Program Description

After a long hiatus, NASA is returning humans to the Moon. The agency and its partners in academia, industry, and the international community are engaged in an exciting new exploration initiative designed to study the lunar surface robotically beginning in 2008 and with crewed landers before 2020.

NASA asked the National Research Council (NRC) to develop a set of science priorities for this lunar exploration initiative. They recently released a report that summarizes The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon. 

To help integrate those science priorities with NASA's exploration program, the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) is hosting a special summer intern program to evaluate possible landing sites for robotic and human exploration missions. Two teams of students will work with LPI science staff and other collaborators to evaluate the best landing sites to address each of the NRC’s science priorities.  This will be a unique team activity that should foster extensive discussions among students and senior science team members. This Lunar Exploration Summer Intern Program will operate parallel with LPI’s regular summer intern program. 

This program is open to graduate students in geology, planetary science, and related programs. It is also open to undergraduates with at least 50 semester hours of credit in those fields so that they, too, can participate in lunar exploration activities. The 10-week program runs from May 29, 2012 through August 3, 2012. Selected interns will receive a $5,000 stipend to cover the costs associated with being in Houston for the duration of the program. Additionally, U.S. citizens will receive up to $1,000 in travel expense reimbursement and foreign nationals will receive up to $1,500 in travel expense reimbursement.

The Lunar and Planetary Institute is adjacent to NASA's Johnson Space Center. The Johnson Space Center is home to the human exploration program and the integrated robotic and human systems that are being designed to push exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.

The Lunar Exploration Summer Intern Program is supported by funding from the Lunar and Planetary Institute and the NASA Lunar Science Institute at NASA Ames Research Center.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

College graduate students in geology, planetary science, and related programs are eligible. Preference will be given to graduate students, but we will also consider applications from excellent undergraduate students with at least 50 semester hours of credit.  Relevant fields for undergraduate students are geology, astronomy, chemistry, and physics. Applicants will be considered for appointment without regard to race, creed, color, sex, national origin, age, handicap status, or other nonmerit factors. Selection is based on (1) scholarship, curriculum, and experience and (2) career objectives and scientific interest. All online application information must be received at LPI no later than January 20, 2012. Notification of selection will be made by mid-March. Successful applicants should be prepared to make a decision regarding an offer within 3 days of notification.

Application Requirements

You will need to apply using the online application form. Paper applications will not be accepted. Once you begin the application you must complete all of the questions on the form, including essay-style questions. Transcripts and letters of recommendation may be submitted independently, but must be received by January 20, 2012, for your application to be considered.

• Complete the application form. Upon submission you will receive a confirmation e-mail with your application number and a link to an online submission form for letters of reference.
  
  
• Have three of your professors or other professional colleagues submit online letters of recommendation, one of which must verify your student status. They will need your application number and the correct spelling of your last name. We suggest that you forward the link from the confirmation e-mail directly to the individuals you are asking to provide a reference.
  
  
• Have your college registrar mail an official transcript to:

LPI Lunar Intern Program
Application #:
3600 Bay Area Boulevard
Houston, TX  77058-1113

Applications are only accepted using the electronic application form found on this website.

Questions may be directed to
E-mail:lunarintern@lpi.usra.edu

Timeline

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is the program open to non-U.S. citizens?
  Yes, the program is open to international graduate students and undergraduates as well as students from the United States.
• Can participants start the ten-week internship after the program start date?
  Because this is a team activity, it will be best if all students begin May 29. We will, however, consider requests for a later start date.
• When will applicants be notified of their selection?
  We will start notifying applicants March 5, 2012. All notifications should be made by March 19, 2012.
• Who is eligible for the program?
  LPI accepts applications from graduate students in geology, planetary science, and related programs.
• Are undergraduate students eligible to participate in the program?
  Yes. Preference is given to graduate students but we will consider applications from excellent undergraduate students in geology, astronomy, chemistry, and physics with at least 50 semester hours of credit.
  
• Where will the internship be located?
  Interns will be located at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas.

Contact

Publications and Products

Products

Lunar Impact Crater Database (2011)
Losiak et al, LPI Lunar Exploration Intern Program (2009). Revised by Ohman, LPI (2011).

3D Flyover of King Crater on the Lunar Farside (2008)
Thaisen et al., LPI Lunar Exploration Intern Program

Publications

T. Kohout, K. O’Sullivan, A. Losiak, K.G. Thaisen, S. Weider, and D.A. Kring (2009) Scientific opportunities for human exploration in the Moon’s Schrödinger Basin,  Lunar and Planetary Science XXXX, Abstract 1572.

A. Losiak, D.E. Wilhelms, C.J. Byrne, K. Thaisen, S.Z. Weider, T. Kohout, K.O’Sullivan, and D.A. Kring  (2009) A new lunar impact crater database,  Lunar and Planetary Science XXXX, Abstract 1532.

D. L. Eldridge, J. Korteniemi, T. Lough, K. I. Singer, L. Werblin, and D. A. Kring (2010) Sampling the Youngest and Oldest Mare Basalts: Important Lunar Regions, Lunar and Planetary Science XXXXI, Abstract 1486.

M. E. Ennis, A. L. Fagan, J. N. Pogue, S. Porter, J. F. Snape, and D. A. Kring (2010) Lunar Farside Volcanism: Potential Sampling Localities within South PoleAitken Basin, Lunar and Planetary Science XXXXI, Abstract 2512.

A. L. Fagan, M. E. Ennis, J. N. Pogue, S. Porter, J. F. Snape, C. R. Neal, and D. A. Kring (2010) Science-Rich Mission Sites within South Pole-Aitken Basin, Part I: Antoniadi Crater, Lunar and Planetary Science XXXXI, Abstract 2467.

A. L. Fagan, C. R. Neal, and A. Simonetti (2010) Apollo 14 Olivine Vitrophyres: Geochemical Evidence for Heterogeneous Target Materials, Lunar and Planetary Science XXXXI, Abstract 2226.

J. Korteniemi, D. L. Eldridge, T. Lough, L. Werblin, K. I. Singer and D. A. Kring (2010) Assessment of Lunar Volcanic Morphological Diversity: Distribution of Floor-Fractured Craters, Lunar and Planetary Science XXXXI, Abstract 1335.

J. Korteniemi, D. L. Eldridge, K. I. Singer, T. Lough, L. Werblin and D. A. Kring (2010) Volcanic Landing Sites on the Moon: The Compact and Diverse Harbinger Region, Lunar and Planetary Science XXXXI, Abstract 1339.

T. Lough, J. Korteniemi, D. L. Eldridge, K. Singer, L. Werblin, and D. A. Kring (2010) Mission Options to Explore the Flux and Evolution of Lunar Volcanism Through Space and Time, Lunar and Planetary Science XXXXI, Abstract 2537.

K. I. Singer, D. L. Eldridge, J. Korteniemi, T. Lough, L. Werblin, and D. A. Kring (2010) Using ArcGIS to Identify Landing Sites with Diverse Mare Basalt Compositions, Lunar and Planetary Science XXXXI, Abstract 2520.

J. F. Snape, A. L. Fagan, M. E. Ennis, J. N. Pogue, S. Porter, C. R. Neal, and D. A. Kring (2010) Science-Rich Mission Sites within South Pole-Aitken Basin, Part 2: Von Kármán Crater, Lunar and Planetary Science XXXXI, Abstract 1857.

K. M. O’Sullivan, T. Kohout, K. G. Thaisen, and D. A. Kring (2011) Calibrating several key lunar stratigraphic units representing 4 billion years of lunar history within Schrödinger Basin. In Recent Advances in Lunar Stratigraphy, D.A. Williams and W. Ambrose (eds.), pp. 117–128, Geological Society of America Special Paper 477, Boulder, CO.

A. L. Souchon, J. Flahaut, P. Sharma, C. E. Jilly, J.-F. Blanchette-Guertin, and D. A. Kring (2011) Suggested landing sites to study key planetary processes on the Moon:  The case of Schrödinger Basin, Lunar and Planetary Science XXII, Abstract #1791.

J. Flahaut, J.-F. Blanchette-Guertin, C. Jilly, P. Sharma, A. L. Souchon, and D. A. Kring (2011) Testing the lunar magma ocean hypothesis:  Science-rich mission sites, Lunar and Planetary Science XXII, Abstract #1844.

C. E. Jilly, J.-F. Blanchette-Guertin, J. Flahaut, P. Sharma, A. L. Souchon, and D. A. Kring (2011) Lunar landing sites to explore the extent of KREEP and its significance to key planetary processes, Lunar and Planetary Science XXII, Abstract #1270.

J.-F. Blanchette-Guertin, J. Flahaut, C. E. Jilly, P. Sharma, A. L. Souchon, and D. A. Kring (2011) Mission strategies for determining the vertical extent and structure of the lunar megaregolith, Lunar and Planetary Science XXII, Abstract #1405.

P. Sharma, J.-F. Blanchette-Guertin, C. E. Jilly, J. Flahaut, A. L. Souchon, and D. A. Kring (2011) Identifying lunar landing sites for sampling lower crust and mantle material, Lunar and Planetary Science XXII, Abstract #1579.

R. W. K. Potter , P. Donohue, Z. E. Gallegos, N. P. Hammond, and D. A. Kring (2011) Multi-ring basins: Where and how to best determine their structure, Lunar and Planetary Science XXII, Abstract #1445.

Z. Gallegos, P. Donohue, N. Hammond, R. W. K. Potter, and D. A. Kring (2011) Maunder Crater: A case study of a landing site designed to full-fill multiple NRC (2007) science objectives, Lunar and Planetary Science XXII, Abstract #1958.

Past Program Highlights

Throughout the summer, the teams will have opportunities to visit facilities and observe activities that are part of the lunar exploration program. They will also be exposed to several seminars that are designed to broaden a student’s exposure to lunar science and exploration issues. Although the specific opportunities available will change each year, the goal is to provide a similar set of activities for each summer team. Highlights for each year of the program are provided here:

Summer Highlights (2008) | Summer Highlights (2009) | Summer Highlights (2010)

Summer Highlights (2011)