The MICROMETA project, carried out in collaboration between the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), aims to study micrometeorites collected around the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Station to better understand the early evolution of the Solar System and the formation of the first planetary bodies.

Micrometeorites represent the largest fraction of extraterrestrial material reaching Earth each year, but their small size makes them difficult to recover and study. The Antarctic environment provides an opportunity to collect and analyse these preserved extraterrestrial particles.

The project focuses on developing and refining high-precision isotopic analysis methods for micrometeorites of only a few millimetres in size. These analyses allow researchers to investigate key stages in planetary evolution, including the formation of planetary cores, the separation of metal and silicate materials, the crystallisation of magma oceans and the early development of planetary crusts.

A field expedition to the Sør Rondane Mountains was organised as part of the project to collect micrometeorite samples for further laboratory analysis.