On the search for the amino acids on the lunar surface as it relates to other extraterrestrial bodies

Abstract

The early search for the amino acids on the lunar surface fines indicated such a low amount of the amino acids that it was deemed insignificant. While the later studies seemed to depart in some ways from the earlier results, they were not pursued. In this paper we critically evaluate the results from the Apollo missions from the new perspective with considerations of the sensitivity of the instrumentation available at the time. We discuss the possible relevance of the lunar results to the findings of the amino acids on the surfaces of other extraterrestrial bodies, such as Mars.