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NASA NTRS2016

Measurements of Shock Effects Recorded by Itokawa Samples

We requested and have been approved for 5 Hayabusa samples in order definitively establish the degree of shock experienced by the regolith of asteroid Itokawa, and to devise a bridge between shock determinations by standard light optical petrography, crystal structures as determined by synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD), and degree of crystallinity as determined by electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD). As of the writing of this abstract we are awaiting the approved samples. We propose measurements of astromaterial crystal structures and regolith processes. The proposed research work will improve our understanding of how small, primitive solar system bodies formed and evolved, and improve understanding of the processes that determine the history and future of habitability of environments on other solar system bodies. The results of the proposed research will directly enrich the ongoing asteroid and comet exploration missions by NASA, JAXA and ESA, and broaden our understanding of the origin and evolution of small bodies in the early solar system, and elucidate the nature of asteroid and comet regolith.

Zolensky, Michael↗

NASA NTRS2015

Measurements of Shock Effects Recorded by Hayabusa Samples

We requested and have been approved for 5 Hayabusa samples in order definitively establish the degree of shock experienced by the regolith of asteroid Itokawa, and to devise a bridge between shock determinations by standard light optical petrography, crystal structures as determined by synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD), and degree of crystallinity as determined by electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) [1,2]. As of the writing of this abstract we are awaiting the approved samples. We propose measurements of astromaterial crystal structures and regolith processes. The proposed research work will improve our understanding of how small, primitive solar system bodies formed and evolved, and improve understanding of the processes that determine the history and future of habitability of environments on other solar system bodies. The results of the proposed research will directly enrich the ongoing asteroid and comet exploration missions by NASA, JAXA and ESA, and broaden our understanding of the origin and evolution of small bodies in the early solar system, and elucidate the nature of asteroid and comet regolith.

Zolensky, Michael↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Spectral Properties of Dust on Asteroid (101955) Bennu with the OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS)

The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft successfully collected a sample of regolith from asteroid (101955) Bennu on October 20, 2020[1]. The Touch-and-Go (TAG) spacecraft maneuver used to collect the sample mobilized material, including very fine particles (dust),from up to ~1m in depth and ~10m in diameter from the point of contact with the asteroid [1,2].TAG created a dust plume that intercepted the spacecraft and accumulated on the instruments. As a result, all instruments show degradation in optical throughput, with the degree of degradation depending on their aperture size, orientation, and position on the spacecraft [1]. In this study, we analyzed OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS) from before and after TAG to assess the dust on the instrument with implications for Bennu’s dust composition and scattering properties, and future visible–near-infrared (VNIR)spectral observations with the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. OVIRS is a point spectrometer that measures reflected light at VNIR wavelengths from 0.4 to 4.3 μm with a 4 mrad circular field of view(FOV) [3]. Previous observations with OVIRS revealed widespread hydrated minerals and carbon-bearing materials on Bennu [4,5]. A ~3 μm absorption feature is observed globally in OVIRS spectra, with a band position and depth that is consistent with Mg/Fe phyllosilicates and suggests a similar degree of aqueous alteration to that experienced by some carbonaceous chondrite meteorites[4,6]. A series of weak (<5%) VNIR spectral features, potentially associated with hydrated phyllosilicates and iron oxides, are also found in OVIRS spectra (Fig. 1), though not typically observed in meteorite spectra [7]. OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES) spectra are consistent with a very thin accumulation (a few to ~ten microns) of fine particles (<~65–100 microns in size)across the surface of Bennu, and particularly on the roughest boulders, an interpretation that is supported by the dust plume seen during TAG [1,8]. An analysis of TAG contamination on the OTES optics revealed a 15% decrease in throughput, and OTES observations of space with and without that contamination allow a recreation of the thermal infrared spectrum [1]. The spectrum of the contamination lacks volume scattering features and exhibits a stronger Mg-OH absorption (~16.5 μm) than average Bennu, suggesting a Mg-rich phyllosilicate composition [1,6]. Here we present the first compositional analysis of Bennu dust at VNIR wavelengths by analyzing the contaminant on OVIRS.

