NASA's Lunar Science Institute at Moffett Field, Calif., has announced its first international affiliate partner for conducting lunar science activities. Canada's University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, will represent the Canadian lunar science community as part of the newly established Canadian Network for Lunar Science and Exploration.

"We are tremendously excited about this partnership," said S. Pete Worden, director of NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. "With the large number of U.S. and international missions focused on the moon, this is absolutely the right step forward."

The institute, dedicated in April 2008 at Ames, will promote a new generation of research on and about the moon. It will support collaborative science, providing technical perspectives to NASA's
lunar missions and developing future scientific investigations.

"We are extremely proud of our status as the first NASA Lunar Science Institute affiliate outside of the United States," said Ted Hewitt, vice president of research and international relations for the University of Western Ontario. "We look forward to working with our colleagues throughout the institute's organization and at the Canadian Space Agency conducting this world-class research."

The institute has a major focus on developing the next generation of lunar science researchers and supporting a vigorous education and public outreach program focused on the moon.

"The moon has been Earth's cosmic partner for the last four billion years," said Gregory Schmidt, director of international partnerships and deputy director of the institute. "It is an honor to move forward in partnership with the Canadian science community in this next phase
of scientific exploration of the moon."

For information about the NASA Lunar Science Institute, visit:

http://lunarscience.arc.nasa.gov/

For information about the University of Western Ontario, visit:

http://www.uwo.ca