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https://www.nasa.gov/missions/osiris-rex/surprising-phosphate-finding-in-nasas-osiris-rex-asteroid-sample/
Surprising Phosphate Finding in NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample
JUN 26, 2024
Scientists have eagerly awaited the opportunity to dig into the 4.3-ounce (121.6-gram) pristine asteroid Bennu sample collected by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer) mission since it was delivered to Earth last fall.
They hoped the material would hold secrets of the solar system’s past and the prebiotic chemistry that might have led to the origin of life on Earth.
An early analysis of the Bennu sample, published June 26 in Meteoritics & Planetary Science, demonstrates this excitement was warranted.
The OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team found that Bennu contains the original ingredients that formed our solar system.
The asteroid’s dust is rich in carbon and nitrogen, as well as organic compounds, all of which are essential components for life as we know it.
The sample also contains magnesium-sodium phosphate, which was a surprise to the research team, because it wasn’t seen in the remote sensing data collected by the spacecraft at Bennu.
Its presence in the sample hints that the asteroid could have splintered off from a long-gone, tiny, primitive ocean world.
A Phosphate Surprise
Analysis of the Bennu sample unveiled intriguing insights into the asteroid’s composition.
Dominated by clay minerals, particularly serpentine, the sample mirrors the type of rock found at mid-ocean ridges on Earth, where material from the mantle, the layer beneath Earth’s crust, encounters water.
This interaction doesn’t just result in clay formation; it also gives rise to a variety of minerals like carbonates, iron oxides, and iron sulfides.
But the most unexpected discovery is the presence of water-soluble phosphates. These compounds are components of biochemistry for all known life on Earth today.
While a similar phosphate was found in the asteroid Ryugu sample delivered by JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Hayabusa2 mission in 2020, the magnesium-sodium phosphate detected in the Bennu sample stands out for its purity —
that is, the lack of other materials in the mineral — and the size of its grains, unprecedented in any meteorite sample.
The finding of magnesium-sodium phosphates in the Bennu sample raises questions about the geochemical processes that concentrated these elements and provides valuable clues about Bennu’s historic conditions.
“The presence and state of phosphates, along with other elements and compounds on Bennu, suggest a watery past for the asteroid,” said Dante Lauretta, co-lead author of the paper and principal investigator for OSIRIS-REx at the University of Arizona, Tucson.
“Bennu potentially could have once been part of a wetter world. Although, this hypothesis requires further investigation.”
“OSIRIS-REx gave us exactly what we hoped: a large pristine asteroid sample rich in nitrogen and carbon from a formerly wet world,” said Jason Dworkin, a co-author on the paper and the OSIRIS-REx project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
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From a Young Solar System
Despite its possible history of interaction with water, Bennu remains a chemically primitive asteroid, with elemental proportions closely resembling those of the Sun.
“The sample we returned is the largest reservoir of unaltered asteroid material on Earth right now,” said Lauretta.
This composition offers a glimpse into the early days of our solar system, over 4.5 billion years ago. These rocks have retained their original state, having neither melted nor resolidified since their inception, affirming their ancient origins.
Hints at Life’s Building Blocks
The team has confirmed the asteroid is rich in carbon and nitrogen. These elements are crucial in understanding the environments where Bennu’s materials originated and the chemical processes that transformed simple elements into complex molecules, potentially laying the groundwork for life on Earth.
“These findings underscore the importance of collecting and studying material from asteroids like Bennu — especially low-density material that would typically burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere,” said Lauretta.
“This material holds the key to unraveling the intricate processes of solar system formation and the prebiotic chemistry that could have contributed to life emerging on Earth.”
What’s Next
Dozens more labs in the United States and around the world will receive portions of the Bennu sample from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in the coming months, and many more scientific papers describing analyses of the
Bennu sample are expected in the next few years from the OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team.
“The Bennu samples are tantalizingly beautiful extraterrestrial rocks,” said Harold Connolly, co-lead author on the paper and OSIRIS-REx mission sample scientist at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey.
“Each week, analysis by the OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team provides new and sometimes surprising findings that are helping place important constraints on the origin and evolution of Earth-like planets.”
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NASA Advances Research to Grow Habitats in Space from Fungi
JUN 26, 2024
As NASA prepares for long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars for the benefit of all, a habitat-growing concept selected Wednesday by the agency could help “grow” homes using fungi for future explorers.
A team of researchers at NASA Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley will receive new funding under the NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program to propel their habitat research.
The Phase III NIAC award will provide $2 million over two years to continue technology development of the Mycotecture Off Planet project in preparation for a potential future demonstration mission.
The work is led by Lynn Rothschild, a senior research scientist at NASA Ames.
“As NASA prepares to explore farther into the cosmos than ever before, it will require new science and technology that doesn’t yet exist” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
“NASA’s space technology team and the NIAC program unlock visionary ideas – ideas that make the impossible, possible.
This new research is a steppingstone to our Artemis campaign as we prepare to go back to the Moon to live, to learn, to invent, to create – then venture to Mars and beyond.”
Some habitats, such as landers and rovers, will be delivered to planetary surfaces.
However, the mycotecture project team is developing technologies that could “grow” habitats on the Moon, Mars, and beyond using fungi and the underground threads that comprise the main part of fungi, known as mycelia.
With this development, explorers could travel with a compact habitat built out of lightweight material containing dormant fungi.
By adding water, fungi can potentially grow around that framework into a fully functional human habitat, while being safely contained to avoid contaminating the environment.
“We are committed to advancing technologies to transport our astronauts, house our explorers, and facilitate valuable research,” said Walt Engelund, associate administrator for Programs in the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We invest in these technologies throughout their lifecycle, recognizing their potential to help us accomplish our goals – benefiting industry, our agency, and humanity.”
The mycotecture project could enable a new, multi-use material for in-space construction, reducing mass and saving resources for additional mission priorities. The proof of concept for this technology was demonstrated through earlier NIAC awards.
The team created multiple combinations of fungal-based biocomposites, fabricated prototypes, tested materials in a planetary simulator, evaluated enhancements including incorporating radiation protection, and drafted detailed mycelium-based Moon habitat designs.
This project also has uses on Earth in addition to applications on other worlds. Mycelia could be used for water filtration and systems that extract minerals from wastewater.
From deep space human exploration to advanced propulsion and robotics, NASA aims to change the possible by supporting early-stage space technology research that could radically change the future.
“Mycotecture Off Planet exemplifies how advanced concepts can change how we envision future exploration missions,” said John Nelson, NIAC Program Executive.
“As NASA embarks on the next era of space exploration, NIAC helps the agency lay the necessary groundwork to bring innovative visions to life.”
Work under the Phase III award will allow the research team to optimize material properties. It also will enable the team to progress toward testing in low Earth orbit.
Future applications of this project could include integration into commercial space stations or infusion into missions to the Moon with the ultimate goal of use on Mars.
NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts supports visionary, early-stage research ideas through multiple progressive phases of study. In January 2024, NASA announced 19 Phase I and Phase II proposal selections. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, which is responsible for developing the new cross-cutting technologies and capabilities the agency needs to achieve its current and future missions, funds NIAC activities.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-advances-research-to-grow-habitats-in-space-from-fungi/
‘Scary’ fireball traveling at 32,000 mph vanishes over North Carolina lake, NASA says
UPDATED JUNE 27, 2024 9:25 AM
A fireball seen over the Eastern Seaboard was soaring at 32,000 mph when it disintegrated above a 4,600-acre lake in North Carolina, according to NASA.
It happened around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 25, and nearly 180 people filed witness reports, including some who called it “scary,” the American Meteor Society says.
“Data places first visibility for the fireball at an altitude of 48 miles above the town of Allen Grove in northern North Carolina,” NASA Meteor Watch reported in a June 26 Facebook post.
“Moving … at 32,000 miles per hour and descending at a steep angle … the object only managed to travel 40 miles through the atmosphere before disintegrating 28 miles above Roanoke Rapids Lake, just south of the North Carolina/Virginia border.”
Fireballs are very bright meteors and several thousand occur daily in Earth’s atmosphere, the American Meteor Society says.
“The vast majority of these, however, occur over the oceans and uninhabited regions, and a good many are masked by daylight,” the society says.
“Those that occur at night also stand little chance of being detected due to the relatively low numbers of persons out to notice them.”
