THE UNIVERSITIES SPACE RESEARCH ASSOCIATION (USRA) ACTING BY AND THROUGH THE LUNAR AND PLANETARY INSTITUTE (REFERRED TO THROUGHOUT THE DOCUMENT AS THE INSTITUTE OR LPI) IS PROPOSING A SCIENCE COLLABORATION TO FACILITATE THE EFFORTS OF THE ASTROMATERIALS RESEARCH AND EXPLORATION SCIENCE (ARES) DIVISION BY PROVIDING SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS AND EXPERTISE TO COMPLEMENT AND EXTEND THE EXISTING CAPABILITIES IN ARES. AS A TOP QUALITY WORLD RENOWNED SCIENCE INSTITUTE THE LPI IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL PERSONNEL WITH STRONG RESEARCH CREDENTIALS THAT WOULD PROVIDE A FORUM FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH IDEAS IN LUNAR AND PLANETARY SCIENCE. LPI S EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH NASA BADGING AND VISAS FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS BRINGS A UNIQUE RESOURCE TO THE ARES DIVISION. ADDITIONALLY THE LPI WILL PROVIDE USE OF THE FACILITIES AT THE INSTITUTE INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO MEETING FACILITIES OUTSIDE THE JSC FENCE TO FACILITATE CONVERSATIONS WITH COLLABORATORS; IT RESOURCES AND STAFF THAT PROVIDE COMPLEMENTARY RESOURCES TO THOSE AT JSC; A LUNAR AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LIBRARY COLLECTION THAT EXCEEDS 62 000 BOOKS JOURNALS AND ARCHIVED NASA DOCUMENTS; THE ENTIRE APOLLO IMAGE COLLECTION HOUSED AT THE INSTITUTE S REGIONAL PLANETARY IMAGE FACILITY (RPIF); AND ACCESS TO SCHOLARS AND STUDENTS TO ADDRESS KEY PLANETARY SCIENCE QUESTIONS.