H H Kaplan↗

NASA NTRS2014

Deep Mapping of Small Solar System Bodies with Galactic Cosmic Ray Secondary Particle Showers

Galactic cosmic rays rain steadily from all directions onto asteroids and comets. The interaction of these high-energy ions produces a cascade of secondary particles, including muons, which can penetrate the solid interiors of small solar system bodies. Muons, which are produced in abundance in Earth's atmosphere, have been used to image large structures on Earth, including the Great Pyramids and the interior of volcanoes. In this study, we demonstrate that the transmitted flux of muons is sensitive to the interior density structure of asteroids and comets, less than a few hundred meters in diameter. Muonography has the potential to fill a critical gap in our knowledge of the deep interiors of small bodies, providing information needed for planetary defense, in situ resource utilization, and planetary science. We use Monte Carlo codes (MCNPX and FLUKA), which accurately model galactic cosmic ray showers, to explore systematic variations in the production of muons in solid surfaces. Results of these calculations confirm the scaling of muon production in Earth's atmosphere to solid regolith materials, as predicted by a simple, semi-empirical model. Muons are primarily produced in the top meter of the regoliths of asteroids and comets. Their rate of production is over three orders of magnitude lower than in Earth's atmosphere and depends strongly on regolith density. In practice, the use of muonography to characterize the interiors of small solar system bodies must overcome their low rate of production and their dependence on regolith density, which can vary over the surface of asteroids and comets. We show that interior contrast can be resolved using a muon telescope (hodoscope) with about 1 sq m aperture with integration times ranging from hours to weeks. Design concepts for a practical hodoscope that could be deployed in situ or on an orbiting spacecraft, are described. Regolith density within the top meter of an asteroid can be determined from radar observations. A concept for a pilot mission that combines remote radar measurements with in situ muonography of a near-Earth asteroid is presented. Perceived challenges and next steps for the development of the concept are described.

Prettyman, T. H.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Mercury's Weather-Beaten Surface: Understanding Mercury in the Context of Lunar and Asteroidal Space Weathering Studies

Mercury's regolith, derived from the crustal bedrock, has been altered by a set of space weathering processes. Before we can interpret crustal composition, it is necessary to understand the nature of these surface alterations. The processes that space weather the surface are the same as those that form Mercury's exosphere (micrometeoroid flux and solar wind interactions) and are moderated by the local space environment and the presence of a global magnetic field. To comprehend how space weathering acts on Mercury's regolith, an understanding is needed of how contributing processes act as an interactive system. As no direct information (e.g., from returned samples) is available about how the system of space weathering affects Mercury's regolith, we use as a basis for comparison the current understanding of these same processes on lunar and asteroidal regoliths as well as laboratory simulations. These comparisons suggest that Mercury's regolith is overturned more frequently (though the characteristic surface time for a grain is unknown even relative to the lunar case), more than an order of magnitude more melt and vapor per unit time and unit area is produced by impact processes than on the Moon (creating a higher glass content via grain coatings and agglutinates), the degree of surface irradiation is comparable to or greater than that on the Moon, and photon irradiation is up to an order of magnitude greater (creating amorphous grain rims, chemically reducing the upper layers of grains to produce nanometer scale particles of metallic iron, and depleting surface grains in volatile elements and alkali metals). The processes that chemically reduce the surface and produce nanometer-scale particles on Mercury are suggested to be more effective than similar processes on the Moon. Estimated abundances of nanometer-scale particles can account for Mercury's dark surface relative to that of the Moon without requiring macroscopic grains of opaque minerals. The presence of nanometer-scale particles may also account for Mercury's relatively featureless visible-near-infrared reflectance spectra. Characteristics of material returned from asteroid 25143 Itokawa demonstrate that this nanometer-scale material need not be pure iron, raising the possibility that the nanometer-scale material on Mercury may have a composition different from iron metal [such as (Fe,Mg)S]. The expected depletion of volatiles and particularly alkali metals from solar-wind interaction processes are inconsistent with the detection of sodium, potassium, and sulfur within the regolith. One plausible explanation invokes a larger fine fraction (grain size less than 45 micron) and more radiation-damaged grains than in the lunar surface material to create a regolith that is a more efficient reservoir for these volatiles. By this view the volatile elements detected are present not only within the grain structures, but also as adsorbates within the regolith and deposits on the surfaces of the regolith grains. The comparisons with findings from the Moon and asteroids provide a basis for predicting how compositional modifications induced by space weathering have affected Mercury's surface composition.

