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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS &
SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Astromaterials Acquisition & Curation Office

Astromaterials Newsletter

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Curation News & Events

Who We Are

The Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office, part of the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division, is responsible for the curation of extraterrestrial samples from NASA's past and future sample return missions. Our mission includes the documentation, preservation and preparation of samples from the Moon, asteroids, comets, solar wind, and the planet Mars. Our highest priority is to secure the future availability of these samples for the worldwide scientific community.

Samples In Your Classroom

The NASA Astromaterials Curation Office sponsors the following programs that make samples available for use by educational institutions. The typical loan period for samples in these programs is 2 weeks.

Lunar and Meteorite Sample Disk Program (K-12)

Lunar & Meteorite Sample Disk Program (K-12)

Designed for K-12 classroom educators who work in K-12 schools, museums, libraries, or planetariums. Each Lunar and Meteorite Sample Disk encapsulates six authentic Astromaterials samples in a six-inch diameter clear Lucite disk.

Universities & Colleges

University Petrographic Thin Section Program

Designed for colleges and universities offering a curriculum in the geosciences. The petrographic thin section package is intended for use in college and university courses in petrology and microscopic petrography for advanced geology students.

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