NASA Lunar Science Institute

The NASA Lunar Science Institute is a new organization, established by NASA in 2008, that supplements and extends existing NASA lunar science programs. Supported by the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD), the NLSI is managed by the NASA Ames Research Center and is modeled on the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) with dispersed teams across the nation working together to help lead the agency's research activities related to NASA's lunar exploration goals. Competitively selected team investigations will focus on one or more aspects of lunar science—investigations of the Moon (including lunar samples), from the Moon, and/or on the Moon.

Teams

The Lunar Science Institute is composed of seven teams across the nation, each with a different focus for lunar science. The teams are listed below.

The Moon as the Cornerstone to the Terrestrial Planets: The Formative Years

PI: Carle Pieters, Brown University

Scientific and Exploration Potential of the Lunar Poles

PI: Ben Bussey, APL / JHU

Impact Processes in the Origin and Evolution of the Moon: New Sample-Driven Perspectives

PI: David Kring, LPI

Dynamic Response of the Environment at the Moon (DREAM)

PI: Bill Farrell, NASA Goddard

Center for Lunar Origin and Evolution (CLOE)

PI: Bill Bottke, SwRI

Lunar University Node for Astrophysics Research (LUNAR)

PI: Jack Burns, Univ. of Colorado / CASA

Colorado Center for Lunar Dust and Atmospheric Studies (CCLDAS)

PI: Mihaly Horanyi, Univ. of Colorado / LASP

^[1][2][3]

1. ^ http://lunarscience.arc.nasa.gov/about
2. ^ http://www.astrobio.net/index.php?option=com_exclusive&task=detail&id=2873
3. ^ http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/science_technology/nasa+to+create+new+lunar+institute/982147

References