Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG)
Keith’s note: last week NASA decided to halt support for MD Planetary Science Division Analysis and Assessment Groups. The following email was shared widely by the ExMAG executive committee: “Dear Colleagues, The NASA Planetary Science Division (PSD) Director recently announced that the PSD will cease formal support for various Analyses and Assessment Groups (AGs) effective in May 2026.” Full email below.
The letter highlighted the significant values of AGs and recent changes in the NASA landscape that led to the decision. You can review the full announcement here: https://science.nasa.gov/planetary-science/resources/psd-director-letter-to-the-community/
Despite this decision, the Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) will continue its mission, serving as a vital bridge between the sample science community and NASA leadership.
Since our founding (transitioning from CAPTEM in 2021), ExMAG has been a cornerstone of two-way communication between the sample science community and NASA decision-makers. Recent successes highlight the power of our collective voices:
International Collaboration: ExMAG’s finding that accessing Chang’E-5 samples was a high priority was instrumental in NASA opening a dialogue with China, allowing US-based scientists to apply for these samples.
Mission Readiness: In collaboration with LEAG, the Special Action Teams have been critical in assessing the curation and technical readiness for upcoming Artemis missions.
Deep expertise: ExMAG has provided detailed technical analyses leveraging the deep sample expertise of the planetary science community to support curation of recently acquired asteroid Bennu and Ryugu samples, including the scientific rationale and recommendation for cold storage and long-term archiving of some of the returned Bennu samples.
The rigorous analysis of extraterrestrial materials does more than answer existing questions; it redefines our understanding of the solar system. For example, the discovery of non-negligible OH in Apollo volcanic samples fundamentally shifted our view of lunar volatiles and the Earth-Moon formation. As such, the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey, Origins, Worlds, and Life, placed several sample return missions as top priorities for space exploration.
In the meantime, asteroid samples from OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 missions are available for the entire science community, and new samples are being planned to return from the lunar South Pole region by Artemis III and from the martian moon Phobos by the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission in 2031. In this new era, it is more essential than ever that community-led assessments of collection, curation, facility, and technology readiness help NASA to prioritize and plan for these samples’ return and analysis. ExMAG remains committed to engaging the sample science community and providing a voice for the community to policymakers.
The loss of formal and financial PSD support will impact our operational infrastructure, specifically our annual meetings, the maintenance of the ExMAG website, and the archiving of past documents. The Executive Committee is currently exploring alternative organizational models, archiving, web hosting, and funding options to ensure our long-term sustainability. We are dedicated to maintaining a platform where community-driven analysis can directly influence the decisions that shape the future of planetary science.
We will keep you informed as we finalize our path forward. We want to thank you for your unwavering support and look forward to championing the interests of the sample community for years to come.
The ExMAG executive committee:
Yang Liu (Chair), Philipp Heck (Chair emeritus, acting Vice Chair), Neeraja Chinchalkar, Zack Gainsforth, Danny Glavin, Pierre Haenecour, Lydia Hallis, Rhiannon Mayne, Molly McCanta, Peng Ni, Evgenia Salin, Arya Udry, Nicolle Zellner