PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 3, Number 46 (October 4, 2009) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Melissa Lane Co-Editors: Nic Richmond, Mark V. Sykes Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. [NASA] Planetary Division Budgets FY2003-FY2009 Posted 2. [NASA] ROSES Selection Times Posted 3. [NASA] ROSES Solicitation and Guidebook Revisions 4. [NASA] SALMON AO Amendment 3: New Proposal Due Date 5. [NASA] PDS Announces the Availability of Updated ISS Cartographic Volumes 6. Venus Pressure Test Chamber - A Potential Resource 7. Assistant or Associate Astronomer, NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii 8. Education and Public Outreach Manager, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder 9. Postdoctoral Researcher in Planetary Petrology Position 10. RAS National Astronomy Meeting 2010 -- Call for Parallel Session Nominations 11. First Announcement: Mars Workshop, Les Houches, France 12. Planetary Protection Policies and Practices Course - 2 Openings Remain 13. 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] PLANETARY DIVISION BUDGETS FY2003-FY2009 POSTED NASA's Science Directorate has posted Planetary-Related Research and Data Analysis Programs Final Budgets for fiscal years 2003-FY2009. This can be downloaded as a PDF file from the Planetary Division corner at: http://tinyurl.com/yb3ndsh 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 [NASA] ROSES SELECTION TIMES POSTED NASA's Science Directorate has posted figures that show how long it took to announce selections for the omnibus ROSES solicitations for 2003-2008. The good news is that selections are getting faster http://tinyurl.com/d5xafp 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 [NASA] ROSES SOLICITATION AND GUIDEBOOK REVISIONS It is the time of year when NASA drafts the omnibus solicitation Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) for next year. SARA is calling for suggestions on how to improve the solicitation for next year's ROSES and make changes to the guidebook for proposers. Please submit suggestions to SARA@nasa.gov RSS feeds for letters from SARA, amendments to the ROSES solicitation, and other useful information can be found at http://sara.nasa.gov 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 [NASA] SALMON AO: NEW PROPOSAL DUE DATE Notice of Intent to propose Due: October 28, 2009 Proposals Due: December 18, 2009 With this amendment, the NASA Announcement of Opportunity NNH08ZDA009O, "Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON)," is amended to establish a new proposal due date for proposals submitted in response to Program Element Appendix (PEA) H3: Small Complete Missions of Opportunity in Astrobiology and Fundamental Space Biology. This PEA has been extensively modified from the previously released version and the new version replaces the old version in its entirety. The NASA Announcement of Opportunity "Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON)" (NNH08ZDA009O) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ (select "Solicitations" then "Open Solicitations" then "NNH08ZDA009O"). Technical or scientific questions concerning Small Complete Missions in Astrobiology may be addressed to Dr. Catharine A. Conley Planetary Science Division Science Mission Directorate NASA Headquarters Washington, DC 20546-0001 202-358-3912 Cassie.Conley@nasa.gov Technical or scientific questions concerning Small Complete Missions in Fundamental Space Biology may be addressed to Dr. David L. Tomko Advanced Capabilities Division Exploration Systems Mission Directorate NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001 202-358-2211 dtomko@nasa.gov [Editor's Note: text has been reduced for length] 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 [NASA] PDS ANNOUNCES THE AVAILABILITY OF UPDATED ISS CARTOGRAPHIC VOLUMES PDS has accepted the delivery of Cassini ISS Cartographic Volumes coiss_3005 and coiss_3006. Volume coiss_3005 is Version 2 of this volume. This contains changes to the MAXIMUM_LATTITUDE and MINIUM_LATITUDE values for SI_3M_0_90_MERCATOR.IMG and SI_3M_0_270_MERCATOR.IMG files in the data/images directory. Volume coiss_3006 is Version 2 of this volume. This contains changes to the MAXIMUM_LATTITUDE and MINIUM_LATITUDE values for SM_1500K_0_0_MERCATOR.IMG file in the data/images directory. These volumes can be found on the PDS Imaging Node at URL: http://pdsimg.jpl.nasa.gov/ 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 VENUS PRESSURE TEST CHAMBER - A POTENTIAL RESOURCE A working Venus pressure test chamber has been recently acquired and is located at Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. It will be made available to the Venus scientific community and others for testing of small flight components/instruments and