BAMM!

Belgian Antarctic Meteorites and Micrometeorites to document solar system

BELSPO BRAIN-be project

Total budget: €398,815

Duration: 2017-2022

Point of contact: Sophie Decrée

Summary

Since 2009, joint Belgian-Japanese missions in Antarctica have recovered more than 1200 highly pristine meteorites and 2500 micrometeorites from the blue ice fields surrounding the Sør Rondane Mountains. This new Antarctic project aims to significantly extend the Belgian meteorite patrimony and stimulates meteorite curation and research at federal institutes and universities in Belgium, supported by the BELAM (2012-2016) and ADMUNDSEN (2016-2017) BELSPO projects. It builds on and expands the assembled expertise, and centers on a number of highly promising, but previously unexplored research opportunities provided by this valuable set of newly recovered extraterrestrial samples.