PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 2, Number 52 (October 26, 2008) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Matt Balme Co-Editors: Mark V. Sykes, Nic Richmond Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. [NASA] October 2008 Discovery and New Frontiers Newsletter Released 2. Solicting Papers: Proposed GSA Book on Lunar Stratigraphy 3. Stardust and Cosmic Dust Announcements 4. 7th International Planetary Probe Workshop, 15-19 June 2009 and Short Course on Planetary Protection, 13-14 June 2009 5. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions o---------------------------------------------------------------------o 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 [NASA] OCTOBER 2008 DISCOVERY AND NEW FRONTIERS NEWSLETTER RELEASED Messenger set for 2nd Mercury Flyby New Horizons wakes up Dawn plans gravity assist EPOXI observations end Stardust NExT continues cruising Moon Mineralogy Mapper prepares for launch Kepler testing in progress Juno confirmed GRAIL proceeding to PDR Discovery@Smithsonian folklife festival Go to: http://discoverynewfrontiers.nasa.gov/news/newsletters to view and subscribe. 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2 SOLICTING PAPERS: PROPOSED GSA BOOK ON LUNAR STRATIGRAPHY Scope: The proposed GSA Special Publication "Recent Advances in Lunar Stratigraphy" will be a comprehensive review of current investigations and discoveries in lunar stratigraphy. An improved knowledge of lunar stratigraphy, based on detailed mapping of the Moon's surface and interior with integrated data sets, will be valuable in supporting the return to the Moon, as well as leading to efficient development of lunar resources. Many planetary geologists are currently involved in seeking answers to problems in lunar stratigraphy, and their application to the current program of lunar exploration promises to be of great interest to the general scientific community. We are soliciting for this edited volume papers that provide new insights into lunar stratigraphy. These papers will be peer-reviewed and will be regarded as high-quality articles, comparable to those in major scientific journals. Timeline: This special publication is planned for release in the first quarter 2010. Interested authors are invited to send proposed titles of articles to either William Ambrose or David Williams by December 31, 2008. If sufficient titles are submitted, then a manuscript deadline in the first quarter of 2009 will be announced. William A. Ambrose william.ambrose@beg.utexas.edu Office (512) 471-0258 3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3 STARDUST AND COSMIC DUST ANNOUNCEMENTS STARDUST Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination samples are now available for request and allocation. Approximately 20 keystones and picokeystones that have been extracted from the Stardust Interstellar Tray are available, including: (1) blank keystones (2) off-normal tracks likely to be secondary ejecta from impacts on the Stardust spacecraft (3) features that were examined by FTIR, SXRF and STXM and determined to be unlikely to be extraterrestrial None of these samples appear to be completely consistent with interstellar or interplanetary dust particles. A catalog of these samples may be viewed at the JSC Curation website at: http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/stardust/sample_catalog/Interstellar/ Interstellar_Index.cfm Directions for sample requests are given at: http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/stardust/Investigator_guidebook.pdf Sample requests will be evaluated using criteria similar to those used for evaluating cometary samples. Investigators must be qualified to analyze samples, as outlined in the Stardust Investigator's Handbook. COSMIC DUST As previously announced, the Cosmic Dust Lab will be reopened for a limited time this Fall for sample allocation work. Requests for cosmic Dust will be accepted by the curator from now until November 30 2008. Please visit the Cosmic Dust webpage for more information on sample availability and sample request requirements. http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/dust/index.cfm Michael Zolensky, Stardust and Cosmic Dust Curator [Editors' Note: The URL for the STARDUST link extends over two lines] 4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4 7TH INTERNATIONAL PLANETARY PROBE WORKSHOP, 15-19 JUNE 2009 AND SHORT COURSE ON PLANETARY PROTECTION, 13-14 JUNE 2009 Join us for the 7th International Planetary Probe Workshop (IPPW-7) in Barcelona, Spain on 13 - 19 June 2009. The goal of the workshop is to bring together scientists, technologists, engineers, mission designers, and policy makers interested in the exploration of solar system bodies with atmospheres that allow the use of probes with parachutes. The workshop covers the technological challenges and scientific opportunities associated with entry, descent, landing and flight in planetary atmospheres. The 7th workshop will build on the success of the previous workshops, to promote international cooperation in probe missions to solar system moons and planets with atmospheres, and to provide the opportunity for students - the next generation of planetary scientists - as well as spacecraft engineers, technologists, mission planners, and policy makers to participate in these endeavours. In addition to the five-day workshop, a two-day short course is normally held on a related topic during the preceding weekend. The topic selected for IPPW7 is Planetary Protection (13-14 June 2009). See: www.planetaryprobe.eu Preliminary Announcement: http://www.planetaryprobe.eu/files/IPPW7-PrelimAnnounce.pdf 5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS March 26-27, 2009 Beyond JWST: The Next Steps in UV-Optical-NIR Space Astronomy Contact: Marc Postman (postman@stsci.edu) Baltimore, MD May 24-27, 2009 2009 Joint Assembly - Meetings of the Americas (CGU, GAC, IAH-CNC, MAC, AGU) www.agu.org/meetings/ja09/ Toronto, Canada [Editor Note: If there is a planetary-related meeting, conference or workshop that you think your colleagues should be aware of, please send the date, title, URL and location to pen_editor at psi.edu.] *********************************************************************** * * The Planetary Exploration Newsletter is issued approximately weekly. * Current and back issues are available at * * http://planetarynews.org * * To subscribe, go to http://planetarynews.org/pen_subscribe.html * * To unsubscribe, go to http://planetarynews.org/pen_unsubscribe.html * * Please send all replies and submissions to pen_editor at psi.edu. * Announcements and other messages should be brief with links to URLs * for extended information, including detailed descriptions for job * announcements. 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