University of Alberta

Published purpose

Missions to various planetary bodies in our Solar System – such as asteroids, the Moon, Mars, and comets – that involve bringing back a sample of that body are currently operating, planned or proposed by the world’s main space agencies. These Sample Return Missions will provide material for research by generations of scientists for decades to come. A crucial component of any Sample Return Mission is curation. Curation is the careful preservation of samples through the use of materials, tools, and enclosures, throughout all steps after return to Earth. The types of targets for future Sample Return need specific, advanced methods for their curation in order to keep them uncontaminated by molecules and conditions at the Earth’s surface. The main purpose of this project is to train Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) in the advanced methods that will be needed for samples from future Sample Return Missions. The project will run the returned sample part of two analogue Sample Return Missions, using the Subzero Facility for the Curation of Astromaterials at the University of Alberta. The first mission will use materials that simulate what is expected from the surface of a comet or carbon-rich asteroid, and the second will involve materials analogous to what is collected by the NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission.