Morphology of Apollo 11 and 12 Soil Samples and the Quest for Biogenic Forms

Abstract

The Apollo 11 and 12 missions to the moon returned valuable samples for scientific study. The morphology of the loose sediment and breccia from Apollo 11 have been studied extensively in our laboratory using light microscopy, electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and the electron probe. The Apollo 12 sample is now undergoing similar treatment.Even though conditions on the moon, especially on the surface, are known to be extremely hostile to life as we know it, an extensive search was carried out for evidence of past life. Since numerous reports exist purporting evidence of life forms in carbonaceous chondrites coming to the Earth from outer space, such material would also be expected to be embedded in the lunar surface. Enders calculates about 2% carbonaceous chondrites on the lunar surface and Keil had measured nickel iron meteoritic ratios in his sample as about 1%. Thus influx to the surface and undetermined past history add interest to the search. However, an estimated turnover rate of 120 million years for a few inches of lunar soil does mean long exposure of this material to radiation, severe temperature changes, high vacuum, etc.