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This paper provides a brief overview of the science enabled both by conducting analyses in situ on the lunar surface and by returning lunar samples to Earth. Several examples illustrate how both in-situ and returned sample analyses can address the lunar/planetary science (LPS) goals of the Moon to Mars Objectives.
Primordial and cosmogenic radionuclide concentrations are determined nondestructively by gamma-ray spectrometry in soil and rock samples from the returned Apollo 17 sample collection from Taurus-Littrow and Descartes. Geochemical evidence in support of field geology speculation concerning layering of the subfloor basalt flows is demonstrated along with a possible correlation of magmatic fractionation of K/U as a function of depth. The pattern of radionuclide concentrations observed in these samples is distinct due to proton bombardment by the intense solar flares of August 4-9, 1972. Such radionuclide determinations are used in determining lunar sample orientation and characterizing solar flare activity.
The Apollo Program returned 381 kg of samples. Analyses of these samples have provided fundamental insights into the origin and history of the Earth-Moon system and how planets and even solar systems work. These samples have provided ground truth for every post-Apollo mission to the Moon for the interpretation of remotely sensed data. After 50 years of analysis and study, our sophistication for handling and examining samples has greatly increased. Some special samples that were collected or preserved in unique containers or environments remain unexamined by standard or advanced analytical approaches. The Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis (ANGSA) Program was designed to examine a subset of these special samples. The ANGSA consortium consists of 9 original teams funded by NASA that have combined into a single science team referred to as the ANGSA Science Team. The program was designed to function as the sample analysis portion of a sample return mission with processing, preliminary examination, and analyses utilizing new and improved technologies and recent mission observations. The ANGSA Program links the first generation of lunar explorers (Apollo) with future explorers of the Moon (Artemis). The purpose of this abstract is to highlight the ANGSA samples, science and engineering goals, and progress made so far. Related abstracts and talks will focus on the links between Apollo and Artemis, geologic context, and initial examination, processing, and results.
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Lunar soil sampling and packaging to minimize physical damage and contamination
Development of computerized high resolution mass spectrometer and gas-liquid chromatographic facility for study of lunar soil samples
Bioscience for recovered lunar samples, discussing Surveyor analyses, Lunar Receiving Laboratory methods and life detection using biological markers
Apollo 11 lunar crystalline rock samples petrology, discussing shock and other metamorphic effects on mineral structure
Mossbauer effect spectrometry application to Apollo 11 lunar rocks composition, using nuclear gamma resonance measurements for nuclide Fe 57
Computer-coupled low resolution mass spectrometer system and organic geochemical analysis methods for isolation and identification of compounds from lunar soil samples
Chemical characteristics of carbon compounds in Apollo 11 and 12 lunar fines, using organic solvent extraction, mass spectrometry and gas chromatographic method
Metal particles from the Apollo 11 and 12 soil are both meteoritic and lunar in origin. In the Apollo 12 soil, most of the metal particles are meteoritic, based on their Ni-Co contents. On the other hand, there is a much smaller proportion of meteoritic metal among the metallic inclusions in the lunar soil particles. The structures and compositions of the phases present in many of the remelted metal particles indicate either slow cooling or a reheating of those samples on the moon's surface in the 500-600 C temperature range for a year or more. Most of the meteoritic particles studied were probably originally pieces of chondrites.
Concentrations of primordial radioelements and of cosmogenic radionuclides in crystalline rocks, breccias, and soils from the Ocean of Storms were determined. Concentrations of K, Th, U, Al-26, and Na-22 were determined for seven clastic or brecciated rocks, three sieved samples of fines, and one composite sample of sawdust from the cutting of a fragmental rock, all from samples obtained on the Apollo 14 mission. The K, Th, and U concentrations and cogmogenic radionuclide abundances in rocks and soils from Apollo 15 are also discussed.
The effects are sought of an energetic charged particle irradiation of solar system material which is postulated as having taken place early in its history. A similar irradiation took place much more recently in the history of lunar samples and meteorites and this process is studied by means of a variety of monitors including highly sensitive noble gas nuclides, radionuclides, and tracks. Such monitors cannot be used to study the postulated early irradiation since it could have taken place under conditions such that these monitors were not retained or were subsequently lost. Accordingly, it is necessary that a nongaseous element be used to search for the effects of this irradiation, and one of the most sensitive of these is the vanadium isotopic composition. A comparative study is made of the 50 sub V/51 sub V ratios in 15 meteoritic, 5 terrestrial, and 11 lunar samples.
The results of geochemical research are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the contribution of mass spectrometric data to the solution of specific structural problems. Information on the mass spectrometric behavior of compounds of geochemical interest is reviewed and currently available techniques of particular importance to geochemistry, such as gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer coupling, modern sample introduction methods, and computer application in high resolution mass spectrometry, receive particular attention.
Lithium, K, Rb, Sr, Ba, rare-earth, Zr, and Hf abundances have been determined by mass-spectrometric isotope-dilution for Apollo 16 soils, anorthosite 61016, and 'basalt' 68415 whole-rock and separated pyroxene and plagioclase. Our sample of 61016 is similar to some other lunar anorthosites in lithophile trace-element concentrations but at a slightly lower level. It was probably accumulated from a little differentiated basalt. Basalt 68415 might be a homogeneous mixture of KREEP and anorthosite material; it appears to have crystallized under conditions as reducing as those holding for mare-basalts. The soil fines cover only a limited compositional range. No obvious chemical differences were noted between the Descartes and Cayley formations. Most of the compositional variation of the soils can be accounted for in terms of the addition of plagioclase. The existence of very high alumina basalt as an independent magma-type appears debatable in view of its KREEP-like lithophile trace-element relative concentrations and the observed lunar radioactivity distribution.
Six amino acids (glycine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine) obtained by hydrolysis of extracts have been quantitatively determined in ten collections of fines from five Apollo missions. Although the amounts found, 7-45 ng/g, are small, the lunar amino acid/carbon ratios are comparable to those of the carbonaceous chondrites, Murchison and Murray, as analyzed by the same procedures. Since both the ratios of amino acid to carbon, and the four or five most common types of proteinous amino acid found, are comparable for the two extraterrestrial sources despite different cosmophysical histories of the moon and meteorites, common cosmochemical processes are suggested.
Results of measuring the specific magnetic susceptibility of regolith are presented. The data indicate that regolith samples from the Sea of Tranquillity and the Sea of Fertility are similar in order of magnitude of the specific magnetic susceptibility. Several stony meteorites of subgroup L have a similar value of this quantity. After comparison with artificial analogs, it can be concluded that the bulk content of ferromagnetic minerals in regolith samples is 3 to 4 percent.