Located at 3600 Bay Area Boulevard in Houston, Texas, the Institute serves as a scientific forum attracting visiting scientists, postdoctoral fellows, students, and resident experts; supports and serves the research community through newsletters, meetings, and other activities; collects and disseminates planetary data while facilitating the community's access to NASA astromaterials samples and facilities; engages and excites the public about space science; and invests in the development of future generations of scientists.

In his March 1968 speech at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) in Houston, Texas, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced the formation of the Lunar Science Institute (LSI).

-- President Lyndon B. Johnson, March 1, 1968[4] "The institute will provide a base for outside scientists, encouraging them to visit the Manned Spacecraft Center and use its laboratories, lunar photographs, and (ultimately) its rock samples.

The Lunar Science Institute was formally dedicated on January 4, 1970, at the former West Mansion on NASA Road 1 near the Manned Spacecraft Center.

The LPI serves a scientific forum attracting world-class visiting scientists, postdoctoral fellows, students, and resident experts.

Resident scientists provide planetary science expertise necessary for the LPI to achieve its goals and maintain their scientific proficiency through peer-reviewed activities.

The program was open to graduate students in geology, planetary science, and related fields, and undergraduates with at least 50 semester hours of credit.

This important five-day meeting held in the Houston area in March brings together international specialists in petrology, geochemistry, geophysics, geology, and astronomy to present scientific findings in planetary science.

These programs and resources include the following: Professional Development - a series of seminars and workshops on topics like communication, networking, career exploration, and more Explore - a program designed to bring space science into libraries and informal learning environments Planetary Science News for Students - information and resources for students and early-career researchers in planetary science Planetary ReaCH - a program that enhances the ability of the planetary science and astrobiology community, aka "Content Heroes," to engage Black and Latinx youth and their families VIRTEX - a program connecting Boys & Girls Clubs with researchers who study unique extreme environments Cosmic Explorations: A Speakers Series - a series of free public lectures presented by international experts in space science (past lectures are made available online at the LPI website) The LPI library contains more than 63,000 cataloged books, documents, maps, films and videos, and print and electronic journals and newsletters.

There is an ongoing effort to scan and make available to the scientific community and the general public a number of out-of-print planetary science books, NASA documents and images, and related works.