PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 3, Number 29 (June 28, 2009) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Mark V. Sykes Co-Editors: Nic Richmond, Matt Balme Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. Editorial: NASA Planetary Mission Data Analysis Program 2. 50th Vernadsky/Brown Microsymposium on Comparative Planetology 3. Seeking Nominations for COSPAR Awards and Medals 4. July Decadal Survey Meeting Webcasting 5. Simple Effective Education and Dissemination (SEED) Grants For Astronomy Researchers Available for 2009 from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 6. 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 EDITORIAL: NASA PLANETARY MISSION DATA ANALYSIS PROGRAM Mark V. Sykes Planetary Science Institute This is a very valuable addition to NASA's research and data analysis programs, filling many gaps. I organized the review panel last cycle and was surprised that the vast majority of colleagues I called had no knowledge of the program. I encourage you to go to NSPIRES and look it up in the ROSES09 announcement. Proposals are due August 14. PMDAP supports the analysis of planetary data (not covered by another DAP) from all past planetary and also non-planetary missions (e.g., Spitzer, FUSE, etc.). This is the program for analysing Mercury MESSENGER data. I would like to encourage planetary geologists who have been focusing on Mars and perhaps recently extended their science to the Moon through the LASER program to be aware of this opportunity. PMDAP funds proposals for archiving data collections into PDS that are considered "of significance to solar system science." This may include decades of NASA-supported ground-based observations of solar system objects sitting on your bookshelves. It may include restoration of old mission data into a useable format, followed by archiving. Approximately 15-20 new awards (up to 4 years, ~ 140-187K/year) are anticipated. 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 50TH VERNADSKY/BROWN MICROSYMPOSIUM ON COMPARATIVE PLANETOLOGY Moscow, Russia, 12-14 October 2009 http://www.planetology.ru/micro.php Deadline for VISA request: 20 July Deadline for abstracts: 5 September 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 SEEKING NOMINATIONS FOR COSPAR AWARDS AND MEDALS The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) is seeking nominees for various awards and medals which recognize the outstanding achievements of space scientists throughout the world. Details of the awards, past recipients, nomination forms and instructions can be found at http://cosparhq.cnes.fr/Awards/awards.htm Awards will be presented at the 38th COSPAR Scientific Assembly to be held in Bremen, Germany, July 18-25, 2010. Completed nominations forms must be received by the COSPAR Secretariat in Paris no later than 30 November, 2009. 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 JULY DECADAL SURVEY MEETING WEBCASTING The National Research Council's Planetary Science Decadal Survey will webcast all of the open sessions during the 6-8 July meeting of its Steering Group. The webcast will be available at the following URL: http://nasa-nai.acrobat.com/psdecadal/ Audio can be accessed via a telephone call to 1-866-878-9452, passcode 9387576. The times of the open sessions is available on the meeting agenda posted on the decadal survey's website at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ssb /planetary_decadal_steering_agenda1.pdf [Editor note: URL is wrapped] Please note that the agenda is subject to change. The decadal survey offers its sincere thanks to the NASA Astrobiology Institute for the technical support to make this community service possible. 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 SIMPLE EFFECTIVE EDUCATION AND DISSEMINATION (SEED) GRANTS FOR ASTRONOMY RESEARCHERS AVAILABLE FOR 2009 FROM THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC Thanks to the support of the Planck and Herschel Missions, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific is offering SEED Grants for 2009 to active researchers in astronomy, astrophysics, or space science to engage in public outreach, K-14 formal education, or informal education programs or activities. Maximum grants are $2,500; funds may be used to purchase equipment related to the proposed EPO activity, or to defray expenses associated with carrying out the activity. Given the nature of the Planck and Herschel Missions, SEED Grant proposals involving cosmology, galaxy studies, solar system investigations, and space science will be given special consideration. Proposal submission deadline is July 31, 2009, with announcement of awards by September 15, 2009. To learn more and to review the simple guidelines for proposals, go to: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/grants/grants.html 6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html September 18-19, 2009 ISPRS Workshop Commission IV/7 Planetary Mapping and Databases - Results from Current Missions http://www.igg.tu-berlin.de/ISPRS/workshop_6-7 Berlin, Germany October 12-14, 2009 The 50th Vernadsky/Brown Microsymposium on Comparative Planetology http://www.planetology.ru/micro.php Moscow, Russia January 13-15, 2010 Astrobio 2010 http://www.astro.puc.cl/astrobio2010/HOME.html Santiago, Chile January 25-26, 2010 The Detection of Extra-Terrestrial Life and the Consequences for Science and Soc iety http://royalsociety.org/event.asp?id=8602&month=1,2010 London, UK April 19-23, 2010 Mars Sedimentology and Stratigraphy - Conference and Field Trip http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/marssed2010/ El Paso, TX May 3-6, 2010 Astronomical Data Analysis (ADA6) http://www.aset.org.tn/conf/ADA6/ Monastir, Tunisia [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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