Dr. Paul Neitzel has been appointed to NASA's Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) Human Exploration Proving Ground Specific Action Team (HEP-G-SAT). NASA has tasked the LEAG to convene a specific action team to evaluate research objectives for possible future human missions to the "Proving Ground" as outlined in the recent report Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration.

The development of the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft will enable new human exploration activities beyond low Earth orbit out to cis-lunar space and beyond. These missions will serve as a proving ground for future human Solar System exploration.

The Human Exploration Proving Ground SAT will provide proving ground missions with exploration objectives drawn from past studies and reports, as well as community input, and derived from priorities of planetary science, astronomy, Earth science, human health and performance, human research, fundamental space biology, microgravity research, and in situ resource utilization.