Multiple witnesses reported the June 25 fireball was tinted with various shades of green and had an “orange fiery tail.” Green fireballs are often made of the metal nickel, the society says.
A “crackling sound” was heard in some parts of North Carolina and one witness in the Raleigh area saw “a collection of small bright pieces following the same path.”
“It was as if it would have hit a low flying plane. … So close and bright,” Crystal P. of Ayden wrote in a witness report.
“Moved like a shooting star but it was very close and looked like a rock on fire. Looked like it landed in the neighbor’s backyard. Walked around the block because I was worried about potential fire,” Libby P. of Mechanicsville, Virginia, said.
“It was close and low enough to be startling,” Nick D. of White Post, Virginia, posted. Witness reports were also filed by people in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia, the society said.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article289573660.html
Sinkhole swallows stadium light at Alton soccer field after mine collapse
Jun. 26, 2024 at 11:52 AM PDT
A mine collapsed in Alton on Wednesday, damaging a soccer field.
The New Frontier Materials told First Alert 4 that an underground mine had a surface subsidence that opened a sinkhole at Gordon Moore City Park.
The impacted area was secured and will be off-limits while inspectors and experts examine the mine and conduct repairs.
The Alton Parks and Recreation Department Director Michael Haynes said that they estimate the hole is at least 100 feet wide and 30-50 feet deep. The collapse swallowed up one of the stadium lights.
“The mines have been here and in this area for decades and decades,” Haynes said. “It’s never been brought up before so I’m told it’s an anomaly. We’ll wait until the investigation is complete.”
“It was surreal,” Haynes said. “Kind of like a movie where the ground just falls out from underneath you.”
These turf fields were added to the park in 2019 and Haynes said the project was over $1 million.
Although it’s early in the process, Haynes doesn’t expect the city to have to foot the bill for any fixes.
“Hopefully, we can find a remedy and get plans together to move forward before we get into our busy season out here again,” Haynes said.
The incident was reported to the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
“We will work with the city to remediate this issue as quickly and safely as possible to ensure minimal impact on the community,” read part of a statement from the company.
Alton resident Richard Baird described seeing the giant sinkhole in the middle of the turf field as startling.
“A very sad occasion for the community because of the newness of this facility and number one and number two all the youth that participate here,” Baird said.
“It puts all that on hold.” Baird said this is a huge loss for Alton.
“Thousands upon thousands of people are impacted by this,” Baird said. “Parents and their children who participate as athletes.”
It was a working mine at the time of the collapse and no injuries were reported.
This is something First Alert 4 has seen across the Metro East for years, where mine collapses closed the Ruler Foods in Belleville, temporarily shut down a Wolf Branch school in Swansea and a skating rink in Fairview.
“Probably a large portion of this park has got mines underneath it so it’s not surprising to me,” Baird said.
The park is closed for the time being.
For the full list of mines across the Metro East, click on this link.
https://ilmineswiki.web.illinois.edu/wiki/ILMINES
https://www.firstalert4.com/2024/06/26/watch-sinkhole-swallows-stadium-light-alton-soccer-field-after-mine-collapse/
China opens Chang'e 6 return capsule containing samples from moon's far side (video)
June 27, 2024
China's Chang'e 6 mission return capsule has been transferred to Beijing and opened to access its precious cargo.
The return capsule made its fiery plunge through the atmosphere on June 25 before landing in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia.
The event brought the 53-day-long Chang'e 6 mission to a successful conclusion, delivering the first-ever lunar far side samples to Earth.
The capsule was airlifted to Beijing early Wednesday (June 26), to the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), which designed the mission spacecraft.
Once there, a ceremony was held which saw researchers open the return capsule and examine key technical indicators, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
A sample container, holding up to 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) of material from the moon, was then secured for the next stage of its journey.
The samples will be transferred to specially developed facilities for storage, analysis and distribution for research.
As with the samples collected from the moon's near side by Chang'e 5 in 2020, the materials will be sorted and then opened to applications for research from scientists and institutions across China.
The materials will likely be made available to applications from international groups and researchers after two years.
NASA-funded researchers received special clearance late last year to apply for access to lunar samples.
Research and discoveries from Chang'e 5 include a "perplexing combination" of minerals, the nature of lunar volcanism, an unexpected amount of water and a new mineral named Changesite-(Y).
https://www.space.com/chang-e-6-moon-far-side-return-capsule-opened
ISS astronauts take shelter in Boeing Starliner and other return spacecraft after June 26 satellite breakup
June 27, 2024
Nine astronauts on the space station briefly moved to their docked return spacecraft late Wednesday (June 26) as a satellite broke up in low Earth orbit.
The Expedition 71 crew on the International Space Station (ISS) went to their three spacecraft, including Boeing Starliner, shortly after 9 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT), according to a brief NASA update on X, formerly known as Twitter.
As the ISS follows a time zone identical to GMT, according to the European Space Agency, the astronauts were likely in their sleep period when the incident occurred.
The procedure was a "precautionary measure", NASA officials added, stating that the crew only stayed in their spacecraft for about an hour before they were "cleared to exit their spacecraft, and the station resumed normal operations.
NASA did not specify which satellite was associated with the incident, but satellite monitoring and collision detection firm LeoLabs identified a "debris-generating event" that same evening.
"Early indications are that a non-operational Russian spacecraft, Resurs-P1 [or] SATNO 39186, released a number of fragments," the company wrote on X.
U.S. Space Command also reported the Resurs-P1 event, saying on X that over 100 pieces of trackable debris were generated.
The military said it "observed no immediate threats and is continuing to conduct routine conjunction assessments." (A conjunction refers to a close approach of two objects in orbit to one another.)
Resurs-P1 launched on June 25, 2013 and operated until December 2021 — beyond its expected lifespan, according to RussianSpaceWeb.
The Earth observation satellite was used for applications ranging from defense to emergency monitoring to agriculture, NASA says.
The amount of space debris in orbit generally is a growing concern. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is tracking more than 45,300 space objects overall as of today, according to SpaceTrack.org.
This does not include non-trackable pieces, however. The Union of Concerned Scientists also lists 7,560 operational satellites orbiting Earth, a figure that belies the number of non-operational satellites that cannot be controlled.
NASA works with the U.S. military to monitor the area around the ISS. The space station is typically tasked to move (if there is time) if any trackable pieces roughly 2 inches (5 centimeters) in size come within a "pizza box"-shaped area of space surrounding the ISS orbit.
That box is roughly 2.5 by 30 by 30 miles (4 by 50 by 50 kilometers) with the ISS at the center, according to agency officials.
NASA procedures also dictate that astronauts may shelter in their return spacecraft if the hazard, typically a very tiny one in statistical terms, brings a chance of needing to evacuate the ISS.
This happened, for example, after Russia deliberately destroyed a satellite in November 2021 as part of a surprise anti-satellite test that other countries (including the United States) condemned.
The new NASA update did not specify how close the satellite pieces came to the ISS. LeoLabs stated the debris event it was monitoring released fragments between 9:05 a.m. EDT (1305 GMT) and 8:51 p.m. EDT Wednesday (0051 GMT Thursday, June 27).
On Friday (June 21), NASA said the departure of Starliner will be sometime after July 2, following an expected spacewalk on that day. But it is also unclear if that spacewalk will proceed as a coolant leak halted extravehicular activity on Monday (June 24).
ISS astronauts subsequently performed a "spacewalk review", NASA officials have said, and have been reviewing procedures and examining the affected spacesuit in the days since.
Boeing and NASA officials have said that developmental missions such as Starliner often fall outside planned schedules due to the unexpected.
And Starliner's Atlas V rocket provider United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, provided a positive update to reporters yesterday (June 26) during an unrelated teleconference about future launches for ULA's new Vulcan Centaur rocket.
"They're all safe and sound," ULA CEO Tory Bruno told reporters during the teleconference. He was speaking about the Starliner crew, who are both former U.S. Navy test pilots used to developmental programs.
https://www.space.com/iss-astronauts-shelter-return-spacecraft-satellite-breakup
House spending bill cuts NASA science and education programs
June 27, 2024
A House spending bill for fiscal year 2025 would cut funding from the administration’s request for science and education programs at NASA.
