Return to the Moon: Insights into lunar volatile resources through analysis of new samples

When first returned, the lunar samples appeared to be from a barren, dry, environment, but recent advances in analytical capability and understanding of the lunar surface has forced us to revise this assessment, and we now realise that the lunar surface contains a wealth of useful volatiles that have the potential to be a critical resource for future exploration [1]. One of the major challenges with the study of lunar samples is that they were returned to Earth 50 years ago and exposed to various environments in the curation facility since. However, new pristine samples have recently become available through meticulously planned opening of two new core samples from the Apollo 17 mission that have been stored unopened since their return in 1972. The Open University staff are members of a recently NASA funded project (led by Dr Chip Shearer, University of New Mexico) to systematically examine the Apollo 17 Core Sample Vacuum Container (CSVC) sample 73001 and its double drive tube companion 73002.