Welcome to the Planetary Environments Laboratory at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. We are located in Greenbelt, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC, in NASA's first science center, where our scientists are part of the world's largest Earth and space science research organization. These pages will introduce you to our work exploring the environments throughout the Solar System. You will find information about our people and projects, along with scientific data and links to original publications.
NASA researchers will present new findings on a wide range of Earth and space science topics at the 2011 fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union.
Two new NASA missions, one that will roam the surface and another that will orbit the planet and dip briefly into its upper atmosphere, will try to discover what transformed Mars into it's current uninhabitable state.
NASA-funded researchers have evidence that some building blocks of DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for life, found in meteorites were likely created in space. The research gives support to the theory that a "kit" of ready-made parts created in space and delivered to Earth by meteorite and comet impacts assisted the origin of life.
The Planetary Environments Laboratory studies the chemistry of atmospheres and surfaces of planets and their moons. We participate in all phases of planetary investigations, from defining and developing specialized instrumentation to analyzing, interpreting, distributing, and archiving data collected during flight missions. We provide a basis for planetary mission studies through a vigorous program of planetary analog research that includes laboratory simulations of planetary environments, geochemical and isotopic analysis, computational modeling of planetary atmospheres, and field studies of planetary analog sites.
Contact Us
Dr. PAUL MAHAFFY
301.614.6379
Chief [699]
General inquiries about the scientific programs at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center may be directed to the Office of Public Affairs at 1.301.286.8955.
