Sample Requests, Allocations and Loans
Return of Loaned Material
Samples loaned under categories A–C, and any material remaining from a category D loan, must be returned to the NASA Curator. PIs holding samples under category E should make special arrangements with the NASA Curator. Samples should be returned by the end of the loan period. PIs should coordinate with NASA–JSC Astromaterials Curation office for the shipping address and method.
All destructive analyses and other procedures that may have compromised a returned sample's usefulness for future study should be documented. For thin and thick sections, PIs may use the brief form (MF76) to document destructive analyses. Along with the form, we request images of the destroyed areas — they can be back scattered electron (BSE), secondary electron (SE), or reflected light images.
This website contains additional Information about Returning Samples.
Lost Samples
In the event that a sample is lost, the PI must report the loss to the Antarctic Meteorite Curator immediately. NASA reserves the right to ask questions of the PI to understand and document the circumstances under which the sample was lost. The NASA-JSC Curator requests that in the case of a sample loss, PIs complete and fax/mail/email a Sample Loss or Consumption form which can be downloaded from the web under Documents and Forms.