Members of the news media are invited to a scientific forum to hear updates from several NASA missions, including the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) and NASA’s Dawn mission studying the asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres, during the second annual Exploration Science Forum, July 21-23, at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.
The forum, hosted by NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) at the NASA Research Park, coincides with the 46th anniversary of Apollo 11’s return flight to Earth. Participants will discuss future science opportunities as NASA makes its next giant leap into the solar system with human exploration of an asteroid and Mars.
Attendees will experience demonstrations of the Lunar Mapping and Modeling Portal, an integrated suite of tools that support lunar and planetary exploration and science activities. Users can navigate a tabletop touch screen to experience a 3-D surface flyover of the moon and other target bodies of interest.
During the forum, SSERVI will recognize winners of the 2015 Shoemaker Distinguished Lunar Scientist Medal for significant contributions to the field of lunar science; the 2015 Michael Wargo Exploration Science Award for significant contributions to the integration of exploration and planetary science; and the 2015 Susan Mahan Niebur Early Career Award for significant contributions to exploration science.
SSERVI is a joint effort by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate. SSERVI’s community of scientists helps identify science priorities for exploration of potential human destinations including the moon, near-Earth asteroids and the moons of Mars.
Media interested in covering the event should RSVP by noon July 20, to darryl.e.waller@nasa.gov, and register for the event as “press.”
For more information about the forum and to register, visit: http://sservi.nasa.gov/nesf2015
