Two University astronomy professors are the recent recipients of a NASA grant, NASA Public Affairs Officer Erica Hupp said.
Prof. Roger Chevalier will be heading the project, aided by Prof. Zhi-Yun Li. Li said they hope to involve graduate students in their research, as well. The two professors have been given $274,483 -- the maximum amount awarded to a single project -- to research the environment of gamma ray bursts, which are related to deaths of massive stars.
"This research will be contributing to NASA's plans for returning to the moon and exploring the possibilities of a manned mission to Mars," Hupp said.
These grants fall under NASA's Science Mission Directorate and the Vision for Space exploration.
Part of the NASA's Theory Program, Chevalier and Li's proposal was one of 21 selected from the 119 applications received and reviewed by NASA, according to Hupp. The total amount given by NASA in grants is $6.9 million.
The grants will be either aiding, directly or indirectly, NASA's plans to return astronauts to the moon and eventually conduct a manned mission to Mars, Hupp said.
Hupp explained that the project proposed by the University professors was chosen "because it supports efforts to develop basic theory needed for NASA's space astrophysics programs."
Li said he was pleasantly surprised by the news. He explained that studying the environment of gamma ray bursts will be directly supporting a space craft in orbit, called Swift, trying to interpret data of powerful, quick bursts of light in space that are a result of the collision of black holes and neuron stars.
Li added that this will "get the science out there" and eventually enable scientists to navigate space more effectively. Though the grants can last for up to three years, Li said the research will continue only through the summer of 2006.
Chevalier currently is away at a conference and was unavailable for comment.
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