The petrology and geochemistry of Miller Range 05035: a new lunar gabbroic meteorite

Miller Range (MIL) 05035 is a lunar gabbroic meteorite. The mineralogy, Fe/Mn ratios in olivine and pyroxene, bulk-rock chemical composition and the bulk oxygen isotope values (δ17O = 2.86–2.97‰ and δ18O = 5.47–5.71‰) are similar to those of other mare basalts, and are taken as supporting evidence for a lunar origin for this meteorite. The sample is dominated by pyroxene grains (54–61% by area mode of thin section) along with large plagioclase feldspar (25–36% by mode) and accessory quartz, ilmenite, spinel, apatite and troilite. The bulk-rock major element composition of MIL 05035 indicates that the sample has a very low-Ti (VLT) to low-Ti lunar heritage (we measure bulk TiO2 to be 0.9 Wt.%) and has low bulk incompatible trace element (ITE) concentrations, akin to samples from the VLT mare basalt suite. To account for these geochemical characteristics we hypothesize that MIL 05035’s parental melt was derived from a mantle region dominated by early cumulates of the magma ocean (comprised principally of olivine and orthopyroxene). MIL 05035 is likely launch paired with the Asuka-881757 and Yamato-793169 basaltic lunar meteorites and the basaltic regolith breccia MET 01210. This group of meteorites (Y/A/M/M) therefore may be a part of a stratigraphic column consisting of an upper regolith environment underlain by a coarsening downwards basalt lava flow

A roadmap for a European extraterrestrial sample curation facility - the EURO CARES project

Sample return missions are among the most exciting space missions, providing both scientifically unique information and an unparalleled mechanism for the inspiring the public. Returned samples allow us to make critical ground truth measurements that can calibrate remote sensing measurements from spacecraft. Some scientific studies can only be done in laboratories rather than remotely or with landed spacecraft. Currently Europe does not have a facility suitable for the curation of returned extra-terrestrial samples. This not only hinders European Space Agency (ESA) missions, but also renders European institutions and Principal Investigators unable to fully participate as equal participants in missions implemented by other countries. The EURO CARES project was the first European attempt to review and evaluate the current state-of-the-art in curatorial practice for sample return missions, and determine the different and necessary steps in order to create a fully functional European Extra-terrestrial Sample Curation Facility to match the ESA requirements.SCOPUS: ch.binfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe