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

The early search for the amino acids in the lunar surface fines indicated such a low amount of the amino acids that it was deemed insignificant, and possibly contamination. Although later studies departed 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 suggest that the relative abundances of amino acids seen in lunar soils are appreciably distinct from terrestrial signatures and are not the result of contamination. 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, as well as a need for further analytical approaches.