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Sara Russell

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Professor Sara Russell is a British planetary scientist who leads the Planetary Materials Group at the Natural History Museum in London. Her research focuses on the study of meteorites, particularly the analysis of ancient materials that provide insights into the formation and early evolution of our solar system. Russell has been involved with NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, which collected samples from the asteroid Bennu in 2020 and returned them to Earth in 2023 for detailed analysis. As a leading figure in meteoritics and cosmochemistry, she has published extensively on topics including the origin of chondrules, the history of water in the solar system, and the classification of meteorites.

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What does Sara Russell research?

Professor Sara Russell studies meteorites, interplanetary dust, and the ancient materials that record how the Solar System formed. Her work examines the mineral and chemical evidence preserved in extraterrestrial samples.

Where does Sara Russell work?

She leads the Planetary Materials Group at the Natural History Museum in London. The group studies meteorites and other planetary materials rather than focusing primarily on observing distant stars.

How can meteorites reveal the history of the Solar System?

Some meteorites preserve minerals and isotopic signatures that formed before or during the earliest stages of the Solar System. Researchers can use those signatures to investigate the origins of planets, asteroids, and water-bearing materials.

Is Sara Russell an astronomer or a planetary scientist?

She is best described as a planetary scientist whose work overlaps with meteoritics, mineralogy, and astronomy. Her research at the Natural History Museum centers on physical samples such as meteorites.