Astromaterials 3D is a virtual library of NASA's collections of Apollo Lunar and Antarctic Meteorite samples that was created as an exploration tool for scientific research and the curious public. The mission of Astromaterials 3D is to put these incredible rocks from different origins across our solar system in your hands, virtually.

Conceived and led by Transdisciplinary Artist Erika Blumenfeld, the Astromaterials 3D project began in 2013 with her vision to make these remarkable and rare extraterrestrial samples and their formation stories more accessible to researchers and the public through interactive, high-resolution, research-grade 3D models. Produced by an interdisciplinary team, Astromaterials 3D is a dynamic intersection of art, science and technology.

Extraterrestrial rocks are extraordinary encyclopedias that hold knowledge of the formation of the solar system. They contain the timeline of planetary processes that have occurred over billions of years and can teach us the way in which cosmic material is transported and coalesced across the universe.

Hidden away in some of these rocks is the material that helped establish the prebiotic conditions that arose in the early Earth and which promoted the evolution of life on this planet. They have shown us that all the material elements that construct our world were created in the stars of the early universe. Each rock shares a unique piece of this cosmic puzzle.

Through information-rich exterior visualizations and interior scans, Astromaterials 3D makes these significant samples more available to the world in a new way. Astromaterials 3D offers the scientific community an unprecedented research tool for preliminary investigation and targeted sub-sample requests. To the worldwide public, Astromaterials 3D provides an engaging way to explore both the scientific and cultural significance of NASA's space rock collections.