Planetary Science Institute

Planetary Science Institute (PSI) is a non-profit research organization headquartered in Tucson, Arizona that specializes in planetary science, space physics, earth science, and astronomy research. PSI provides a wide range of research services to the federal government, primarily through contract and grant awards from NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF). These services include data analysis, theoretical modeling, software development, mission planning support, and scientific instrument development related to the exploration of planets, asteroids, comets, and other bodies in the solar system. PSI's work aims to expand scientific knowledge through new discoveries enabled by spacecraft missions and ground-based observations.

Through federal contract awards, PSI has provided NASA with critical mission support and data analysis services for numerous planetary exploration programs. This includes processing and interpreting data from instruments on missions like Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey, and Cassini. PSI researchers have developed software tools for analyzing spacecraft imagery, conducted geological mapping of planetary surfaces, modeled planetary atmospheres and interiors, and supported mission operations for ongoing NASA missions. The institute has also developed analytical techniques and calibration standards to improve the accuracy of spectroscopic measurements from planetary landers and orbiters. Most of PSI's contract work is performed as a prime contractor for NASA, without set-aside designations, reflecting the institute's competitive capabilities in planetary science research.

PSI has received numerous federal research grants from NASA and NSF to conduct fundamental research on topics spanning planetary formation, solar system evolution, planetary interiors and atmospheres, space physics phenomena, and exoplanets. Major grant-funded projects have included studying the geologic history of Mars, analyzing the composition and dynamics of Saturn's rings and moons, investigating the potential for past habitability on ocean worlds like Europa, and developing new theoretical frameworks for understanding planetary magnetospheres. PSI frequently collaborates with university partners through sub-awards to leverage complementary expertise. Grant-funded work often involves a combination of data analysis from NASA missions, theoretical modeling, laboratory experiments, and terrestrial analog studies. This research supports NASA's strategic goals in planetary science and NSF's objectives in advancing fundamental knowledge of the solar system.