Были ли американцы на Луне? Опрос

NASA's moon rock lab home to geologic treasures

Опубликовано: 30 июн. 2019 г.



(26 Jun 2019) NATS (Wheel whirrs, vault opens)
IN THIS HEAVY DUTY SAFE AT HOUSTON'S JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, NASA GUARDS WHAT ASTRONAUTS BROUGHT BACK FROM THE APOLLO LUNAR LANDINGS…A TREASURE TROVE OF MOON ROCKS…
SOUNDBITE (English) Ryan Zeigler, Curator, Apollo 11 samples collection:
"I mean the fact that in 1969 - with less computing power than your smartphone has - people flew half a million miles round trip to the moon and back and survived and then manage to bring all these amazing rocks back that have taught us about the entire solar system. It's just - as a geologist - these are the holy grail."
AND TO GET INTO SEE SPACE DUST AND BOULDERS, YOU HAVE TO WEAR PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND GO THROUGH AIR LOCKS— TO NOT CONTAMINATE THE SAMPLES.
(DOOR OPENING)
THE SCIENTIFIC 'WOW' FACTOR OF WHAT THE LAB HOLDS IS NOT LOST ON THOSE WHO WORK THERE.
SOUNDBITE (English) Charis Krysher, Lunar Sample Processor:
"They're actually priceless. I mean, we - at this point - we can't go back and get any more."
THE MOON ROCKS ARE ALSO PRICELESS FOR WHAT THEY PROVIDE SCIENTISTS AROUND THE WORLD — OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR OWN PLANET, SOLAR SYSTEM AND UNIVERSE.
SOUNDBITE (English) Ryan Zeigler, Curator, Apollo 11 samples collection:
"There's 125 groups around the world who are actually studying the samples, so it's my job to get them the best samples possible and actually make everyone else's science better."
THE SPACE AGENCY'S LAB HOLDS MOST OF THE 842 POUNDS OF ROCKS AND PARTICLES ASTRONAUTS COLLECTED OVER VARIOUS APOLLO MISSIONS…. THE REST ARE IN STORAGE IN NEW MEXICO OR OUT AMONG OTHER RESEARCHERS.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jeremy Kent, Lunar Sample Processor:
"It gives us information on the earliest history in our solar system where that record just doesn't exist anymore on earth."
AND ON THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF LANDING HUMANS ON THE MOON, NASA IS GOING TO CRACK OPEN NEVER BEFORE VIEWED SAMPLES….HELD FOR DECADES IN METAL VACUUM TUBES.
SOUNDBITE (English) Ryan Zeigler, Curator, Lunar Sample Processor:
"So the two that are going to get opened are this one here and that one there."
WHY THE WAIT?
BECAUSE SCIENTISTS FIGURED FIVE DECADES AGO, TECHNOLOGY WOULD BE BETTER NOW—
SOUNDBITE (English) Ryan Zeigler, Curator, Apollo 11 samples collection:
"Science instruments are 4, 5, 6 generations more sensitive and we can do more with a milligram than we could do with a gram back then."
NEW ROCKS THAT WILL MAKE RIPPLES IN RESEARCHING OUR CELESTIAL COMPANION…
SOUNDBITE (English) Lacey Costello, Lunar Sample Processor:
"Each time I put my hands in the cabinet and pick up a sample, I think about, OK, this came from the moon."
REIGNITING OUR FASCINATION WITH SPACE, IF AND WHEN WE TAKE A SHOT AT RETURNING TO THE MOON.
JOHN MONE, ASSOCIATED PRESS, HOUSTON