cover page issue and Delay of Proposal Due Date

	2 min read

		Amendment 21: A.3 Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry: NSPIRES cover page issue and Delay of Proposal Due Date

		article

			2 days ago
 Highlights The Next Full Moon is the Strawberry Moon

	17 min read

		The Next Full Moon is the Strawberry Moon

		article

			23 hours ago Mars Dunes

	5 min read

		NASA’s Perseverance Fords an Ancient River to Reach Science Target

		article

			1 day ago Ed Stone, former director of JPL and project scientist for the Voyager mission, died on June 9, 2024. A friend, mentor, and colleague to many, he was known for his straightforward leadership and commitment to communicating with the public.

	5 min read

		Ed Stone, Former Director of JPL, Voyager Project Scientist, Dies

		article

			3 days ago
 Featured Hubble Observes a Cosmic Fossil

	2 min read

		Hubble Observes a Cosmic Fossil

		article

			11 hours ago WL20 group of stars is located in the Rho Ophiuchi star-forming region

	5 min read

		NASA’s Webb Reveals Long-Studied Star Is Actually Twins

		article

			1 day ago Artist's illustration of a star system near the Sun that is close enough to Earth for exoplanets in their habitable zones to be directly imaged using future telescopes.

	4 min read

		Coming in Hot — NASA’s Chandra Checks Habitability of Exoplanets

		article

			2 days ago
 Highlights Hubble Observes a Cosmic Fossil

	2 min read

		Hubble Observes a Cosmic Fossil

		article

			11 hours ago Voyager 1 Returning Science Data From All Four Instruments

	2 min read

		Voyager 1 Returning Science Data From All Four Instruments

		article

			22 hours ago WL20 group of stars is located in the Rho Ophiuchi star-forming region

	5 min read

		NASA’s Webb Reveals Long-Studied Star Is Actually Twins

		article

			1 day ago
 Highlights Illustration showing several future aircraft concepts flying over a mid-sized city with a handful of skyscrapers.

	7 min read

		ARMD Solicitations

		article

			1 week ago Team “Rumble Ready” from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, comprised of (from left to right) Professor Mark Gonda, Nicole Xie, Junaid Bodla, Jordan Ragsac, Krishi Gajjar, Gerald McAllister III, and Leara Dominguez, took home first place at the 2024 Gateways to Blue Skies Forum held May 30-31 at NASA Ames Research Center. They are standing in a row posing for the photo; the team members are wearing blue t-shirts, black pants, and tennis shoes.

	4 min read

		Winners Announced in Gateways to Blue Skies Aeronautics Competition

		article

			2 weeks ago Graphic shows a possible future General Electric jet engine with exposed fan blades in front of a cut-away-interior view of its core mechanisms -- all part of NASA's HyTEC research project.

	4 min read

		NASA, Industry to Start Designing More Sustainable Jet Engine Core

		article

			4 weeks ago
 Highlights Simulated Roman image full of synthetic galaxies

	6 min read

		NASA’s Roman Mission Gets Cosmic ‘Sneak Peek’ From Supercomputers

		article

			2 days ago Ed Stone, former director of JPL and project scientist for the Voyager mission, died on June 9, 2024. A friend, mentor, and colleague to many, he was known for his straightforward leadership and commitment to communicating with the public.

	5 min read

		Ed Stone, Former Director of JPL, Voyager Project Scientist, Dies

		article

			3 days ago Astronaut-packaged cheese sandwiches

	2 min read

		Food Safety Program for Space Has Taken Over on Earth

		article

			4 days ago
 Featured A team from Iowa accepts its Artemis grand prize award during NASA’s Lunabotics competition on Friday, May 17, 2024, at the Center for Space Education near the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

	5 min read

		Artemis Generation Shines During NASA’s 2024 Lunabotics Challenge

		article
			2 weeks ago
 Highlights Students watch a sounding rocket launch at sunrise.

	4 min read

		NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility to Launch Student Experiments

		article

			4 hours ago A large propeller plane takes off from a runway, surrounded by brown and green grasses with low buildings out of focus in the background. The plane is white with a blue stripe down the middle, and has a NASA logo on the tail. The sky is a hazy blue with some clouds.

	2 min read

		NASA-Led Mission to Map Air Pollution Over Both U.S. Coasts

		article

			3 hours ago NASA astronaut and Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Victor Glover reviews procedures on a computer for the Monoclonal Antibodies Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) experiment inside the Harmony module.

