00:00En el Centro Espacial Johnson de la NASA se encuentra una de las instalaciones científicas más especiales del mundo,
00:07el Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility, o el Laboratorio de Muestras Lunares,
00:12donde se reguardan miles de muestras traídas por las misiones Apolo y se preparan para nuevas investigaciones.
00:19Ahí trabajan especialistas como Andrea Beatriz Morsi y Julian Gross,
00:25quienes cuidan estas rocas lunares en ambientes ultralimpios para que científicos y científicas de todo el mundo puedan estudiarlas sin
00:34riesgo de contaminarse.
00:57My name is Andrea Beatriz Morsi.
01:00I've been working here at NASA for 47 years.
01:05My name is Julian Gross.
01:06I am the deputy curator for the Apollo samples.
01:09My job rocks, obviously.
01:11On a daily basis, I work with moon rocks.
01:14There were six missions that went to the moon from 1969 to 1972,
01:19and we brought back 842 pounds of rocks, pebbles, and salt.
01:23We're studying moon rocks because we want to learn about our own history.
01:27We want to learn about how earth formed, where life comes from, where's the water coming from.
01:31And all that information is lost on earth, so we need to find that someplace else that hasn't changed,
01:36so we can still find that original information.
01:39And that's on the moon.
01:40The moon doesn't have any wind and water and rain.
01:43The moon is geologically inactive, so nothing has changed.
01:46It has recorded everything since its formation.
01:49So it has recorded how the sun has changed over time.
01:52It recorded how much stuff got delivered to the moon, like hit the moon over time.
01:57We can look at the age of these rocks and then make assumptions of, like, what was delivered at what
02:01time.
02:02So the moon is like a time capsule or a time machine.
02:05We can go back in time and look at it.
02:06The moon rocks are stored here at Johnson Space Center in our pristine sample vault and our returned sample vault.
02:14We actually break the rocks, document the samples, find out exactly what scientists or the researcher is looking for,
02:22and we allocate or send the samples to them to do their research.
02:26You cannot actually touch the samples with the bare hands.
02:30If, in fact, I touch the samples with my bare hands, then I'm adding the oil to the samples.
02:36So when the researchers actually do their analysis, they're not researching what was actually found on the moon.
02:44They're researching what we have here on Earth.
02:46We work in a clean room lab.
02:49We have microscopes that we keep covered with a bag when we go out,
02:53or you have data that you're working on in your data pack.
02:56Everything we do here is to protect the samples from earthly environments.
03:01You need to keep the room clean.
03:04When your parents tell you to go and clean up your room, just think about that.
03:08I want to work in the lab with the moon rocks.
03:11I better learn how to clean up this room.
03:13All the Apollo samples are special, but they're not representative for the rest of the moon.
03:18And so that's one of the reasons why we're going back to the moon with the Artemis missions,
03:22and we're going to go to a South Polar region.
03:24The astronauts actually got geology training so that they could recognize different rock type.
03:30When we train the astronauts, we want them to be able to pick up rocks that are representative of that
03:36landing site.
03:37But we also want them to pick up rocks that are very diverse.
03:41So we really can get a better idea of what the geology is like in that region.
03:48Not just the landing site, but the overall region.
03:50And that's why this is so fun, because the Artemis astronauts will learn from the Apollo astronauts,
03:55and they will learn from the Apollo samples to prepare them to go back to the moon
04:01and pick up new samples that are more representative.
04:03I've been here for 47 years because I actually love what I do.
04:10The samples from Apollo, it sparked what we're doing now.
04:15So we continue to do that same research.
04:17We continue with exploration, and that is NASA's mission.
04:22If you're interested in becoming a processor of moon rocks,
04:26you should start studying now earth science and geology.
04:30It's a good thing to find a mentor.
04:32There are also teachers and counselors that will assist you.
04:36Don't be afraid to reach out to them.
04:38There's no dumb question.
04:40So you need to be able to open up, ask the questions.
04:44You need to be present, but present does not mean just being in the class.
04:49Presence means participating, asking the question, doing your homework,
04:54and doing all the things that you need to do to be successful.
04:59No, I never thought that I could work for NASA.
05:02That was like, NASA was just like a big, shiny,
05:06only like geniuses weren't there.
05:09I was like, nah, I'm not good enough for that.
05:13And here I am.
05:14Don't listen to anybody who tells you you can't do things,
05:18or you're not smart enough, or like, whatever.
05:21Don't listen to them because they're wrong.
05:22Because what that really means is that you haven't found the right people
05:26to teach you in the right way that is good for you.
05:30Don't give up.
05:31Stay curious.
05:33Ask questions.
05:34Follow your heart.
05:36Just keep trying, and you will eventually get there.
05:39Don't give up.
05:39CC por Antarctica Films Argentina
