Research in PSSRI addresses a broad range of scientific problems across planetary science, from the very creation of the elements through, the formation of the gas and dust cloud that went on to form our Solar System to the development and current environments on planetary surfaces.
Our studies involve space flight experiments, analysis of meteorites and returned samples and simulation of planetary processes. The principle areas of current research activity are:
Mars: Exploration of the martian surface environment, through satellite imaging, instrumentation for ExoMars and analysis of martian meteorites.
Titan: Following up our successful involvement in Huygens lander with simulation of the Titan environment.
Asteroids: Exploring their origin, characteristics and fate through observation and space missions
Comets: Investigating the nature of comets and Solar System formation through analysis of NASA Stardust samples and instrumentation on board the ESA Rosetta mission.
Meteorites: Offering the opportunity to investigate the formation of the elements, conditions between the stars, and the formation of our Solar System and its planetary bodies.
Sun: Attempting to measure the isotopic composition of key elements in the sun with samples returned by the NASA Genesis Mission.
Astrobiology: Exploring the extreme conditions where life can exist and its fate in the environment of space.
Planetary Surfaces: Understanding the near-surface heat and volatile exchange processes on planetary bodies.
