Research scientists congregrate to discuss future of lunar geophysical exploration

WHO & WHAT

Approximately 50 planetary and terrestrial geophysicists will meet at Arizona State University Jan. 21-22 for an interdisciplinary workshop focusing on the Moon. Participants will discuss and review the current state of knowledge of the Moon and past geophysical studies, existing plans, and begin making preparations for the future.

This high-level workshop for the scientific community, which will pull participants and presenters from universities and research institutes around the world, including NASA centers, is divided into a two-day program organized into lectures, poster sessions, breakout groups, and group discussions. Talks and posters will present topics as diverse as seismic exploration of the Moon, measuring heat flow on the lunar surface, and characterizing the Moon's interior.

Former astronaut Harrison Schmitt, one of the last of the Apollo astronauts to walk on the Moon, will deliver the first day's keynote talk at 8:30 a.m. (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lunargeo2010/)

WHEN

Thursday, Jan. 21, 8:15 a.m.

WHERE

ASU Tempe campus, Old Main (http://www.asu.edu/tour/tempe/main.html)

BACKGROUND

We are at a very exciting time where there are multiple lunar geophysical missions in various stages of development by NASA and international space agencies. This gathering is an important opportunity to revisit what was learned from the geophysical data collected by Apollo astronauts, and how significant progress can be made based both on those experiences and current efforts to return to the lunar surface.

The workshop will highlight how the geophysical community can contribute to NASA's long-term plans to install a series of autonomous geophysical stations on the Moon. The goal of the scientific exchange is to provide NASA and the broader scientific community with ideas and recommendations about how to most efficiently and effectively collect new geophysical data from the lunar surface, using everything from landers to robots to astronauts, and over a range of local, regional, and global scales.

Provided by Arizona State University