NASA Awards Arizona University Science Grants

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ — NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Solar System Division, Washington, selected two Arizona institutions for grants to support the agency’s Cosmochemistry Research Program.

The program supports research to conduct laboratory studies of a variety of extraterrestrial materials such as meteorites, cosmic dust, and lunar samples, which are cosmochemical in nature. It also supports research aimed toward understanding the geochemical nature of the solar system’s bodies, such as planets, Earth’s moon, satellites of the outer planets, and small bodies. The program also covers cosmochemical studies concerned with the formation and chemical development of the solar system.

The research also supports the Vision for Space Exploration, NASA’s long- term plan to return astronauts to the moon and extend exploration to Mars and beyond. Institutions and maximum grant value:

   – Arizona State University, Tempe: $611,000   – University of Arizona, Tucson: $494,000      For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:                           http://www.nasa.gov/home  

NASA

CONTACT: Erica Hupp or George Deutsch, Headquarters, Washington,+1-202-358-1237, or +1-202-358-1324, both of NASA

Web site: http://www.nasa.gov/home