During its twenty year history of NSF support, the ANSMET program has been funded by the Earth Sciences section in the Office of Polar Programs. This reflects the nature of ANSMET research- we conduct field work in the Transantarctic mountains, collecting rock samples to which geological techniques are applied. From 1976 to 1995, research grants have been awarded to Prof. William A. Cassidy (of the University of Pittsburgh) Since 1996, Dr. Ralph P.

Since 1976, the Antarctic Search for Meteorites program (ANSMET), funded by the Office of Polar Programs of the National Science Foundation, has recovered more than 10,000 specimens from meteorite stranding surfaces along the Transantarctic Mountains. The ANSMET specimens are currently the only reliable, continuous source of new, non-microscopic extraterrestrial material, and will continue to be until future planetary sample-return missions are successful.

The ANSMET specimens have been the only reliable source of new, non-microscopic extraterrestrial material since the Apollo project, and will continue to be until future planetary sample-return missions develop and succeed.

of the end of the beginning of the 2000 ANSMET field season, roughly 10,000 specimens have been recovered (the number is inexact because the latest finds are still being characterized, and some may not be meteorites). This represents an average number of recoveries of around 350 per season, although the total for any individual season has varied from 30 (in 1976-77) to more than 1000 specimens (in 1987-88, 1997-98 and 1999-2000).

Although meteorites have been recovered in Antarctica since the turn of the century (the first being found in 1912), and several other agencies have undertaken systematic Antarctic meteorite collection efforts of their own (notably Japan and the European Council), the details of ANSMET search, recovery and distribution techniques make the US collection the most valuable to science.

Several websites exist that offer information on ANSMET and related activities. Links to these sites are available on

One way to evaluate the importance of ANSMET meteorites to the planetary science community is to compare publication rates with those based on similar material resources of unquestioned importance. A useful comparison is that between studies of ANSMET meteorite samples and lunar samples recovered during the Apollo moon landings; the core objective of both programs was the recovery of planetary materials.

The Antarctic Treaty governs and protects the scientific integrity of all research taking place on the continent of Antarctica, and forbids the removal of specimens of any kind from that continent except as samples to be used for scientific research. In accordance with that treaty, the recovered ANSMET specimens are ultimately the responsibility of the National Science Foundation as an agency of the US government.

After each new specimen arrives at the Johnson Space Center, and has been freeze-dried to remove any ice or snow, technicians there carefully examine the meteorite both macro- and microscopically. Small chips are broken off of each specimen for initial study, by curatorial staff at both JSC and at the Smithsonian.

Dr. Ralph Harvey and John Schutt are members of each field party, serving as ANSMET continues to be one of the few Antarctic research projects that invites graduate students and senior researchers from other institutions to participate in our field work on a volunteer basis. These individuals, usually with a history of research involving Antarctic meteorites, gain significant insight into the collection circumstances surrounding their primary research materials.

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