Processing of Antarctic Meteorites at NASA/Johnson Space Center

Abstract

Since the beginning of the Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) program in 1976, over 18,000 meteorites have been processed in the Meteorite Processing Lab at Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. The first step is to renumber the meteorites from field tag number to generic number and log all the information into the meteorite database. Initial processing involves drying the meteorites in a nitrogen glove box for 24 to 48 hours, photographing, measuring, weighing and writing an exterior description. Next step is to break the meteorite and obtain a good representative sample that will be sent to the Smithsonian institution for classification. Once all the processing is done and the meteorites have been classified, the information is published in the Antarctic meteorite newsletter. The newsletter is published twice yearly and is sent electronically to researchers around the world and is also available on line. Researchers are asked to fill out a request form. The bulk of this paper relates to the researcher's request for meteorite samples