short-term experiments that require high temperatures and pressures. The chamber was developed by Dr. William Byrd at Iowa State University through the Iowa Space Grant Consortium. The chamber is able to maintain a temperature of 740K and pressure of 95.6 bar for ~48 hours under a carbon dioxide atmosphere. The dimensions of the chamber are five inches in diameter and twelve inches deep. The actual working space is expected to be slightly smaller because of volume taken up by monitoring sensors. The chamber is currently being tested and calibrated. Viewing ports and/or thoughputs for data and power will eventually be installed as options. Running at temperatures and pressures lower than those found at the surface of Venus are possible. Details about the Venus Pressure Test Chamber will be presented at the VEXAG meeting scheduled for October 28-29, 2009. 7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7 ASSISTANT OR ASSOCIATE ASTRONOMER, NASA INFRARED TELESCOPE FACILITY, INSTITUTE FOR ASTRONOMY, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII The Institute for Astronomy (IfA) has an opening for a support astronomer for the NASA 3-meter Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) located in Hilo on the Island of Hawaii. The incumbent will join the IRTF scientific staff, and contribute to all scientific and technical aspects of operation of the observatory, including instrumentation and the support of visiting observers. He or she will work with scientific and technical personnel to ensure optimum performance of the telescope and instruments, take the lead in some areas of observatory operations, and advocate areas of improvement in the operation. About 30% time will be available for independent personal research and he or she will have access to all the Mauna Kea telescopes on which the University of Hawaii has guaranteed observing time. Desirable Qualifications: Experience with infrared imaging or spectroscopy, testing infrared arrays, achieving optimum angular resolution and image quality, writing astronomical data reduction packages. To view the complete job ad, visit http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/position-vacancies/86868T-091031.shtml Closing date: 31 Oct. 2009 Contact info: Alan Tokunaga tokunaga@ifa.hawaii.edu 808-956-6691 8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8 EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH MANAGER, LABORATORY FOR ATMOSPHERIC AND SPACE PHYSICS, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER LASP has developed a highly successful and nationally recognized EPO program emphasizing our research in atmospheric, planetary, solar and space sciences. The successful candidate should have demonstrated leadership in the development and implementation of science-based education and public outreach activities. Responsibilities will include development and implementation of EPO components for LASP’s existing research programs, as well as future opportunities; establishing and sustaining collaborative programs with other EPO programs (both locally and nationally); coordination of EPO activities by LASP personnel and their collaborators at other institutions; training of LASP personnel participating in EPO activities; and securing funding for EPO program development. More details about LASP and our current EPO activities can be found at our web site, at http://lasp.colorado.edu. For the full job description and to apply, go to http://www.jobsatcu.com and search on job posting 808220. 9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9 POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN PLANETARY PETROLOGY POSITION The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), a division of the Universities Space Research Association, invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in the petrology of planetary materials. The successful candidate will work with Dr. Allan Treiman in NASA-funded research focusing on volatiles in magmas and on aqueous alteration of igneous rocks; target materials include Martian meteorites, lunar samples, and terrestrial analogs. These efforts will start with analyses by optical microscopy and electron microprobe; other instruments are available as needed at nearby Johnson Space Center (experimental petrology laboratories, LA-ICPMS), or can be arranged with external collaborators (e.g., SIMS). The candidate will be encouraged to design and conduct her/his own research in planetary science, propose for external funding, participate in grant review panels and analysis groups, and become involved with spacecraft missions. For further information, please visit http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lpi/positions.shtml Universities Space Research Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 RAS NATIONAL