PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 4, Number 15 (April 11, 2010) 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] PDS Cassini Release 21 Data Available 2. Lunar Science Forum: Abstract Deadline Approaching 3. [NASA] Discovery Program Community Announcement (NNH10ZDA006J) 4. Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Homecoming: 50th Anniversary Banquet and Symposium 5. [NASA] Meeting Update for the Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG) 6. Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter Available 7. [NASA] Due Date Delayed for ASTEP Program 8. 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] PDS CASSINI RELEASE 21 DATA AVAILABLE Cassini Release 21 data are available from the Planetary Data System (PDS) on the Imaging Node website at URL: http://pdsimg.jpl.nasa.gov The delivery covers the period of April 1, 2009 through June 30, 2009 and includes the Imaging Science System (ISS) volumes coiss_2054 and coiss_2055, Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) volume covims_0036, and Radar volumes CORADR_187 - CORADR_0196 and CORADR_198-CORADR_199. 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 LUNAR SCIENCE FORUM: ABSTRACT DEADLINE APPROACHING The NASA Lunar Science Institute is pleased to announce the 3rd annual NASA Lunar Science Forum, to be held July 20-22, 2010 at NASA Ames Research Center. This year's forum will feature sessions on scientific results from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, as well as the presentation of the annual Shoemaker medal and associated keynote lecture. As in past years, science sessions are structured to report on both recent results and future opportunities for lunar science, education and outreach. Abstracts are due May 3, 2010. Registration for the Forum is free; however, please register early. Please register and submit abstracts to the Lunar Science Forum at http://lunarscience2010.arc.nasa.gov We look forward to another exciting meeting focusing on science of, on, and from the Moon. 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 DISCOVERY PROGRAM COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (NNH10ZDA006J) NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) intends to release an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for Discovery Program missions no earlier than (NET) June 2010. The Discovery Program conducts Principal Investigator (PI)-led space science investigations in SMD’s planetary programs under a not-to-exceed cost cap. It is anticipated that approximately two to three Discovery investigations will be selected for 9-month Phase A concept studies through this AO. At the conclusion of these concept studies, it is planned that one Discovery investigation will be selected to continue into Phase B and subsequent mission phases. There will be no Missions of Opportunity (MO) solicited as part of this AO. All MO are now solicited through the Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON) AO. The AO will differ in several significant ways from the Draft Discovery Program AO (NNH10ZDA003J) released in December 2009. The Draft Discovery AO is available by following the links at http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/ Further information, as it becomes available, will be posted on the Discovery Program Acquisition Page at http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/ Questions may be addressed to: Dr. Michael New Discovery Program Lead Scientist Science Mission Directorate, NASA Washington, DC 20546 (202) 358-1766 michael.h.new@nasa.gov [Editor Note: Shortened in length.] 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 LUNAR AND PLANETARY LABORATORY HOMECOMING: 50TH ANNIVERSARY BANQUET AND SYMPOSIUM Calling all friends of LPL: current and former students, faculty, staff, post-docs, affiliates, colleagues. You are Invited to join us in Tucson in celebration of LPL's 50th anniversary on October 1-2, 2010. We are proud to announce that Dale P. Cruikshank will be the banquet speaker. For details and registration information, visit: http://lpl50.arizona.edu/rsvp.php We hope you can join the celebration! 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] MEETING UPDATE FOR THE SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP (SBAG) To avoid a conflict with the Second Workshop on Binaries in the Solar System (July 13-15, See the PEN Meeting Calendar), we have shifted the 3rd Meeting of the NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group to August 3-4, 2010. The location remains Pasadena, CA. Specific venues are in the process of being arranged and will be posted along with agendas at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/meetings/ Presentations and Findings from the first two SBAG Meetings are also found at this site. Mark V. Sykes, Chair, SBAG 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 MARS EXPLORATION SCIENCE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE On behalf of Jack Mustard (MEPAG Chair), Dave Beaty, Rich Zurek, and Charles Budney of the Mars Program Science Office, the April 2010 edition of the Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter is available at http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov Regards, Joyce Pulliam 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 [NASA] DUE DATE DELAYED FOR ASTEP PROGRAM Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) program solicits proposals for investigations focused on exploring the Earth's extreme environments in order to develop a sound technical and scientific basis to conduct astrobiological research on other solar system bodies. This amendment delays the proposal due date for Appendix C.20, Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) Program. Programmatic schedule conflicts at NASA Headquarters have postponed the ASTEP peer review and hence the date when SMD must have proposals. The proposal due date for ASTEP has been changed to Friday, July 16, 2010. Table 2 and Table 3 of the Summary of Solicitation for this NRA have been updated to reflect this change. On or about April 9, 2010, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2010" (NNH10ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ (select "Solicitations" then "Open Solicitations" then "NNH10ZDA001N"). You can now track amendments, clarifications and corrections to ROSES and subscribe to an RSS feed at http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/ roses-2010 Mary Voytek Planetary Science Division Science Mission Directorate NASA Headquarters Washington, DC 20546-0001 (202) 358-1577 mary.voytek-1@nasa.gov [Editor Note: Shortened in length.] 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 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS July 3-8, 2011 Origins 2011, the first joint conference of Bioastronomy (IAU Commission 51) and ISSOL: The International Astrobiology Society http://www.origins2011.univ-montp2.fr/ Montpellier, France July 20-22, 2010 3rd Annual NASA Lunar Science Forum http://lunarscience2010.arc.nasa.gov Moffett Field, CA August 3-4, 2010 Third Meeting of the NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/meetings/ Pasadena, CA [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. Go to the PEN website for submission directions. ************************************************************************