Dante S. Lauretta (born 1970) is a professor ofplanetary science andcosmochemistry at theUniversity of Arizona'sLunar and Planetary Laboratory. He is theprincipal investigator onNASA'sOSIRIS-REx mission.[1]
Lauretta grew up in Arizona and received a B.S. in physics and mathematics and a B.A. in Oriental Studies with focus in Japanese from the University of Arizona in 1993 and a Ph.D. in Earth and planetary sciences fromWashington University in St. Louis in 1997.[2] He was a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Geological Sciences atArizona State University from 1997 through 1999. He was an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Arizona State University from 1999 through 2001. He was hired onto the faculty at the University of Arizona in 2001.
His research focuses on the chemistry and mineralogy ofasteroids andcomets as determined byin situ laboratory analyses and spacecraft observations. This work is important for constraining the chemistry of thesolar nebula, understanding the origin of complexorganic molecules in the earlySolar System, and constraining the initial chemical inventories of theterrestrial planets. He is an expert in the analysis ofextraterrestrial materials. In particular, he usesinductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS),scanning electron microscopy (SEM),transmission electron microscopy (TEM),electron microprobe analysis (EPMA), andX-ray diffraction (XRD) to study meteorites, lunar samples, and particles returned by theStardust mission. Lauretta is known for his experimental work on the formation of iron-bearingsulfides in thesolar nebula. He also worked on the cosmochemical behavior of various elements, such asmercury,boron andberyllium inmeteorites.[3] Asteroid5819 Lauretta was named in his honor.[3][4] He serves as theprincipal investigator onNASA'sOSIRIS-REx mission to return at least 60 grams (2.1 oz) ofregolith fromcarbonaceous asteroid101955 Bennu in 2023.
Lauretta was the recipient of the 2002Nier Prize of theMeteoritical Society, and the 1995Nininger Meteorite Award. He was selected as a Kavli Fellow of theNational Academy of Sciences in 2008. He was a member of the 2002-2003Antarctic Search for Meteorites for which he received theAntarctica Service Medal of the United States of America in 2010.
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