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Lunar and Planetary Laboratory & Department of Planetary Sciences | The University of Arizona
LPL has long been a leader in researching the small bodies of the solar system. Active research includes:
Two world-renowned groundbased asteroid survey programs: SPACEWATCH®, directed by Dr. Robert McMillan, claims a number of firsts in hunting for small bodies, many related to being the first to use CCD-scanning routinely; and Catalina Sky Survey, under the direction of Eric Christensen, has led the world in asteroid discoveries each year since 2005. Dr. McMillan has also been part of the Near-Earth Object portion of the WISE spacecraft mission.
NEO Surveyor, optimized for the task of finding and characterizing the impact risks posed by potentially hazardous objects.
The first American asteroid sample-return mission. OSIRIS-REx, with Professor Dante Lauretta as the Principal Investigator, was launched in 2016, arrived at asteroid Bennu in 2018, and will being its return to Earth in 2021.
Several groups active in meteorite research, led by professors Dante Lauretta, Tim Swindle, and Tom Zega.
Research into the orbital evolution of the main asteroid belt and the Kuiper Belt, led by Regents Professor Renu Malhotra.
LPL also has a long history of comet research, which continues with new and ongoing studies by Associate Professor Walter Harris and Professor Emeritus Uwe Fink.
Professor
Professor Emeritus
Assistant ProfessorDeputy Principal Investigator, OSIRIS-REx
Assistant Professor
Research Professor
Regents ProfessorPrincipal Investigator, OSIRIS-REx
ProfessorPrincipal Investigator, NEOWISE and NEO Surveyor
Regents ProfessorLouise Foucar Marshall Science Research Professor
Research Professor (Retired)
Associate Professor
PTYS Graduate Student
Research ScientistPrincipal Investigator, Spacewatch
DCC, Associate Research
Research Scientist/Senior Staff Scientist
Research Scientist/Observer, Spacewatch
DCC, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Research Specialist, Senior
R&D Engineer/Scientist IV
Scientist, Photogrammetry & Image Processing, HiRISE
Researcher/Scientist