Dr. David A. Kring

Dr. David A. Kring

Principal Scientist

Lunar and Planetary Institute
3600 Bay Area Boulevard
Houston, Texas 77058

 Email: [email protected]

Indiana University, B.S. with Honors, Geology, 1984
Harvard University, Ph.D., Earth and Planetary Sciences, 1989

 

Professional Experience

  • Principal Scientist, USRA Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, Texas, 2018–present
  • Senior Staff Scientist, USRA Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, Texas, 2009–2018
  • Visiting Scientist for the Lunar Exploration Initiative, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, Texas, 2006–2009
  • Director, NASA Space Imagery Center, Department of Planetary Sciences, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 2000–2006
  • Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 2001–2006
  • Associate Professor, Department of Planetary Sciences, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 1999–2006
  • Founding Director, University of Arizona Meteorite Recovery Program, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Tucson, Arizona, 1992–2006
  • Senior Research Associate, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 1993–1999
  • Research Associate, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 1988–1993
  • Research Assistant, Department of Geological Sciences, Harvard University, and Division of Planetary Sciences, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1984–1988
  • Intern, Lunar and Planetary Institute, and the Division of Solar System Exploration, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, 1983

Professional Committees and Responsibilities

  • Member, Penrose Medal Committee, Geological Society of America, 2024–2027
  • Lead, EVA Simulations at Meteor Crater, 2023
  • Trainer, 2019 Class of NASA Astronauts, Field Studies of Impact Cratered Surfaces, 2023
  • Member, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Program Committee, 2023
  • Organizer, Field Training and Research Program in the San Francisco Volcanic Field, 2022, 2023
  • Lead, EVA Simulations at Meteor Crater, 2021
  • Organizer and Trainer, Space Flight Resource Management Training for Science Operations Program, 2020–2021
  • Member, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Program Committee, 2020
  • Trainer, 2017 Class of NASA and CSA Astronauts, Field Studies of Impact Cratered Surfaces, 2019
  • Co-organizer, Yellowstone National Park astrobiology field trip, LPI's First Billion Years - Habitability Topical Conference, 2019
  • Convener, Bombardment: Shaping Planetary Surfaces and Their Environments, Part of the LPI First Billion Years Initiative, 2018
  • Member, Scientific Organizing Committee, Lunar Science Targets for Landed Missions Workshop, 2017–2018
  • Organizer, Meteor Crater and Northern Arizona Geology field trip, 80th Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting, 2017
  • Member, Advancing Science of the Moon Special Action Team, Lunar Exploration Analysis Group, 2017
  • Member, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Program Committee, 2017
  • Member, Geologic Astronaut Training Special Action Team, Lunar Exploration Analysis Group, 2016
  • Science Party (as Impact Petrologist), IODP-ICDP Mission Specific Platform Expedition 364, Chicxulub Impact Crater, 2015–2017
  • Convener, Lunar Polar Regolith Workshop, 2015
  • Co-organizer, Field Training and Research Program at the Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field, 2015
  • Director, Exploration Science Summer Intern Program, 2015–present
  • Co-convener, Workshop on Early Solar System Bombardment III, 2015
  • Co-organizer, Meteor Crater field trip, 46th Meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS), American Astronomical Society, 2014
  • Member, Executive Council, NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, 2013–present
  • Trainer, 2013 Class of NASA astronauts, 2013–2014
  • Co-convener, Large Meteorite Impacts and Planetary Evolution V Conference, 2013
  • Member, Lunar Sample Return Science Definition Team, European Space Agency, 2013–2015
  • Member, Nominations Committee, Meteoritical Society, 2013.
  • Member, Group III, Strategic Knowledge Gaps for Moon First Human Exploration Scenario Specific Action Team, Lunar Exploration Analysis Group, 2012
  • Co-organizer, Short Course and Field School at the Sudbury Impact Structure, 2012, 2013, and 2017
  • Trainer, Senior NASA astronauts, Impact Cratering and Volcanism, 2012
  • Member, Organizing Committee, Second Conference on the Lunar Highlands Crust, 2012
  • Co-convener, Workshop on Early Solar System Bombardment II, 2012
  • Science Leader (SciLead), Mission Control Center, simulations of missions in the Orion crew vehicle and a Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) to a near-Earth asteroid, Black Point Lava Flow (Arizona), Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), 2011
  • Founder, Field Training and Research Program at Meteor Crater, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2022
  • Science Leader (SciLead), mission control center, 28-day lunar mission simulation with crew in two Lunar Electric Rovers, San Francisco Volcanic Field (Arizona), NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), 2010
  • Lunar (Malapert Massif, south polar region) and simulated mission (San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona) traverse designer, 28-day mission concept, NASA Lunar Surface Systems and Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), 2010
  • Member, Organizing Committee, Nördlingen 2010: The Ries Crater, the Moon, and the Future of Human Space Exploration, 2010
  • Trainer, 2009 Class of NASA, CSA, and JAXA astronauts, 2009–2010
  • Principal Investigator, LPI-JSC Center for Lunar Science and Exploration, 2009–present
  • Member, Executive Council, NASA Lunar Science Institute, 2009–2013
  • Science Leader (SciLead), mission control center, 14-day lunar mission simulation with crew in the Lunar Electric Rover, Black Point Lava Flow (Arizona), NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), 2009
  • Traverse Designer and Science Leader (SciLead), mission control center, 14-day lunar mission simulation with crew in the Lunar Electric Rover, Black Point Lava Flow (Arizona), NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), 2009
  • Member, Lunar Surface Scenarios Specific Action Team, Lunar Exploration Analysis Group, 2009
  • Member, Lunar Exploration Roadmap Specific Action Team, Lunar Exploration Analysis Group, 2008–present
  • Co-convener:  Workshop on Modeling Martian Hydrous Environments, 2009
  • Member, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Program Committee, 2009
  • Science Leader (SciLead) and science CAPCOM (SciCom), mission control center, 1- to 3-day lunar mission simulations, Black Point Lava Flow (Arizona), NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), 2008
  • Traverse Designer, Pre-simulation Phase, Unpressurized Rover (Chariot) and Small Pressurized Rover (Lunar Electric Rover) for crew, Black Point Lava Flow (Arizona), NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), 2008
  • Science Leader (SciLead), Science Back Room, K-10 robotic precursor mission simulation to future crew landing site, Black Point Lava Flow (Arizona), NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), 2008
  • Science Leader (SciLead), Science Back Room, K-10 robotic rover and Chariot unpressurized crew rover, Moses Lake Field Test, NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), 2008
  • Co-convener:  Workshop on Early Solar System Impact Bombardment, 2008
  • Director, Lunar Exploration Summer Intern Program, 2008–2013
  • Organizer, Meteor Crater field trip, 70th Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting, 2007
  • Co-Chair, Lunar Reconnaissance Lander spacecraft design team, 2006–2007
  • Chair, Science Team, Polar Surface Probe lunar spacecraft design team, 2006–2007
  • Chair, Science Team, Polar Express lunar spacecraft design team, 2005–2007
  • Chair, Science Team, Lunar Surface Explorer spacecraft design team, 2005–2007
  • Member, Science Team, and Chair of E/PO Team, Sampling Ancient Mars spacecraft design team, 2006
  • Chair, Eugene M. and Carolyn S. Shoemaker Impact Cratering Award Committee, Geological Society of America, 1999–present
  • Scientific Advisor, The Barringer Crater Company, 2000–present
  • Chair, Science Review Committee, Barringer Family Fund for Meteorite Impact Research, 2001–present
  • Faculty Member, Global Change Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, University of Arizona, 2004–2006
  • Chair, Barringer Award Committee, The Meteoritical Society, 2003
  • Member, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Program Committee, 2003
  • Member, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Program Committee, 2001
  • Chair, G.K. Gilbert Award Committee, Planetary Geology Division, Geological Society of America, 2001
  • Member, Science Team, Urey, Mars Scout-class spacecraft design team, 2002
  • Deputy Treasurer, Meteoritical Society, 2000–2002
  • Faculty Member, Institute for the Study of Planet Earth, University of Arizona, 1999–2006
  • Science Team Member and Co-Investigator, Chicxulub Scientific Drilling Project, 1999–2002
  • Member, Barringer Award Committee, The Meteoritical Society, 1999–2002
  • Member, Geological Society of America Joint Technical Program Committee, 1999–2000
  • Member, Meteorite Nomenclature Committee, 1999–2004
  • Chair, Planetary Geology Division, Geological Society of America, 1999–2000
  • 1st Vice-Chair, Planetary Geology Division, Geological Society of America, 1998-1999
  • Invited Expert, Advanced Measurements Systems for Astrobiology Workshop, Astrobiology Roadmap Project, 1998
  • Chair, Stephen E. Dwornik Planetary Geosciences Student Award Panel, Geological Society of America, 1998 
  • Member, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Program Committee, 1998-1999
  • Member, Science Team, Rockhound 2001 Mars Surveyor Rover Mission design team, 1997
  • Member, Science Team, TEGA (Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer), MVACS (Mars Volatile and Climate Surveyor), Mars Polar Lander mission, 1997–1999
  • 2nd Vice-Chair, Planetary Geology Division, Geological Society of America, 1997–1998
  • Member, Sample Quarantine, Containment, and Preservation Team, Sample Return Technology Workshop, Roadmap Project, New Millennium Program, 1996
  • Member, Science Team, CONSR (Comet Nucleus Sample Return) Discovery-class spacecraft design team, 1996 
  • Member, Science Team, NEAP (Near-Earth Asteroid Prospector) Discovery-class spacecraft design team, 1996
  • Member, Science Working Group, IMP+ (Imager for Mars Pathfinder Plus) instrument team for the SAMI (Surface and Atmosphere of Mars Integrated payload) Mars ‘98 spacecraft design team, 1995
  • Chair, Precise Chemical Analysis of Solids Working Group, Planetary Surface Instrument Workshop, 1995
  • Invited Expert, Primordial Bodies Sample Return Working Group, 1993
  • Member, Science Working Group, REAAct (Rendezvous with Earth-Approaching Asteroids) Discovery-class spacecraft design team, 1992
  • Member, International Chicxulub Crater Consortium, 1991–1992

Awards and Honors

  • NASA Michael J. Wargo Exploration Science Award, 2018
  • Best Guidebook of the Year Award (for Guidebook to the Geology of Barringer Meteorite Crater….), Geoscience Information Society, 2017
  • Ronald Greeley Award for Distinguished Service, Planetary Geology Division, Geological Society of America, 2012
  • NASA Group Achievement Award, 2011
  • Elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, 2009
  • Named a Fellow of the Meteoritical Society, 2004
  • Honored with asteroid 8391 being named Kring, 2000
  • American Geophysical Union’s Editors' Citation for Excellence in Refereeing for the Journal of Geophysical Research-Planets, 1993
  • NASA Graduate Student Research Award; 1986, 1987, and 1988
  • Sigma Xi, 1984
  • Research Award, Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Indiana University, 1984
  • Research Honors, College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, 1984
  • Sigma Gamma Epsilon, Geology Honorary, 1983
  • Sigma Pi Sigma, Physics Honorary, 1983
  • Westinghouse Science Honors, 1980

Current Projects

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