The commerce, justice and science (CJS) subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee favorably reported a draft of its fiscal year 2025 spending bill, which includes NASA, during a brief markup session June 26.
The bill, released by the subcommittee a day earlier, would provide nearly $25.18 billion for NASA in 2025.
That is a 1.2% increase over what NASA received for fiscal year 2024, but $205 million less than what the White House requested for the agency in its budget proposal released in March.
The cuts in the House bill were focused on science and education. The bill keeps science funding at the same level as 2024, $7.334 billion, a cut of $231.5 million from NASA’s request for 2025.
Education programs, formally known as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Engagement, would receive $89 million, a sharp cut from the $143.5 million requested, which was approximately the same as 2024 levels.
The bill did not outline how those cuts would be allocated among programs in those divisions. A fact sheet released by Democratic members of the committee stated that, in STEM Engagement, the bill would eliminate funding for the Minority University Research and Education Project, which received $46 million in 2024.
Many other parts of NASA, including exploration and space technology, received the same overall funding level as the agency’s request.
The bill increased funding for space operations, which includes the International Space Station, by $83.8 million, but did not disclose the reason for the change. The Aerospace Industries Association criticized the bill for the cuts to science and education.
“Rather than continuing a growth trajectory that keeps pace with inflation, the committee missed important opportunities to extend America’s leadership in space exploration and scientific discovery by reducing funding for key initiatives in STEM,” Eric Fanning, president and chief executive of the organization, said in a June 25 statement.
During the brief markup sessions, members made only brief references to the NASA funding in the bill. “The moon is once again within our reach,” said Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), chair of the CJS subcommittee.
“This bill makes strategic investments in order to ensure NASA is not bound by the limits of gravity.” “The bill prioritizes our science agencies and appropriately funds the advancement of space exploration at NASA,” said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), chair of the full committee.
Democratic members said they opposed the bill, but discussed other portions of the bill that fund programs at the Justice and Commerce Departments. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.), ranking member of the CJS subcommittee, also criticized more than $600 million in cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as “particularly troubling,” although the impact of those cuts on NOAA satellite programs was not immediately clear.
“This process does not end with the subcommittee action today,” he said. “As the process moves forward, we need to do much more in all of these important areas.”
Cartwright added that he was particularly critical of the bill at the subcommittee markup because, last year, the full committee never took up the bill as it and several others languished amid debates about spending caps and budget allocations.
Cole, who took over as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee earlier this year, said he regretted the lack of a markup by the full committee last year. “We will have those hearings and we will have a robust process,” he said.
A schedule released by the committee last month includes a full committee markup of the CJS spending bill July 9.
https://spacenews.com/house-spending-bill-cuts-nasa-science-and-education-programs/
Embry‑Riddle Space Biology Research Featured in Landmark Publication by Nature
Jun 27, 2024, 11:03 AM
Two papers from the Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University lab of Dr. Amber Paul on how spaceflight could affect the human body are included in a space biology package just published by the journal Nature, and an additional two perspective papers in the package were also co-authored by Paul.
The work for the two research papers was led by Paul, assistant professor of Aerospace Physiology and Embry‑Riddle Wessel Fellow. One of the papers, published in npj Microgravity, explores the effects of the space environment on the immune system.
The other, published in Nature Scientific Reports, documents female and male differences of the immune and endocrine systems of mice in response to cosmic radiation.
The papers were selected to be part of Nature’s Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) compendium, which includes analyses of bio-specimens from the crew of the three-day, high-altitude SpaceX Inspiration4 mission and from astronauts who have lived aboard the International Space Station, plus scientific findings from European Space Agency and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency missions, including research based on simulated space conditions.
Representing the work of more than a hundred institutions from 25 countries, the package is the largest collection of data ever assembled for aerospace medicine and space biology, and it highlights that “understanding the health risks associated with space exploration is key for the preparation of long-duration lunar, and potentially Martian, missions,” according to a statement by Nature.
Dr. Peter Hoffmann, dean of the Embry‑Riddle College of Arts & Sciences and professor of Physics, congratulated Paul and her researchers.
