Federal award (DEFINITIVE CONTRACT, fiscal year 2021)
Recipient: CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Awarding agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration / National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Funding agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration / National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Period of performance: 2018-03-16 to 2019-07-31
Current total value of award: $1958728.75
Description: CAESAR (COMET ASTROBIOLOGY EXPLORATION SAMPLE RETURN) MISSION WILL ACQUIRE A SAMPLE FROM THE NUCLEUS OF COMET CHURYUMOV-GERASIMENKO, RETURNING IT SAFELY TO EARTH.  COMETS ARE MADE OF MATERIALS FROM ANCIENT STARS, INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS, INCLUDING THE ORIGINS OF THE EARTH'S OCEANS, AND OF LIFE. LED BY STEVE SQUYRES OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY IN ITHACA, NEW YORK, CAESAR WOULD BE MANAGED BY NASA'S GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER IN GREENBELT, MARYLAND.