1983
April 25
Pioneer 10 crosses the orbit of Neptune and becomes the first space vehicle to leave the solar system.
June 18
STS-7, a space shuttle Challenger mission, launches with the first female astronaut, Sally Ride.
August 17
Hurricane Alicia devastates the Texas Gulf Coast. The Institute escapes relatively unscathed, but massive power outages result in a two-week shutdown of operations.
September 1
Kevin Burke is appointed LPI Director.
September 3–4
The Workshop on Past and Present Solar Radiation: The Record in Meteoritic and Lunar Regolith Materials, convened by Dave McKay and Bob Pepin and sponsored by the LPI, is held at the Max-Planck Institute in Germany.
December
LPI publishes Chondrules and Their Origins, edited by Elbert A. King. The book is a result of the conference of the same name held in November 1982.