The National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities awarded Trustees of Boston University $349,918 on July 15, 2026, under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) for a Project Grant to analyze spacecraft charging in the lunar environment.
The recipient will analyze plasma measurements collected by spacecraft to study spacecraft charging in lunar orbit under varying space and solar conditions. The team will curate and process observational data to identify locations around the Moon where spacecraft charging is most likely to occur and characterize the physical mechanisms driving charging. Results will provide qualitative understandings of cause and effect and quantitative trends applicable to lunar mission planning and spacecraft design resilience. The project will also train early-career researchers in space physics and data-driven methods.
Performance of work occurs in Boston, Massachusetts, with an ultimate completion date of June 30, 2029. No subawards are planned for this award.