Lunar and Planetary Laboratory

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Phoenix (space probe) concept image

The Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL) is a research center for Planetary Sciences in Tucson , Arizona . It is also a graduate school and forms the Faculty of Planetology (Department of Planetary Sciences) of the University of Arizona . The LPL is one of the world's largest programs in the university environment that deals exclusively with planetology.

background

The LPL was founded in 1960 by the astronomer Gerard Peter Kuiper . Kuiper was a longtime pioneer in observing the solar system, and especially the moon, at a time when this was considered out of date by astronomers. His contributions included the discovery of the moons Miranda and Nereid , the detection of carbon dioxide on Mars and methane on titanium , and the prediction of the Kuiper Belt, later named after him .

Kuiper came to Tucson in search of greater independence than he had at the University of Chicago , attracted by the opportunity to build a community dedicated to the study of the solar system. He was also attracted by the proximity to the numerous promising sites in southern Arizona, which seemed suitable for the construction of outstanding observatories such as the Kitt Peak National Observatory founded in 1958 . The LPL was established under the auspices of the University of Arizona and Kuiper ran the facility as director until his death.

The LPL projects are truly interdisciplinary. The accumulated knowledge and techniques of astronomy , physics , chemistry , geology , geophysics , geochemistry , processes in the atmosphere and engineering are geared towards the study of planetary systems . Many students at the LPL have only dealt with one or the other discipline in detail, so a broad curriculum is inevitable.

In 1973 the university set up the Faculty of Planetary Sciences, which works continuously with the LPL. This measure provided the LPL with the administrative framework to take on a larger role in teaching . The chairman of the LPL is both dean of the faculty and director of the laboratory. The position is currently occupied by Timothy D. Swindle .

Space missions

The LPL has been involved in almost every interplanetary spacecraft that left Earth. Some of the most significant include:

Astronomical observations

The laboratory is involved in the following programs:

as well as in interdisciplinary research areas such as theoretical astrophysics and space physics to find answers to questions such as: What actually is dark matter ?

Web links

Coordinates: 32 ° 13 ′ 55.2 ″  N , 110 ° 56 ′ 49.2 ″  W.