	2 min read

		NASA Joins National Space Council in Celebration of Black Space Week

		article

			2 hours ago
 Highlights NASA Astronaut Official Portrait Frank Rubio

	5 min read

		Astronauta de la NASA Frank Rubio

		article

			5 hours ago 2021 Astronaut Candidates Stand in Recognition

	6 min read

		Diez maneras en que los estudiantes pueden prepararse para ser astronautas

		article

			3 months ago Astronaut Marcos Berrios

	4 min read

		Astronauta de la NASA Marcos Berríos

		article

			3 months ago


6 min read Fifty Years Later, Curators Unveil One of Last Sealed Apollo Samples


NASA
 A close-up of Apollo 17 lunar core sample 73001 being taken out of its drive tube for the first time since it was collected by Apollo astronauts in December 1972 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
***Credits: NASA/Robert Markowitz***
 Like a time capsule that was sealed for posterity, one of the last unopened Apollo-era lunar samples collected during Apollo 17 has been opened under the careful direction of lunar sample processors and curators in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. This precious and well-preserved sample will serve as a narrow window into the permanent, geological record of Earth’s closest celestial neighbor – the Moon. Before NASA goes back for more samples – this time at the Moon’s South Pole during the agency’s upcoming Artemis missions – the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis Program, or ANGSA, is studying some of the last few lunar samples that NASA has kept unopened, in pristine condition, awaiting the day when scientists equipped with improved scientific and technologic methods could examine them. “We have had an opportunity to open up this incredibly precious sample that’s been saved for 50 years under vacuum,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, “and we finally get to see what treasures are held within.” That day finally came for sample 73001, which was first vacuum sealed on the Moon and then stored in a second protective outer vacuum tube inside the nitrogen-purged processing cabinets in Johnson’s lunar laboratory. Back in December 1972, astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison “Jack” Schmitt collected the lunar regolith by hammering thin, cylindrical sample-collection devices, or drive tubes, into a landslide deposit in the Moon’s Taurus-Littrow Valley, capturing layers of ancient history for scientists to pore over. This sample, 73001, is the lower half of a double drive tube. The upper drive tube, sample 73002, was returned from the Moon in a normal, unsealed container, which was opened in 2019. The ANGSA science team has been studying its layers of small rocks and soil and is eager to see what the lower half holds. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser thatsupports HTML5 video
 Before the ARES team extruded the drive tube of 73001, extensive scans were taken at the University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences using X-ray CT technology to capture high-resolution 3D images of the sample’s makeup inside the tube. “This will be the permanent record of what the material inside the core looks like before it got pushed out and divided into half-centimeter increments,” said Ryan Zeigler, Apollo sample curator. “The drive tube was very full, which is one of the things we learned with the CT scans, and it caused a slight complication in how we were initially planning to extrude it, but we have been able to adapt using these scans.” Last month, the team first worked to capture any gas present within the outer protective tube and, finally, by piercing the inner container, to extract any lunar gases remaining inside. “We have extracted gas out of this core, and we hope that will help scientists when they’re trying to understand the lunar gas signature by looking at the different aliquots [samples taken for chemical analysis],” Zeigler said. The analyses and CT scans ensured there were no big surprises when opening up this scientific gift; and, together, they helped create a roadmap for the dissection. Before the main event on March 21 and 22, deputy Apollo sample curator Juliane Gross also performed dry runs of the extrusion process with a mock-up core in the lab at Johnson. Gross likened the extrusion process to putting together furniture – except with one’s arms constrained by the massive gloves of the glovebox. Extruding the sample using specialized tools required a meticulous level of organization. “We did this step by step, trying not to lose all the tiny pieces and screws,” Gross said. In the end, it was much like a grueling workout – with soreness radiating through her arms and shoulders. But Gross will quickly tell you that it was worth it. “We are the first people who got to actually see this soil for the first time,” Gross said. “It’s just the best thing in the world – like a kid in the candy store, right?” The Apollo program gave NASA the chance to try sampling methods they believed would work on the Moon based on what worked on Earth – and evolve those methods with each mission. “Terrestrial samples and lunar samples are very different, so the Artemis team has already taken that into account as they design their tools,” Zeigler said. “They didn’t start with Apollo 11. They didn’t start from scratch. They started with Apollo 17 and what worked really well and are moving forward from there toward Artemis.” And because Artemis astronauts will go beyond the more familiar lunar equator to the South Pole, with its sometimes cryogenic, or frozen conditions, and its dramatic lighting, the lunar soil there offers tantalizing prospects for study. An X-ray computed tomography image of Apollo 17 core sample 73001 taken at the University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences, a member of the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis team.
***Credits: The University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences***
 “The Moon’s South Pole is a great place for potentially building up large deposits of what we call volatiles, [substances that evaporate at normal temperatures, like water ice and carbon dioxide]” said Lori Glaze, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters, “These volatiles can give us clues about where water came from in this part of the solar system – whether from comets, asteroids, solar wind, or otherwise.” And while the Apollo samples have provided NASA insights into Earth’s natural satellite, new pristine samples from exotic locations on the lunar surface – and below the surface – will help the agency better understand its volatile reservoirs and geologic evolution. “We have an opportunity to address some really important questions about the Moon by learning from what has been recorded and preserved in the regolith of these Apollo samples,” said NASA Astromaterials Curator Francis McCubbin, “We curated these samples for the long term, so that scientists 50 years in the future could analyze them. Through Artemis, we hope to offer the same possibilities for a new generation of scientists.” Learn more about how NASA studies Apollo samples and other celestial bodies at: https://ares.jsc.nasa.gov Subscribe and get the latest NASA news with a weekly update in your inbox: https://www.nasa.gov/subscribe


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery. About NASA's Mission Join Us
 Home
								News & Events
								Multimedia
								NASA+
								Missions
								Humans in Space
								Earth & Climate
								The Solar System
								The Universe
								Science
								Aeronautics
								Technology
								Learning Resources
								About NASA
								NASA en Español
 Follow NASA
 More NASA Social Accounts
                            NASA Newsletters
 Sitemap
						For Media
						Privacy Policy
						FOIA
						No FEAR Act
						Office of the IG
						Budget & Annual Reports
						Agency Financial Reports
						Contact NASA
						Accessibility
 Page Last Updated:
								Jul 26, 2023
							Page Editor:
								Brian Dunbar
												Responsible NASA Official:
							Abigail Bowman