NASA Request for Input: Naming of the New NASA Science and Exploration Institute

The NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) is expanding to include other destinations beyond the Moon, stemming from NASA’s Flexible Path strategy for human exploration. The new Institute’s scope will include science and exploration research efforts focusing on solar system destinations for human exploration. The new institute will initially focus on the Moon, Near Earth Objects, Phobos and Deimos. These destinations are the focus of an upcoming Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) to be issued shortly by NASA. Additionally, heliophysics and astrophysics uniquely enabled through observations from these objects will be part of the new Institute.

NASA is seeking your input for a name for the new institute, reflective of its broader scope. For further details, and to submit a suggested name, please go to: http://lunarscience.nasa.gov/newname/

All suggestions received by midnight PST Nov. 9, 2012, will be considered.

NASA expects to announce the new name in early 2013, however, the NASA Lunar Science Institute name will remain in effect until the new teams are selected. The new institute will operate under the current NLSI leadership and the central office will remain at Ames Research Center.