PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 4, Number 55 (December 19, 2010) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Susan Benecchi Co-Editors: Mark V. Sykes, Melissa Lane Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. Passing of Donald M. Hunten (1925-2010) 2. NRC's Committee on Planetary Protection Standards for Icy Bodies in the Outer Solar System 3. Committee on the Origins and Evolution of Life (COEL) 4. [NASA] Southern hemisphere launch opportunity for sounding rocket flights 5. [NASA] Draft AO for SOFIA Second Generation Instruments Released for Community Comment 6. PhD Student position(s) in Germany (Earth System Sciences Research School - Jacobs University Bremen) 7. Asteroids, Comets, Meteors 2011 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 PASSING OF DONALD M. HUNTEN (1925-2010) Planetary science suffered another loss this week with the passing of Donald M. Hunten, 85. He was a primary figure in the development of planetary atmospheres and a long-time professor at the Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona. A memoriam is posted at: http://planetarypolicy.org/hunten.html 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 NRC'S COMMITTEE ON PLANETARY PROTECTION STANDARDS FOR ICY BODIES IN THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM The first meeting of the NRC's Committee on Planetary Protection Standards for Icy Bodies in the Outer Solar System will be held on 31 January-2 February 2011 at the National Academies' Keck Center (500 Fifth St, NW) in Washington, D.C. The committee's second and third meetings will be held in Irvine, California, on 16-18 March and 14-16 June. The committee was established at the request of NASA/SMD to develop and recommend planetary protection standards for future spacecraft missions to the icy bodies in the outer solar system (asteroids, satellites, Kuiper belt objects, and comets) in light of current scientific understanding and ongoing improvements in mission-enabling capabilities and technologies. Many of the committee's sessions will be open to the community. For more information, see: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/CurrentProjects/SSB_059273 or contact the committee's study director, David H. Smith at dhmith@nas.edu 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 COMMITTEE ON THE ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION OF LIFE (COEL) The next meeting of the Committee on the Origins and Evolution of Life (COEL) will be held 2-4 March 2011 at the Keck Center in Washington, D.C. COEL is the standing committee of the Space Studies Board that organizes and provides oversight of studies on research opportunities and programs on the origin and evolution of life in the universe, including NASA's astrobiology program. As usual, most of the committee's sessions are open to the community. For more information, see: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/ssb_052326 or contact COEL's executive secretary, David H. Smith at dhmith@nas.edu 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] A SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE LAUNCH OPPORTUNITY FOR SOUNDING ROCKET FLIGHTS The Sounding Rocket Program is planning to provide launches from Woomera, Australia, in the fall of calendar year 2014 and again in the spring of calendar year 2016, subject to the availability of funds. Investigators responding to the ROSES 10 Appendix B.4 (SHP) and D.3 (APRA) solicitations may propose sounding rocket flights launched from this southern hemisphere site for either opportunity. Normal payload recovery is anticipated for flights using either the Black Brant IX or Black Brant XI launch vehicles. Go to: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ (select 'Solicitations' then 'Open Solicitations' then 'NNH10ZDA001N'). For more information on specifics of this new launch opportunity contact: Philip Eberspeaker Philip.J.Eberspeaker@nasa.gov 757-824-2202 For information on the Sounding Rocket Program within the Astrophysics Division contact: Wilt Sanders wilton.t.sanders@nasa.gov 202-358-1319 (Note: Edited 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] DRAFT AO FOR SOFIA SECOND GENERATION INSTRUMENTS RELEASED FOR COMMUNITY COMMENT Release Date: December 15, 2010 SOFIA Instrument Potential Bidders Telecon: January 26, 2011 Comments Due: February 11, 2011 Identification Number: NNH11ZDA009J The full text of the draft solicitation can be found at: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ Participation is open to all categories of organizations or institutions. This draft solicitation will be discussed by NASA at the 217th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society during the Splinter Meeting on Early Results from the SOFIA Observatory, on Tuesday January 11, 2011, at 5:30-7:00 pm PST, in Ballroom 6C of the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle, WA. NASA will hold a SOFIA Instrument Potential Bidders Telecon/WebEx on Wednesday, January 26, 2011, at 1:00-4:00 pm EST (10:00 am- 1:00 pm PST). Details of this Telecon/WebEx will be posted on the SOFIA Instruments PEA Additional Information Homepage, available at: http://soma.larc.nasa.gov/SOFIA/ in advance of the telecon. The comment period for the Draft SOFIA Second generation Instruments PEA ends on February 11, 2011. (Note: Edited for length) 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 PHD STUDENT POSITION(S) IN GERMANY (EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES RESEARCH SCHOOL - JACOBS UNIVERSITY BREMEN) Fluid Escape on Earth and Mars: Landforms, Structures and Processes - Project P25 The Earth System Sciences Research School (ESSReS), funded by the German Helmholtz Association, offers positions for outstanding young scientists in the topical field of earth system science. This PhD project aims at understanding the geology subsurface fluid escape on fossil Earth examples with relevance to Mars analogues, though an interdisciplinary integrated observational and modelling approach, including the detailed study of selected Mars fluid escape features and the field and remote sensing analysis of ancient terrestrial fluid escape sites. This position is hosted by Jacobs University, one of the three institutions participating in the ESSReS School. Jacobs University is a highly selective, international, residential university in Bremen. It was founded in 2001 (supported by the city-state of Bremen, the University of Bremen, and Rice University in Houston, Texas) The selection of the candidates is academics and merit-based. Funding is available for two of the three PhD projects Jacobs University is hosting. More information on: http://www.earth-system-science.org/index.php?id=2996&type=123&L=0& filename=essres.pdf http://www.earth-system-science.org/en/scientific_programme/ essres_ii_research_projects_you_can_apply_to/ Application package and procedure: http://www.earth-system-science.org/en/admission/ Contacts: Angelo Pio Rossi an.rossi@jacobs-university.de Vikram Unnithan v.unnithan@jacobs-university.de http://www.jacobs-university.de/ 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 ASTEROIDS, COMETS, METEORS 2011 An International Conference On Small Solar System Bodies July 18-22, 2011 Niigata, Japan FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT The scope of presentations and discussion is broad, including all topics related to asteroids, comets, and meteors. ACM 2011 is expected to bring together experts on small-bodies studies from around the world. It will be the first meeting held after several significant and anticipated events, which include the return of "Hayabusa" mission and the expected result of "Dawn", "EPOXI" and "NExT", as well as many others. ACM 2011 will highlight the research currently being conducted, and encourage discussion among researchers in various areas, and identify new avenues of research. General information and important dates are available at: http://chiron.mtk.nao.ac.jp/ACM2011/ All the process of registration and abstract submissions etc. should be performed in the USRA/LPI meeting portal site with the kind help of the Lunar and Planetary Institute. You can register your e-mail address for receiving further information of the ACM2011 at the following site: https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meeting_portal/iofi/?mtg=acm2011 21 March 2011 Abstract deadline 21 May 2011 Deadline for early registration at reduced rate We are planning to have several satellite meetings together with excursions that should interest you. Detailed information forthcoming. Questions, contact: ACM2011@pub.mtk.nao.ac.jp (Note: Edited for 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 18-22, 2011 Asteroids, Comets, Meteors 2011 http://chiron.mtk.nao.ac.jp/ACM2011/ Niigata, Japan Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html [Editor Note: If there is a planetary-related meeting, conference or workshop of which your colleagues should be aware, 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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