NASA Procedural Requirements

NPR 7100.5 Effective Date: August 16, 2023 Expiration Date: August 16, 2028

Subject: Curation of Astromaterials

Responsible Office: Science Mission Directorate

Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1 Astromaterials represent a unique and limited national resource and an important legacy to future generations. Astromaterials encompass all natural materials from extraterrestrial environments, including samples collected in space, on other Solar System bodies, and on Earth. Such materials include, but are not limited to, rocks, dust, minerals, meteorites, regolith, ices, organic matter, gases, and atoms.

1.2 NASA owns astromaterials and curates them in its scientific collections to support science and serve as a long-term research asset. Astromaterials collections comprise the astromaterials themselves, objects that have embedded astromaterials, associated hardware such as sample-return canisters or other relevant spacecraft components, witness plates, materials collected for contamination knowledge, and reference materials. The astromaterials collections are supported by data and other information, including specimen metadata, photographs, and master materials lists.

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