The SAMBA project brought together scientists from the VUB and ULB, as well as the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) to collect and study meteorites from Antarctica. During the period 2009 – 2015 that the SAMBA project was operational, 3 joint Belgian-Japanese expeditions were organized to the blue ice fields of East Antarctica to collect meteorites. The PE station provided logistic support. A total of 1279 new meteorites were collected and shared equally between the two partners. The SAMBA project resulted in a significant increase (3x) of the Belgian meteorite collection; the country now possesses one of the largest Antarctic meteorite collections in Europe. The pristine ice fields of Antarctica contain unique accumulations of extra-terrestrial material that can be harvested for scientific purposes in order to unravel the origin of the Solar System and the early history of planetary bodies including Earth. The SAMBA project also reinforced the scientific and logistic collaboration between Japan and Belgium.