Theme 4: Maximizing Science From Returned Samples 

Ancient oxygen reveals our solar system’s history-- if we know where, and how, to look. Direct evidence is scarce, and processes like space weathering make it even harder to recognize over time. The RISE2 team meets this challenge with a combination of cutting-edge lab capabilities and new analysis techniques. Some team members uncover telltale chemical signatures hidden in space objects from meteorites to moons. Others interpret the signatures. Their research brings us closer to understanding how our habitable planet, and our neighborhood in space, came to be.

The RISE2 team hones its methods using a range of materials, including pristine samples from the Hayabusa and Stardust missions. This work will enable more robust analysis of samples returned from distant worlds in the future.