The name ofProfessor Viktor Grohovsky, head ofthe upcoming expedition, became widely known aroundthe world when his team became the first todiscover and study the remains ofthe Chelyabinsk meteor which entered Earths atmosphere onFebruary 15, 2013.
According toProfessor Grohovsky, this expedition will be a test ofsorts, the results ofwhich may lead tomore comprehensive joint research ventures. "As this is going tobe our first expedition intoa desert, it wont be a lengthy one. We need toat least ascertain the conditions and the probability offinding extraterrestrial material there.
We hope toestablish deep cooperation withthe Iranian side, both forthe expedition itself and possibly interms ofstudent exchange," Grohovsky told Sputnik. He pointed outthat Ural Federal Universitys meteorite expedition the only such expedition inRussia has been operating forover 30 years. "Last winter we launched an expedition tothe Antarctic.
There are certain areas there that have a very high concentration ofmeteorites, the so called blue ice areas the remains ofbolides that have been falling there forcenturies. For the first time inRussias history a search team commenced operations within150 kilometers fromNovolazarevskaya station. A great many samples were discovered there and are currently being studied," he said. The professor also confided that while hot deserts likethe Loot Desert have their own unique mechanism foraggregating meteorites, this wasnt exactly the reason forhis team tochoose this particular location astheir next destination.
"During an annual meeting ofthe Meteoritical Society inBerlin a group ofRussian delegates ended upin the same session withtheir Iranian colleagues. The report delivered bythe Iranian researchers was immediately followed bythe report onour work inthe Antarctic. Thats how the dialogue started and then we learned ofthe Loot Desert inIran where extraterrestrial material can be found. And this is why we decided this year tosend an expedition toIran," Grohosvky said.
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