Weathering↗

NASA NTRS2013

The ISIS Mission Concept: An Impactor for Surface and Interior Science

The Impactor for Surface and Interior Science (ISIS) mission concept is a kinetic asteroid impactor mission to the target of NASA's OSIRIS-REx (Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer) asteroid sample return mission. The ISIS mission concept calls for the ISIS spacecraft, an independent and autonomous smart impactor, to guide itself to a hyper-velocity impact with 1999 RQ36 while the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft observes the collision. Later the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft descends to reconnoiter the impact site and measure the momentum imparted to the asteroid through the impact before departing on its journey back to Earth. In this paper we discuss the planetary science, human exploration and impact mitigation drivers for mission, and we describe the current mission concept and flight system design.

cratering experiment↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Solar Energetic Particle Tracks in Itokawa Samples: Implications for Regolith Development on Near-Earth Asteroids and Space Weathering

JAXA’s Hayabusa mission returned the first surface samples from a near-Earth asteroid for laboratory analyses. The Hayabusa samples thus provide a special opportunity to directly investigate the evolution of asteroidal surfaces, from the development and evolution of the regolith to the study of space weathering effects. The lack of a protective atmosphere on airless bodies results in regolith grains being exposed to a wide range of radiation sources and effects. We focus here on solar energetic particles (SEP) with Z>20, mainly Fe group nuclei, that leave trails of ionization damage (tracks) in insulating materials that accumulate with time and provide clues about the near-surface exposure age of regolith materials.

L P Keller↗

NASA NTRS2005

Space Weathering: A Proposed Laboratory Approach to Explaining the Sulfur Depletion on Eros

Space weathering is the cumulative effect of physical and chemical changes that occur to substances exposed on the exterior of body void of an atmosphere [1], in this case the regolith on asteroid Eros. It is only recently that the scientific community has accepted the theory first developed in the mid- 1970s by Hapke and his colleagues of how space weathering occurs. The theory [1] asserts that optical and magnetic effects, first studied on moon rocks and lunar regolith, are caused by submicroscopic metallic iron (SMFe), smaller than the wavelength of light in vapor deposit coatings, on regolith grains, and in agglutinates. This vapor is generated by solar wind and micrometeorite impacts and does not require additional heating, melting, or a reducing environment to produce space weathering. One of the major finds of the first detailed reconnaissance of an asteroid by the NEAR Shoemaker mission was that the surface of Eros was essentially chondritic yet showed major depletions in sulfur [2, 3]. Here we propose space weathering sputtering experiments that may contribute to the explanation of sulfur depletion on asteroid Eros.

Franzen, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Glasses of impact origin from Apollo 11, 12, 15, and 16 - Evidence for fractional vaporization and mare/highland mixing

Electron microprobe analyses have been performed on glasses of impact origin in Apollo 11 breccias (10059, 10060, 10061), Apollo 12 soil (12070), and Apollo 15 breccias (15318, 15425, 15426, 15427). These glasses were produced by shock melting of regolith, rather than of rock. Simple concepts for better understanding and interpreting the chemical data from impact glasses have been developed. These concepts are a significant improvement on earlier strategies, which centered principally on cluster analysis. Using ratios of refractory lithophile elements, the compositional effects of fractional vaporization often associated with impact melting to obtain chemical information about the mare and highland components in the regoliths parental to the glasses have been 'seen through'. This method is also applied to the mare-derived impact glasses from Apollo 16 in order to place constraints on the types of volcanic components occurring in Mare Nectaris. Since impact glasses can be used to derive chemical constraints on the indigenous lithologies comprising multi-component regoliths; the frequent occurrence of these glasses, as well as their low masses, should make them critically important for study when small quantities of grab-samples are returned by future unmanned spacecraft from planets, satellites, and asteroids where regoliths are present.

