cosmonaut get back 380 kilogram ( 838 pounds ) of lunar textile over the six Apollo mission that land on the Moon . A lot of those samples and rock have been extensively analyzed to expatiate our understanding of our natural satellite . Some of those samples , however , have remained seal , and now NASA has decided to open two .
The investigation is part of NASA ’s Apollo Next - Generation Sample Analysis ( ANGSA ) . The blank space government agency will study these samples with technique that were n’t uncommitted four decades ago when they were collected .
“ We are able to make measurements today that were just not potential during the days of the Apollo program , ” Dr Sarah Noble , ANGSA program scientist , say in astatement . “ The depth psychology of these samples will maximise the scientific discipline reappearance from Apollo , as well as enable a new genesis of scientists and conservator to refine their techniques and facilitate prepare next explorers for lunar mission anticipated in the 2020s and beyond . ”
All the yet - to - be unsealed sample arrive from the last three lunar missions , namely Apollo 15 , 16 and 17 . The current ANGSA plan will centre on two samples from Apollo 17 . One of the samples was closed but not vacuum sealed during collection ( recently opened on November 5 ) , while the other was vacuum sealed directly on the Moon and will be opened in former 2020 .
“ open up these samples now will enable Modern scientific uncovering about the Moon and will give up a fresh coevals of scientists to refine their techniques to well study future sample returned by Artemis astronaut , ” tally Francis McCubbin , NASA ’s astromaterials conservator at Johnson Space Center . “ Our scientific engineering have vastly meliorate in the preceding 50 years and scientists have an opportunity to psychoanalyse these samples in ways not antecedently potential . ”
NASA is plan an challenging restoration to the Moon over the next decade . The Artemis Program will see several missions enquire our natural orbiter like never before in preparation for a crewed landing place some time after 2024 .
Analyzing these sample is key to the Artemis Program . In these small collections of lunar filth ( the regolith ) , there is a short ton of information wait to be revealed .
