Lunar and Planetary Institute

We are delighted to announce the outstanding students chosen for the prestigious Exploration Science Summer Intern Program. This unique internship program is specially designed for graduate students with expertise in geology, planetary science, planetary astronomy, and related fields. The immersive 9-week experience is scheduled from May 27 to July 25, 2025. Congratulations to the ten students chosen to participate in this summer’s program: Jordan Ando (University of Hawai'i at Manoa) Alistair Blance (The Open University) élo?se Brassard (Université de Sherbrooke) Lauren Galien (University of Notre Dame) Andrew Gmerek (University of Buffalo) Zachary Guess (University of Houston) Alex Jasko (University of Rochester) Robert Platt (Imperial College London) Myrto Simopoulou (Agricultural University of Athens) Kaylin Tunnell (University of Houston)

In a significant discovery, a team of scientists at the LPI, an institute of USRA, found that two immense canyons hidden in the lunar far side are similar in width and depth to the Earth’s Grand Canyon. The findings were published today in?Nature Communications. Nearly four billion years ago,” explains lead author David Kring (USRA/LPI), “an asteroid or comet flew over the lunar south pole, brushed by the mountain summits of Malapert and Mouton, and hit the lunar surface. The impact ejected high-energy streams of rock that carved two canyons that are the size of Earth’s Grand Canyon. While the Grand Canyon took millions of years to form, the two grand canyons on the Moon were carved in less than 10 minutes.” Link to story in comments. ?? Image: Schr?dinger impact basin.?Orbital view of the Schr?dinger peak-ring impact basin and two radiating canyons carved by impact ejecta. Credit: NASA/SVS/Ernest T. Wright.

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Elsayed R. Talaat has joined Universities Space Research Association (USRA) as President and CEO, effective today, January 27, 2025. Dr. Talaat brings extensive leadership experience from NOAA, NASA, and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, along with a proven track record of fostering collaboration amongst federal and international partners. Dr. Elsayed Talaat succeeds Dr. Jeffrey A. Isaacson, who retired after 10 years of dedicated service. We are excited about the vision and expertise Dr. Talaat will bring to USRA as we continue advancing space-related science, technology, and engineering. Media inquiries? Contact: sfarukhi@usra.edu? #Leadership #SpaceResearch #Innovation?

???? APPLICATION DEADLINE APPROACHING: Applications for the Exploration Science Summer Intern Program are due this Monday, January 20. This program provides graduate students an opportunity to assist a new era of lunar robotic and human exploration. Those missions include the Artemis II mission around the Moon, followed by a series of lunar landings near the lunar south pole. Those and other efforts are contributing to the international community’s Global Exploration Roadmap. This summer, students will be involved in activities that support Artemis missions to the Moon that utilize the Orion crew vehicle, the Deep Space Gateway, the Human Landing System, and robotic assets on the lunar surface. It is a unique opportunity to integrate scientific input with exploration activities in a way that mission architects and spacecraft engineers can use. Activities may involve assessments of landing sites and traverse plans for multiple destinations that are responsive to NASA objectives. Learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/g7z54yT7

A “News & Views” article published in Nature Astronomy provides a unique perspective of the study by Toru Matsumoto and colleagues, reporting the discovery of sodium carbonate salts in samples returned from the asteroid Ryugu—evidence that liquid water once flowed through its parent body. In the article “Echoes of a salty ocean on Ryugu,” Dr. Prajkta Mane, a planetary scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, and Dr. Michael Zolensky, a planetary scientist at NASA Johnson Space Center, discuss that the presence of these rare salts in Ryugu samples suggest that Ryugu’s parent asteroid was very water-rich and much larger than present-day Ryugu. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g6wfxBgY

The Exploration Science Summer Intern Program provides graduate students an opportunity to assist a new era of lunar robotic and human exploration. Those missions include the Artemis II mission around the Moon, followed by a series of lunar landings near the lunar south pole. Those and other efforts are contributing to the international community’s Global Exploration Roadmap. This summer, students will be involved in activities that support Artemis missions to the Moon that utilize the Orion crew vehicle, the Deep Space Gateway, the Human Landing System, and robotic assets on the lunar surface. It is a unique opportunity to integrate scientific input with exploration activities in a way that mission architects and spacecraft engineers can use. Activities may involve assessments of landing sites and traverse plans for multiple destinations that are responsive to NASA objectives. Applications are due January 20, 2025.

Congratulations to the 2024 Distinguished Undergraduate Award Recipients! Grady Robbins Ayanna Mann Jonathan Ma Tyler Graham Sapphira Akins https://lnkd.in/gK-9Qkqd

IMPORTANT UPDATES: Due to time zone challenges for many registrants, the program committee has decided to shift the Itokawa and the Dawn of Asteroidal Sample Return Workshop to virtual-only on January 28–29, 2025. If you have registered to attend the workshop in person, your registration will be converted to virtual attendance. The LPI’s upcoming Itokawa and the Dawn of Asteroidal Sample Return Workshop will highlight and focus on Itokawa samples, the Hayabusa mission, asteroid-meteorite connections, and other past, present, and future asteroidal sample return missions through a combination of presentations and panel discussions. The LPI’s Expanding NASA’s Community of Planetary Sample Scientists (ENComPSS) program is supporting this workshop. Workshop Topics: ? Hayabusa mission ? Itokawa samples ? Ordinary chondrites ? Other asteroidal sample return missions ? Asteroid-meteorite connections ? Meteor tracking and rapid meteorite recovery Registration fees are not being collected for this workshop, but registration is required. Registration will be available through January 29, 2025. For more information, visit https://lnkd.in/gfibFhRB.

REMINDER?? Applications for the 2025 LPI Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science are due TONIGHT at 11:59 p.m. CST. The LPI Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to perform cutting-edge research, learn from widely respected planetary scientists, and discover exciting careers in planetary science. During the 10-week internship, students have opportunities to participate in enrichment activities, including lectures and career development workshops. For more information, visit https://ow.ly/fK0u50Ukewn.

Interested in the 2025 LPI Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science? The application due date is approaching! ???? Complete your application by this Thursday, December 12, at 11:59 p.m. CST. The LPI Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to perform cutting-edge research, learn from widely respected planetary scientists, and discover exciting careers in planetary science. During the 10-week internship, students have opportunities to participate in enrichment activities, including lectures and career development workshops. For more information, visit https://ow.ly/fK0u50Ukewn.