The Planetary Science Institute studies the origin, characteristics and evolution of our solar system, including Earth, and the origin, characteristics, and evolution of the planetary systems of other stars, and conveys the resulting knowledge to the scientific community and the public at large. This knowledge is used to support and encourage both human and robotic exploration of space and to promote science education and science literacy, by providing the facilities, infrastructure, and institutional settings necessary for the scientists and staff to achieve these goals.
For CosmoQuest, PSI will provide training for teachers from regional school districts on how to integrate citizen science projects and curricula into their classroom programs.
Additionally, PSI will lead an effort to increase the number of astronomy-related science fair projects, locally in Arizona and across the nation. PSI scientists will also recruit and support NASA scientists to include their data in CosmoQuest, to ensure public participation in up to date space science research.
