"This document is a rapid compilation of the information about the lunar samples returned from the Apollo 11 mission. Information avail-able through September 1, 1969, is included. The purpose of this catalog is to provide the lunar-sample principal investigators with information about the total lunar samples returned and specific information about individual samples that are distributed for detailed work."--

The only work to date to collect data gathered during the American and Soviet missions in an accessible and complete reference of current scientific and technical information about the Moon.

Sample Return Missions: The Last Frontier of Solar System Exploration examines the discoveries and results obtained from sample return missions of the past, present, and future. It analyses the results in the context of the current state of knowledge and their relation to the formation and evolution of planetary bodies, as well as to the available technologies and techniques. It provides detailed descriptions of experimental procedures applied to returned samples. Beginning with an overview of previous missions, Sample Return Missions then goes on to provide an overview of facilities throughout the world used to analyze the returned samples. Finally, it addresses techniques for collection, transport, and analysis of the samples, with an additional focus on lessons learned and future perspectives. Providing an in-depth examination of a variety of missions, with both scientific and engineering implications, this book is an important resource for the planetary science community, as well as the experimentalist and engineering communities. - Presents sample return results obtained so far in relation to remote sensing measurements, methods and techniques for laboratory analysis, and technology - Provides an overview of a variety of sample return missions, from Apollo, to Hayabusa-2, to future missions - Examines technological and methodological advances in analyzing returned samples, as well as the resources available globally