Delano, J. W.↗

NASA NTRS2026

Molecular Inventory and Comparative Organic Profiling of A Homogenized Aggregate Sample From Asteroid (101955) Bennu

Evaluating the distribution and diversity of solvent-soluble organic molecules in extraterrestrial materials provide information about the physicochemical environments where prebiotic chemistry occurred and is essential for assessing the inventory of prebiotic compounds available to the early Earth. In this work, we conducted a comprehensive molecular characterization of solvent-soluble organic compounds in a homogenized aggregate sample (ID: OREX-800107-128) of unsorted regolith from asteroid (101955) Bennu returned by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. Using two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-HRMS), we identified 87 organic compounds across several molecular classes, including alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and nitrogen-, oxygen-, and sulfur-bearing species. Comparison with the organic inventory of CI (Orgueil), C2-ungrouped (Tagish Lake and Tarda), and CM2 (Murchison) carbonaceous chondrites revealed that Bennu sample OREX-800107-128 is most similar to Tagish Lake and Tarda yet compositionally distinct from all of these meteorites. This Bennu sample exhibits a relatively high abundance of low-molecular-weight aromatics (e.g., toluene), pyridine derivatives, and sulfur species such as dimethyl sulfite, consistent with episodic low-temperature aqueous alteration. The presence of these organic compounds suggests that this material experienced chemically diverse processes in the parent body conducive to complex organic synthesis, including aldol condensation reactions responsible for N- and O-bearing compounds. We also compared the molecular distributions of this Bennu sample and previously analyzed samples from (162173) Ryugu to assess potential common origins between these two carbonaceous asteroids. Bennu shows more chemically diverse and nitrogen-rich organic materials than Ryugu. While both asteroids share broadly similar primitive compositions, the observed chemical differences indicate distinct evolutionary histories within a likely common formation environment though whether Bennu and Ryugu derive from a single compositionally heterogeneous parent body or from multiple closely related progenitors remains unresolved. Further detailed comparative analyses of material from Bennu, Ryugu, and specific carbonaceous meteorites (e.g., Tagish Lake and Tarda) will provide new insights into how the N-rich molecular profile observed in Bennu samples was formed and evolved in the outer Solar System.

sample return↗

NASA NTRS1977

Soil maturity and planetary regoliths - The Moon, Mercury, and the asteroids

Observations of the Moon, Mercury and the asteroids provide data which can be used to assess current ideas about the optical maturation of regoliths of bodies without atmospheres. Telescopic data show Mercury's surface to be as optically mature as the Moon's while the asteroids appear to have 'fresh' surfaces. We suggest that these cases illustrate two different paths of regolith evolution caused by differing micrometeoroid impact velocities, gravity, and in some cases composition.

Matson, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS2023

Extraterrestrial Amino Acids and Amines Identified in Asteroid Ryugu Samples Returned By the Hayabusa2 Mission

The hot water and acid extracts of two different Ryugu samples collected by the Hayabusa2 mission were analyzed for the presence of aliphatic amines and amino acids. The abundances and relative distributions of both classes of molecules were determined, as well as the enantiomeric compositions of the chiral amino acids. The Ryugu samples studied here were recovered from sample chambers A and C, which were composed of surface material, and a combination of surface and possible subsurface material, respectively. A total of thirteen amino acids were detected and quantitated in these samples, with an additional five amino acids that were tentatively identified but not quantitated. The abundances of four aliphatic amines identified in the Ryugu samples were also determined in the current work. Amino acids were observed in the acid hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed hot water extracts of asteroid Ryugu regolith using liquid chromatography with UV fluorescence detection and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Conversely, aliphatic amines were only analyzed in the unhydrolyzed hot water Ryugu extracts. Two- to six-carbon (C 2 -C 6 ) amino acids with individual abundances ranging from 0.02 to 15.8 nmol g −1 , and one- to three-carbon (C 1 -C 3 ) aliphatic amines with individual abundances from 0.05 to 34.14 nmol g −1 , were found in the hot water extracts. Several non-protein amino acids that are rare in biology, including β-amino-n-butyric acid (β-ABA) and β-aminoisobuytric acid (β-AIB), were racemic or very nearly racemic, thus indicating their likely abiotic origins. Trace amounts of select protein amino acids that were enriched in the ւ-enantiomer may indicate low levels of terrestrial amino acid contamination in the samples. However, the presence of elevated abundances of free and racemic alanine, a common protein amino acid in terrestrial biology, and elevated abundances of the predominately free and racemic non-protein amino acids, β-ABA and β-AIB, indicate that many of the amino acids detected in the Ryugu water extracts were indigenous to the samples. Although the Ryugu samples have been found to be chemically similar to CI type carbonaceous chondrites, the measured concentrations and relative distributions of amino acids and aliphatic amines in Ryugu samples were notably different from those previously observed for the CI1.1 carbonaceous chondrite, Orgueil. This discrepancy could be the result of differences in the original chemical compositions of the parent bodies and/or alteration conditions, such as space weathering. In addition to α-amino acids that could have been formed by Strecker cyanohydrin synthesis during a low temperature aqueous alteration phase, β-, γ-, and δ-amino acids, including C 3 – C 5 straight-chain n-ω-amino acids that are not formed by Strecker synthesis, were also observed in the Ryugu extracts. The suite of amino acids measured in the Ryugu samples indicates that multiple amino acid formation mechanisms were active on the Ryugu parent body. The analytical techniques used here are well-suited to search for similar analytes in asteroid Bennu material collected by the NASA OSIRIS-REx mission scheduled for Earth return in September 2023.

Hayabusa2↗

NASA NTRS1977

Shock metamorphism of lunar and terrestrial basalts

Lonar Crater (India) basalt and lunar basalt 75035 were shock loaded under controlled laboratory conditions up to 1000 kbar, generally in a CO/CO2 (1:1) environment evacuated to 10 to the minus seventh power torr. The Kieffer et al. (1976) classification scheme of progressive shock metamorphism is found to apply to lunar basalts. The major shock features of the five classes that span the range 0 to 1000 kbar are described. Only three out of 152 basalt specimens show shock effects in their natural state as severe as Class 2 features. The scarcity of shocked basalt hand samples in contrast to the abundance of shock-produced agglutinates and homogeneous glass spheres in the lunar regolith indicates the dominant role of micrometeorite impact in the evolution of the lunar regolith. The overall glass content in asteroidal and Mercurian regoliths is considered.

Schaal, R. B.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Curation of Microscopic Astromaterials by NASA: "Gathering Dust Since 1981"

Employing the philosophy that "Small is Beautiful", NASA has been collecting and curating microscopic astromaterials since 1981. These active collections now include interplanetary dust collected in Earth's stratosphere by U-2, ER-2 and WB-57F aircraft (the Cosmic Dust Program - our motto is "Gathering dust since 1981"), comet Wild-2 coma dust (the Stardust Mission), modern interstellar dust (also the Stardust Mission), asteroid Itokawa regolith dust (the Hayabusa Mission - joint curation with JAXA-ISAS), and interplanetary dust impact features on recovered portions of the following spacecraft: Skylab, the Solar Maximum Satellite, the Palapa Satellite, the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), the MIR Space Station, the International Space Station, and the Hubble Space Telescope (all in the Space Exposed Hardware Laboratory).

Frank, D. R.↗

NASA NTRS2021

Mesosiderite Silicates vs. HED Polymict Breccias

The silicate portions of mesosiderites are broadly like howardites [1], and this has led to persistent interpretations that mesosiderites and howardites are derived from the same parent asteroid [2]. Yet, when examined carefully, one finds that there are substantial petrological and compositional differences between these polymict breccias. These differences indicate that separate parent asteroids are more probable [3, 4]. I will document the distinctions between these groups based on my data and literature information [5] and discuss their origins.

mesosiderite↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Less-Altered CI Lithology in the Kaidun Meteorite Breccia

One of the most interesting initial results of the characterization of the asteroid Ryugu regolith material returned by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft is the presence of a significant quantity of less-aqueously altered CI material, tentatively called “CI2”. This lithology is characterized by an approximately ten-fold increase in the amount of an hydrous ferromagnesian silicates over what is found n CI1 chondrites, with these being principally olivine, low- and high-calcium pyroxene. Remnant CAI phases are found as well as probable chondrule fragments. Magnetite, pyrrhotite and hydroxyapatite are abundant. The main carbonate is calcite. Matrix is mainly a mixture of saponite and serpentine phases. Assuming that this lithology should be a better representative of the more “primordial” mineralogy of early nebular solids than more processed CI1 material, we have been re-examining CI lithologies found as separate meteorites as well as clasts in other meteorites, seeking similar CI2 material. The Kaidun breccia is notorious for including almost every type of meteorite class except CR2 (which is ironic considering that Kaidun is still officially classified as CR2). We report here the discovery of a probable CI2 lithology in one carbonaceous chondrite-rich Kaidun sample.

Michael Zolensky↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Initial Characterization of Intermediate Bennu Particles to Evaluate Lithologic Diversity and Mineralogic and Redox Equilibria

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft returned regolith from asteroid Bennu to Earth September 24, 2023 [1]. As part of initial science allocations and sample analysis plan [2], JSC science team members received aggregate material from within the TAGSAM head (OREX-803017-0) to characterize. Here we report the results of analyses that have been carried out to determine mineralogic composition, surface features, and overall lithologic diversity in Bennu particles. These initial observations will inform additional analyses that will address the nature of pre-biotic and pre-solar material, formation location of Bennu, geologic history of the asteroid, and its impact/collisional/re-accretion history [3].

Bennu↗

NASA NTRS2024

Hydrogen Isotopic Composition of Hydrous Minerals in Particles From Bennu

On September 24, 2023, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission delivered to Earth ~121 g of pristine carbonaceous regolith from asteroid Bennu. A first series of mineralogical observations and chemical/isotopic analyses of Bennu aggregate samples (fine to coarse particles up to a few mm) revealed that this material resembles the most chemically primitive chondrites and the samples returned by the JAXA’s Hayabusa2 mission from the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu. Laboratory studies have confirmed the story gleaned from the spacecraft encounter that Bennu’s rock fragments underwent extensive aqueous alteration and are predominantly composed of hydrated minerals (serpentine, smectite) and other secondary minerals (e.g., magnetite, carbonates). The secondary phases were likely formed under the presence of liquid water on Bennu’s parent asteroid. The isotopic compositions of hydrous minerals and secondary phases can increase our understanding of the source and distribution of water and volatile elements in the protoplanetary disk [e.g., 5-8]. However, direct estimates of the hydrogen isotopic ratios (D/H) in hydrous minerals cannot be obtained easily in primitive rocks due to the difficulty in estimating the organic matter (OM) contribution to the whole H budget. In order to obtain hints on the initial constituents of Bennu’s parent asteroid and to test if Bennu's parent asteroid have formed beyond the snow line (hypothesis 4 of [9]), we measured the D/H and C/H ratios in chondritic matrices by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and obtain information on the D/H ratio of water retained in the hydrated minerals. The method also gives clues on the hydrogen isotope variability among different Bennu rock fragments made available for measurement.

L Piani↗