Robotic Sample Return and Interpreting Lunar History: The Importance of Getting it Right

Deciphering the cratering history of the Moon is an important scientific problem. My previous post discussed early lunar cratering history, the apparent impact “cataclysm” 3.8 billion years ago, its significance to Earth’s early history and how remaining questions might be resolved by collecting and returning new samples from the Moon. Here, I will describe the [...]

A robotic mission sends samples back to Earth: What can we learn from them?
Deciphering the cratering history of the Moon is an important scientific problem. My previous post discussed early lunar cratering history, the apparent impact “cataclysm” 3.8 billion years ago, its significance to Earth’s early history and how remaining questions might be resolved by collecting and returning new samples from the Moon. Here, I will describe the scientific difficulty and critical importance of planetary sample collection and analysis. With so many demands on NASA’s budget, we need to approach this problem carefully, making every effort to maximize the prospect that we obtain not just samples but the right samples to answer the question of the Moon-Earth cataclysm.
NASA has announced that the proposed New Frontiers Moonrise robotic sample return mission is one of three selected for detailed concept study. The objective of ...