Planetary Exploration and Habitability

Research addresses fundamental questions about the origin of the Solar System and the evolution of its planets and moons, including the investigation of potentially habitable environments in the past and present. Research projects and collaborations focus on exploration of the Moon via samples and remote sensing, exploration of Mars via rovers and orbiters, and exploration of ocean-world icy satellites, the Pluto-Charon system and Kuiper-belt objects. Experimental, analytical, and theoretical investigations include the chemistry and comparative planetology of Venus, Earth, and Mars, that of Europa and Enceladus, and the role of asteroids and comets in contributing to volatile contents of the terrestrial planets. How and why is our solar system different, and how special is the environment in which Earth has evolved to its present state?

Image credit: Curiosity rover on Mars, 2016 (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)