ASTRONOMY MEETING 2010 -- CALL FOR PARALLEL SESSION NOMINATIONS Glasgow, Scotland April 12-16, 2010 NAM 2010 will be held in Glasgow, and will incorporate both the UK Solar Physics (UKSP) and Magnetosphere, Ionosphere and Solar- Terrestrial (MIST) meetings. Slots for up to 42 parallel sessions, each of 90 minutes duration exist, with further sessions in the programme dedicated for poster viewing. We would like to invite from the community nominations for parallel session themes / multiple parallel sessions for any topic or research area considered relevant to the NAM, UKSP and MIST meetings. Particularly welcomed are nominations likely to have broad cross- community appeal. Please submit the following, before Oct. 30, 2009 to: martin@astro.gla.ac.uk 1. Theme and provisional title of parallel session. 2. Brief (i.e. a few sentences) rationale for its nomination 3. A nominated session organiser (preferably an individual who has already agreed to undertake this role!) It is expected that the final programme of parallel sessions will be drawn up before the end of 2009. Martin Hendry Chair, NAM 2010 SOC Dept of Physics and Astronomy University of Glasgow, UK 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: MARS WORKSHOP 28 March - 2 April 2010 Les Houches, France The goals of the workshop are to integrate the main results of both the recent Earth-based observations and the missions to Mars (MarsExpress, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Phoenix and Mars Exploration Rovers) into a new global picture of Mars evolution. With the same spirit of the previous workshops, discussions among scientists of different disciplines will be encouraged and it is foreseen that they will help refine the scientific goals of the future missions to Mars. This workshop is an opportunity for the young scientists to be updated on the most recent results and to be trained in some specific data processing techniques. Deadline for registration: 15 January 2010 http://www.rssd.esa.int/index.php?project=MARSEXPRESS&page=planet_mars3 Contact: Olivier Witasse European Space Agency owitasse@rssd.esa.int 12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12 PLANETARY PROTECTION POLICIES AND PRACTICES COURSE - 2 OPENINGS REMAIN The course will be held at the Applied Physics Laboratory, October 20-22, 2009. This course is designed for managers, engineers, designers, lab technicians, and others interested in learning about the theory behind and application of planetary protection principles. Participants learn how the work of personnel with diverse skills and responsibilities is coordinated to develop an effective program of implementing planetary protection requirements. This course provides hands-on laboratory training in microbial sampling and data management. The course is taught by experts in the field with years of practical experience in all aspects of planetary protection. Anyone who is interested in filling the spots should contact Amy Baker as soon as possible for quick enrollment. Amy Baker Technical Administrative Services 303-972-4849 tasalb@msn.com 13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS February 22-24, 2010 Planetary Decadal Survey Meeting: Steering Group http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/CurrentProjects/ssb_052412 Irvine, CA March 28-April 2, 2010 Mars Workshop http://www.rssd.esa.int/index.php?project=MARSEXPRESS&page=planet_mars3 Les Houches, France April 12-16, 2010 RAS National Astronomy Meeting http://www.astro.gla.ac.uk/nam2010/ Glasgow, Scotland April 12-14, 2010 Planetary Decadal Survey Meeting: Satellites Panel http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/CurrentProjects/ssb_052412 Boulder, CO April 14-16, 2010 Planetary Decadal Survey Meeting: Mars Panel http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/CurrentProjects/ssb_052412 Boulder, CO April 21-23, 2010 Planetary Decadal Survey Meeting: Inner Planets Panel http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/CurrentProjects/ssb_052412 Boulder, CO April 26-28, 2010 Planetary Decadal Survey Meeting: Primitive Bodies Panel http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/CurrentProjects/ssb_052412 Knoxville, TN May 5-7, 2010 Planetary Decadal Survey Meeting: Giant Planets Panel http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/CurrentProjects/ssb_052412 Boston, MA May 25-27, 2010 Planetary Decadal Survey Meeting: Steering Group http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/CurrentProjects/ssb_052412 Washington, D.C. June 13-18, 2010 Goldschmidt 2010 http://www.goldschmidt2010.org/ Knoxville, TN July 26-30, 2010 Meteoritical Society, 73rd Annual Meeting http://www.metsoc2010.org/ New York, NY [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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