ANSMET (the Antarctic Search for Meteorites)

Antarctic meteorite searches are one of the most important sources of extraterrestrial material and information for planetary research. In particular, more than 23,000 meteorite recoveries by the Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) program have proven of monumental importance to planetary geology. Careful systematics during searching, complete characterization of recovered specimens, the preservation of samples in the Antarctic environment, curation at the highest level, and rapid, cost-free availability make ANSMET meteorites uniquely valuable to the planetary materials research community. The US Antarctic meteorite program is jointly managed by NASA, NSF and the Smithsonian Institution. These meteorites are the world's only consistently available source of new, non-microscopic extraterrestrial material, providing essential "ground truth" concerning the history and makeup of the asteroids, planets and other bodies of our solar system.