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>> FOR OVER 50 YEARS,
NASA ASTRONAUTS AND SCIENTISTS
HAVE EXPLORED THE UNIVERSE,
SEARCHING FOR WAYS TO STUDY
THE ELEMENTS AND MATERIALS
THAT MAKE UP THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
>> HOUSTON, THE EAGLE
HAS LANDED.
>> IN NASA'S EARLY DAYS,
THE APOLLO ASTRONAUTS WALKED
THE LUNAR SURFACE TO COLLECT
MOON ROCKS AND SOIL
FOR STUDY BACK ON EARTH.
IN ALL, APOLLO EXPLORERS SAMPLED
842 POUNDS OF LUNAR MATERIAL.
TODAY, THOSE PRECIOUS SAMPLES
ARE CURATED WITHIN NASA'S
ASTROMATERIALS RESEARCH
AND EXPLORATION SCIENCE
DIVISION, OR ARES.
MANY OF THOSE LUNAR SAMPLES
ARE STORED IN THEIR LUNAR
SAMPLE LABORATORY FACILITY
AT NASA'S JOHNSON SPACE CENTER
IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
NASA CURATORS WORK TO PRESERVE
THE SAMPLES FOR ONGOING
AND FUTURE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.
THE SAMPLES ARE PROTECTED
IN SECURE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY
CONTROLLED VAULTS.
EACH SAMPLE IS SORTED
BY MISSION AND STORED
IN TEFLON BASED BAGS THAT ARE
KEPT IN CABINETS FILLED
WITH NITROGEN GAS.
TO THIS DAY, SCIENTISTS
FROM AROUND THE WORLD
STUDY AND ANALYZE THE SAMPLES
TO ANSWER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE MOON'S FORMATION
AND HISTORY.
TO PRESERVE THEIR INTEGRITY,
NASA CURATORS FOLLOW STRICT
SAFETY AND HANDLING PROCESSES
WHEN WORKING WITH SAMPLES.
IT BEGINS WITH A LAMINAR
AIRFLOW CHANGE ROOM.
THIS MINUTE LONG AIR SHOWER
KEEPS THE LABS WHERE THEY WORK
PRISTINELY CLEAN.
ARES SCIENTISTS MUST ALSO WEAR
SPECIAL GEAR, INCLUDING
A WHOLE BODY, NON-PARTICLE
SHEDDING POLYESTER BUNNY SUIT,
AND TRIPLE-LAYERED GLOVES.
THEY ALSO USE CUSTOM TOOLS
TO PROTECT THE SAMPLES.
MOON ROCKS MAY ONLY BE TOUCHED
WITH TEFLON, ALUMINUM,
OR STAINLESS STEEL TOOLS,
AND THE DRY NITROGEN ATMOSPHERE
AROUND THEM.
THIS ALLOWS CURATORS
TO CAREFULLY EXAMINE SAMPLES
WHILE MAINTAINING THEIR
ORIGINAL CONDITION.
THIS PROCESS ENSURES
THE SAMPLES ARE NOT CONTAMINATED
OR DESTROYED AND CAN BE USED
TO PRODUCE SCIENTIFICALLY
ACCURATE RESULTS.
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS,
INCLUDING NEXT GENERATION
MICROSCOPES AND OTHER DEVICES,
ALLOW RESEARCHERS TO EXAMINE
THE SAMPLES THROUGH NEW METHODS,
RESULTING IN IMPORTANT
DISCOVERIES THAT ANSWER SOME
OF OUR OLDEST QUESTIONS.
SOON, NASA'S ARTEMIS MISSIONS
WILL LAND THE FIRST WOMAN
AND THE FIRST PERSON OF COLOR
ON THE MOON, AND ARES PLAYS
AN IMPORTANT ROLE.
OUR RESEARCHERS, SCIENTISTS,
AND SAMPLE CURATORS LOOK FORWARD
TO THE UPCOMING MISSIONS
AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY
NEW SAMPLES OF LUNAR MATERIAL.
AS NASA RETURNS TO THE MOON,
IT BRINGS US CLOSER TO LANDING
THE FIRST HUMANS ON MARS.
FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS
OF APOLLO AND ARTEMIS MISSIONS,
THE NEXT GENERATION
MARS EXPLORERS WILL HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE, TOUCH,
AND COLLECT OFFWORLD SOIL
AND RETURN IT TO THE EARTH
FOR STUDY.
THIS WORK WILL USHER IN
A NEW ERA OF EXPLORATION
AND DISCOVERY.
WE ARE SCIENTISTS,
RESEARCHERS, AND EXPLORERS.
WE ARE ARES.
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