Doctoral Student Nabs Lunar Science Internship

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Ellen Czaplinski in the Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility at the NASA Johnson Space Center.

Space and planetary sciences doctoral student Ellen Czaplinski is in the midst of an internship with the Center for Lunar Science and Exploration in Houston. She is one of only 10 graduate students across the globe selected for the internship.

Czaplinski and her fellow interns are planning potential human or robotic missions to the far side of the moon. The far side of the moon is an untapped area of exploration. There have been nearly 30 missions to the near side of the moon, but none to the far side.

By studying the far side of the moon, researchers have the potential to address two of the top goals for lunar science. The first goal is to test the lunar cataclysm hypothesis. The hypothesis supposes there was an increase in debris impacting the moon in the early solar system, possibly from shifts in the orbits of the giant planets. The second goal is to determine the age of the oldest lunar basin, the South Pole-Aitken basin.

Czaplinski and her colleagues are focusing on Schrödinger basin, which is the second-youngest basin on the moon and is located within the South Pole-Aitken basin.

"Schrödinger basin is the best location on the moon for addressing and answering top questions in the lunar community," Czaplinski said. "If a future crewed or robotic mission to Schrödinger is able to sample ancient impact material from both basins, this will address both of the high-priority lunar goals."

Czaplinski's doctoral research is centered on the lakes of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Though the topic is not closely related to the internship's focus, she is enjoying learning more about a different research area.

"My favorite aspect of planetary science is how interdisciplinary the field is," she said. "In just a few weeks, I can go from experimentally replicating conditions on Titan to planning future lunar missions using data from orbiting lunar spacecraft. It is truly an exciting field to be part of, and I am eager to see what the future holds in terms of solar system exploration."

The Center for Lunar Science and Exploration, where Czaplinski is completing her internship, is just a few miles from the NASA Johnson Space Center. The proximity to the NASA facility has afforded Czaplinski and her fellow interns once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

"Being so close to the Johnson Space Center, we get to experience the history and legacy of the American space program up close," she said. "On our first day of the internship, we visited the Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility at the Johnson Space Center and got to view geologic samples of the moon returned from the Apollo missions. I love the atmosphere in the area, which is inspiring for me, since my goal is to one day be an astronaut."

Czaplinski, a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellow, began the 10-week internship in late May and will complete her work in early August. She is advised by Vincent Chevrier, an assistant research professor for the Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences.