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for over 50 years nasa astronauts and

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scientists have explored the universe

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searching for ways to study the elements

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and materials that make up the solar

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system

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in nasa's early days the apollo

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astronauts walked the lunar surface to

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collect moon rocks and soil for study

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back on earth

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in all apollo explorers sampled

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842 pounds of lunar material

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today those precious samples are curated

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within nasa's astro materials research

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and exploration science division or

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aries

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many of those lunar samples are stored

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in their lunar sample laboratory

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facility at nasa's johnson space center

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in houston texas

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nasa curators work to preserve the

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samples for ongoing and future

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scientific research

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the samples are protected in secure and

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environmentally controlled vaults each

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sample is sorted by mission and stored

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in teflon based bags that are kept in

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cabinets filled with nitrogen gas

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to this day scientists from around the

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world study and analyze the samples to

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answer important questions about the

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moon's formation and history

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to preserve their integrity nasa

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curators follow strict safety and

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handling processes when working with

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samples

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it begins with a laminar airflow change

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room this minute long air shower keeps

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the labs where they work pristinely

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clean

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aries scientists must also wear special

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gear including a whole body non-particle

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shedding polyester bunny suit and triple

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layered gloves

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they also use custom tools to protect

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the samples

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moon rocks may only be touched with

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teflon aluminum or stainless steel tools

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and the dry nitrogen atmosphere around

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them

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this allows curators to carefully

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examine samples while maintaining their

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original condition

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this process ensures the samples are not

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contaminated or destroyed and can be

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used to produce scientifically accurate

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results

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technological advancements including

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next generation microscopes and other

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devices allow researchers to examine the

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samples through new methods resulting in

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important discoveries that answer some

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of our oldest questions

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soon nasa's artemis missions will land

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the first woman and the first person of

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color on the moon and aries plays an

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important role

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our researchers scientists and sample

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curators look forward to the upcoming

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missions and the opportunity to study

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new samples of lunar material

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as nasa returns to the moon it brings us

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closer to landing the first humans on

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mars

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following in the footsteps of apollo and

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artemis missions the next generation

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mars explorers will have the opportunity

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to see

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touch and collect off-world soil and

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return it to the earth for study

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this work will usher in a new era of

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exploration and discovery

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we are scientists researchers and

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explorers

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we are

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ares