“The excellent work of our Aerospace Physiology team, featured in several high-profile papers, is an example of Embry‑Riddle’s expanding leadership role in research on the effects of spaceflight and extreme environments on human physiology and performance,”
Hoffmann said. “This research will not only help future astronauts to anticipate and mitigate physiological effects of radiation and weightlessness but will also have profound implications on our understanding of the immune system, aging and other biological processes right here on Earth.”
Paul, who came to Embry‑Riddle after completing postdoctoral training at NASA Ames Research Center, said the SOMA resource is intended to support “the principles of open and shared science, since studying astronauts' health in space can be quite challenging.
These repositories are created to expand science, knowledge and collaboration.” For her, Paul said, “the most exciting element of the research is we have an opportunity to approach biological questions on a personalized medicine level.”
A good example of this, Paul said, is research that helps to clarify differences in spaceflight health effects between males and females, which “is important to characterize for future missions.”
Paul's research focuses primarily on immune system effects. “There are still many unknowns with exploring deep spaceflight that we will need to consider for safe travel. T
he discovery of how these challenges dysregulate our immune system and what can be used to counter or circumvent those effects is an open question,” Paul said.
Exploration of how to prevent immune dysfunction — which can cause susceptibility to infection, unrecognized tumor antigens and even immune senescence — is applicable to health considerations here on Earth.
https://news.erau.edu/headlines/embry-riddle-space-biology-research-featured-in-landmark-publication-by-nature
https://www.nature.com/immersive/d42859-024-00009-8/index.html
UFO historical records to be archived in Rio Rancho school
Jun 26, 2024
Rio Rancho Public Schools and the National UFO Historical Records Center, a nonprofit organization, announced a partnership Tuesday aimed at preserving significant historical resources and fostering educational opportunities within the community.
The RRPS school board approved a memorandum of agreement at its Monday meeting that marks the beginning of a collaborative effort to combine the resources and expertise of both parties to benefit students, parents and the broader community of Rio Rancho and Sandoval County.
David Marler, the executive director of the National UFO Historical Record Center, has had a dream to create a first-of-its-kind public archive in Rio Rancho to display his vast collection of UFO data.
Marler is among the leading UFO historians and archivists in the world — and his collection is growing. His Rio Rancho home has dozens of four-drawer file cabinets with government documents, reports, case files, hundreds of thousands of news clippings and more than 1,500 books cataloged so far.
There are also hundreds of historic audio recordings and museum-quality artifacts from the United States Air Force Project Blue Book.
“My colleagues and I have spent decades collecting original documentation and various materials,” Marler said. “A large percentage of this material are original and military government documents.
This is not National Enquirer material we’re talking about. With this archive, we’d like to elevate the dialogue and also serve the public educational role, really trying to provide credible material to scientists in the general public.”
Enter RRPS.
The partnership between Marler and the district stems from a shared vision to protect historical resources and promote scientific fields of study in Rio Rancho.
The National UFO Historical Records Center, a custodian of a substantial collection of the nation’s historical documents related to UFO reports and investigations that include original (declassified) military reports, will work closely with RRPS to house and secure these invaluable documents within existing school facilities.
“This agreement represents a significant step in the preservation and education of our nation's UFO history,” Marler said. “We are proud to partner with Rio Rancho Public Schools to inspire the next generation of historians and scientists.”
The MOA runs for five years, with the option to extend, and licenses the center the use of two portable buildings of approximately 1,300 square feet each on the campus of Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School.
RRPS will work with the center to provide innovative ways for students and parents to engage in educational opportunities that promote historical research, critical thinking and scientific investigation.
This collaboration will offer students unique access to historical materials, fostering a deeper understanding of archival preservation, public display of historical documents, investigative procedures and ethical considerations related to such activities.
The National UFO Historical Records Center brings a wealth of educational programs designed to develop skills in archival preservation, public history and investigative research.
By partnering with RRPS, these programs will be accessible to students and the community, creating a dynamic learning environment that encourages the exploration of historical and scientific subjects.
“We are excited to embark on this unique partnership with the National UFO Historical Records Center,” said Michael Baker, RRPS chief operations officer.
“This collaboration will not only preserve important historical documents but also provide our students with exceptional educational experiences.”
https://www.rrobserver.com/news/ufo-historical-records-to-be-archived-in-rio-rancho-school/article_58751b20-33dc-11ef-9396-af2933abc70e.html