Astrogeology Program Maps Planets
The U.S. Geological Survey's Astrogeology Research Program has a rich history of participation in space exploration efforts and planetary mapping, starting in 1963 when the Flagstaff, Arizona, Field Center was founded as a research site for the new science of planetary geology. In Flagstaff, a team of more than 80 research scientists, cartographers, computer scientists, administrative staff, students, contractors, and volunteers work to support the space exploration program's efforts to explore, map, and understand our solar system.
The program has participated in processing and analyzing data from various missions to the planetary bodies in our solar system, assisting in finding potential landing sites for exploration vehicles, mapping our neighboring planets and their moons, and conducting research to better understand the origins, evolutions, and geologic processes operating on these bodies. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Solar System Exploration is the main support source for the Astrogeology Research Program.
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