Lunar and Planetary Institute

The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) is a NASA-funded research institute, dedicated to studies of the solar system, its evolution and formation. The Institute is part of the Universities Space Research Association, located in Houston, Texas. It maintains an extensive collections of lunar and planetary data, and carries out education and public outreach programs. LPI helps organize a number of conferences each year including the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.

This institute currently maintains a staff of scientists, as well as visiting scientists, postdoctoral fellow and graduate fellows.

The Lunar and Planetary Institute is a focus for academic participation in studies of the current state, evolution, and formation of the solar system. The Institute is housed in the [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/CASS_home.html USRA Center for Advanced Space Studies] (CASS), located at 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, Texas, 77058, and includes a computing center, extensive collections of lunar and planetary data, an image-processing facility, an extensive library, education and public outreach programs, resources, and products. The LPI also offers publishing services and facilities for workshops and conferences.

cience

Scientific Staff and Areas of Research

Scientific Staff - The LPI maintains a resident scientific staff whose main tasks are to provide the planetary expertise necessary for the Institute to achieve its goals and to maintain their scientific proficiency through peer-reviewed research activities.

Areas of Research - LPI research topics include the origin and evolution of the early solar system, petrology and geochemistry of planetary materials and volatiles, planetary interiors, volcanism and tectonism and impact cratering. Research interests range from Venus to the icy moons of Neptune.

Research Foci

* [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar_resources/ Gateway to the Moon] Resources and meeting information for development of the new exploration strategy for the Moon in response to the President's new vision for NASA
* [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/oxygen/index.shtml Oxygen in the Solar System] Initiative aimed at better understanding how oxygen isotopic and chemical variations were established in the solar system

Research Management

* [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/captem/ Curation and Analysis Planning Team for Extraterrestrial Materials] (CAPTEM)Chartered by the Discipline Scientist for NASA's Cosmochemistry Program to advise on matters concerning the Apollo lunar samples, sample return missions, and solid materials of the solar system
* [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag/ Venus Exploration Analysis Group] (VEXAG)NASA's community-based forum designed to provide scientific input and technology development plans for planning and prioritizing the exploration of Venus over the next several decades, including a Venus surface sample return
* [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/ Outer Planets Assessment Group] (OPAG) NASA's community-based forum designed to provide science input for planning and prioritizing outer planet exploration activities for the next several decades
* [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/leag/ Lunar Exploration Analysis Group] (LEAG)Chartered by NASA Headquarters to assist in planning the scientific exploration of the Moon

ummer Intern Program

The Lunar and Planetary Institute invites undergraduates to experience cutting-edge research in the planetary sciences through our Summer Intern Program. As a Summer Intern, you would work one-on-one with a scientist at the LPI or at the NASA Johnson Space Center to complete a research project of current interest in planetary science. The [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lpiintern/ Summer Intern program] allows participants to experience a real research environment, to learn from top-notch planetary scientists, and to preview careers in research.

Library

The [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/library/library.shtml Center for Information and Research Services] (CIRS) contains more than 50,000 cataloged monographs, slides, maps, and documents, and more than 170 current journals and newsletters. The subject emphasis of the collection is primarily astronomy and geology, with limited collection development extending into the secondary support fields of computer science remote sensing.

This collection is a NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility (RPIFs).

The library maintains two weblogs [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/library/new_additions.html Recent additions to the collection] and [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/library/n_n.html New and Noteworthy] as well as a [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/library/whats_new.shtml weekly podcast] .

External links

* cite web
title=Home Page | work=Lunar and Planetary Institute
url=http://www.lpi.usra.edu/
accessmonthday=November 11
accessyear=2005