Execute a balanced science program based on discipline-specific guidance from the national academies of sciences, engineering, and medicine, administration priorities, and direction from congress.…

The Johns Hopkins University has been awarded a $487,595 grant by NASA's Shared Services Center to conduct research on crater relaxation as a window into Enceladus' thermal history. The grant, designated 24-CDAP24_2-0018, is structured as a research contract with performance scheduled through February 29, 2028, and was awarded on March 1, 2025. The work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland, and carries no set-aside designation, indicating it was awarded through full and open competition based on technical merit.

This award supports Johns Hopkins' participation in NASA's balanced science program focused on lunar, planetary, and Mars exploration initiatives. The research investigates the thermal history of Saturn's moon Enceladus through crater relaxation analysis, contributing to the agency's broader exploration objectives and advancing scientific discovery in planetary science. Johns Hopkins brings substantial credentials as a premier research institution with extensive experience executing complex space science research for NASA, having previously received awards ranging from $90,000 to $1.4 million for similar exploration-focused investigations through the Shared Services Center.

Execute a balanced science program based on discipline-specific guidance from the national academies of sciences, engineering, and medicine, administration priorities, and direction from congress. Participate as a key partner and enabler in the agency s exploration initiative, focusing on scientific research of, on, and from the moon, lunar orbit, mars, and beyond. Advance discovery in emerging fields by identifying and exploiting cross-disciplinary opportunities between traditional science disciplines develop a directorate-wide, target-user focused approach to applied programs, including earth science applications, space weather, planetary defense, and space situational awareness.