June 11, 2015

NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) will host the second annual Exploration Science Forum (ESF) July 21-23, 2015, at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.
This year's forum will feature scientific discussions of exploration targets of interest, including the moon, near-Earth asteroids and the moons of Mars. Science sessions will focus on recent mission results and in-depth analyses of science and exploration studies. Dedicated side conferences include a graduate student conference around the same topics, and an event for the Next Generation Lunar Scientists and Engineers, a young professionals group will coincide with the ESF.
Forum attendees will have the opportunity to experience the Lunar Mapping and Modeling Portal, an integrated suite of lunar and planetary mapping and modeling tools and products that support exploration and science activities, as well as community outreach. Users can navigate a tabletop touch screen to experience a 3D surface flyover of the moon and other target bodies of interest.
Registration is free and attendance by the entire exploration science community is encouraged.
To accommodate the institute’s expanded scope and research community, SSERVI established three prestigious awards which will be awarded at the forum.
★ The Eugene Shoemaker medal recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of lunar or asteroid science over the course of their scientific careers, and will be awarded to Carle M. Pieters, Brown University.
★ The Michael Wargo Award recognizes excellence in joining together exploration and scientific endeavors, and will be awarded to Clive R. Neal, professor at the University of Notre Dame.
★ The Susan Mahan Neibur Award recognizes significant achievement and promise in early career researchers, and will be awarded to Jacob E. Bleacher, SSERVI researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD.