PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 6, Number 7 (February 12, 2012) 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. New Horizons Stamp Petition 2. Planetary Data: A Workshop for Users and Software Developers 3. Workshop Announcement: Moving FORWARD in Space 4. NASA Lunar Science Forum: First Announcement 5. NASA Postdoctoral Fellowships 6. European Lunar Symposium 7. First Landing Site Workshop for Future Mars Missions 8. Planetary Geophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship 9. Dawn Data Release: Level 1a Data from Approach and Survey 10. AAS Opposes the Grant Act of 2011 (H.R. 3433) 11. 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 NEW HORIZONS STAMP PETITION As a part of its EPO program, the New Horizons mission to the Pluto system is proposing a stamp commemorating its exploration of Pluto to the US Postal Service. The post office requires that stamp proposals be accompanied by a petition signed by members of the public who support the stamp proposal. On Feb 1, the New Horizons team debuted their stamp petition at: http://www.change.org/petitions/usps-honor-new-horizons-and-the- exploration-of-pluto-with-a-usps-stamp#USA%20#NASA Members of the PEN community are invited to sign on this petition with the public. Like the public, planetary scientists are also urged to tell their friends and colleagues via email, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media, and ask them to sign on as well. 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 PLANETARY DATA: A WORKSHOP FOR USERS AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ (USA) June 25-29, 2012 April 30 - Deadline for Abstract Submission (for presentation or poster) June 15 - Registration Deadline (if not submitting an abstract) June 25-27 - Data Users Track June 27-29 - Software Developers Track To view the full announcement, please visit: http://on.doi.gov/PlanetD The Data Users Track will provide a forum for discussion of available planetary data, including how these data are located, downloaded, processed, and used for cartography and scientific data analysis. Topics may include: basic data search and retrieval tools (e.g., the Planetary Image Atlas, the Orbital Data Explorers, the Analysts Notebook, PILOT, etc.) for data from current planetary missions, summary of data processing and visualization tools (e.g., ISIS, JMARS/JMOON, Google Mars/Moon, ArcMap, etc.), and an introduction to PDS4 for users and data providers. The Software Developers Track will bring researchers and technology experts together to discuss and exchange ideas to identify difficult planetary research issues that can be addressed by software development, and will present planetary data processing and software development methods and techniques. For further information, contact: Trent Hare (thare@usgs.gov) Lisa Gaddis (lgaddis@usgs.gov) 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 WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT: MOVING FORWARD IN SPACE To be held in Philadelphia on June 4-6, 2012. The primary goals of the workshop are to provide young female scientists with information and skills development necessary for a successful bid for a tenured professorship in the planetary sciences. Workshop activities will focus on developing mentoring and networking connections, techniques for more successful writing, acquiring grant funding, sharing of classroom ideas and materials, maintaining work-life balance, and challenges for dual career couples. Invited participants include finishing doctoral students, postdocs, scientists in a career break after a PhD or postdoc, in the early stages of a tenure-track position or employed outside academia. Though this conference is aimed specifically at maintaining female scientists in the tenure-track pipeline, we encourage all underrepresented minorities in the planetary sciences to apply. Dual career couples are encouraged to apply as well. Applications to attend available: March 7, 2012. E-mail: planetary@temple.edu for an application or additional information. We expect to invite 30-35 attendees to the workshop - and will have some funds available to help cover hotel costs for those who request them (via a separate application). Conference sponsor: National Science Foundation via the FORWARD to Professorship Program. More information at: https://sites.google.com/a/temple.edu/forward-in-space/home (Edited for lenth.) 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 LUNAR SCIENCE FORUM: FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT The NASA Lunar Science Institute is pleased to announce the 5th annual NASA Lunar Science Forum, to be held July 17-19, 2012. This year's forum will feature sessions on in-depth scientific results from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS), Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) and Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL), a dedicated side-conference for graduate students and young lunar professionals, as well as the annual Shoemaker Award ceremony and associated keynote lecture. This year's Shoemaker Award winner is Dr. S. Ross Taylor in recognition of his significant scientific accomplishments and contributions to the lunar field. As in past years, science sessions are structured to report on both recent results and future opportunities for lunar science, exploration, education and outreach. Abstracts will be accepted starting February 20 through May 1, 2012 at: http://lunarscience.nasa.gov/LSF2012/ The next announcement in March 2012 will discuss the Lunar Science Forum Logistics. We look forward to another exciting meeting focusing on science of, on and from the Moon! 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 POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers scientists and engineers unique opportunities to conduct research at NASA Centers. Each NPP fellowship opportunity is designed to advance NASA research in a specific project related to space science, earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, lunar science, or astrobiology. Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in hand before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing the degree requirements. U. S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a Research Scholar may apply. Stipends for Postdoctoral Fellows start at $50,000 per year, with moderate supplements for high cost-of-living areas and for certain academic specialties. Funds are available for relocation expenses, up to a specified limit, and health insurance is available through the program. Fellows also receive $8,000 per appointment year to support travel to conferences, meetings, and other activities that directly support their research. Applications are accepted three times each year: March 1, July 1, and November 1. For further information and to apply, visit: http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm Questions may be submitted by e-mail to nasapostdoc@orau.org 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 EUROPEAN LUNAR SYMPOSIUM April 19-20, 2012, Berlin We are pleased to announce that the website for abstract submission and registration for the 2012 European Lunar Symposium is now open. Please visit: http://lunarscience.nasa.gov/els2012/ and navigate your way around to submit an abstract and register for this symposium. We are limited to 170 participants and will adopt a first-come, first-served policy, so submit your abstract at your earliest convenience and register yourself for the meeting. The abstract submission deadline is February 28. We look forward to seeing you at the European Lunar Symposium in April 2012. Mahesh Anand (Open University, UK) and Ralf Jaumann (DLR, Germany) (on behalf of the ELS organizers) 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 FIRST LANDING SITE WORKSHOP FOR FUTURE MARS MISSIONS Organized by the NASA-ESA collaboration February 29, 2012 Hilton Washington Dulles Airport hotel in Herndon, VA Preceded by the second international meeting of MEPAG. Dear Colleagues: The workshop will begin the identification and discussion of future possible landing sites for a rover mission to conduct in-situ science investigations including drilling and caching samples for possible return to Earth and subsequent analysis, within the constraints imposed by engineering requirements, planetary protection requirements, and the necessity of ensuring a safe landing. The goal is to gather information on candidate landing sites and develop a list of high priority candidates for future joint missions in a timely manner utilizing various orbiter instruments while they are still operating. The program for the workshop is now available at: http://marsnext.jpl.nasa.gov/ There is no registration fee for the workshop and all members of the scientific community are encouraged to participate in this important activity. For those unable to travel to the workshop, it is expected that content will be made available via Webex. Further information on accessing Webex will be posted at: http://marsnext.jpl.nasa.gov/ Regards, John Grant, Matt Golombek, and Nicolas Mangold, Co-Chairs, Mars Landing Site Steering Committee (Edited for lenth.) 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 GEOPHYSICS POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP The Universities Space Research Association's Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), in Houston Texas, invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in planetary geophysics. The successful candidate will work with Dr. Walter Kiefer on a NASA-funded project studying the nature of mantle convection on Mars and its effects on the thermal evolution and volcanic history of the planet. The candidate will also have the opportunity to conduct research in planetary geophysics of his or her own choosing. The position requires a Ph.D. in Planetary Science or Geophysics with experience in computer programming and numerical modeling methods, particularly finite elements. Experience with parallel computing in a Linux environment will be an asset. The position will be offered for an initial period of two years with a possible extension to a maximum of three years. Applicants should send a letter of interest, a curriculum vita listing relevant publications, a brief (maximum three pages) statement of research interests, and a list of three references to resume@lpi.usra.edu. Review of candidates will begin on March 15, 2012, with a hiring decision as soon as possible thereafter. Further information about LPI can be found at: www.lpi.usra.edu USRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 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 DAWN DATA RELEASE: LEVEL 1A DATA FROM APPROACH AND SURVEY The Dawn project has created a public website that is available to serve the cruise and Vesta data sets that have been delivered to the Planetary Data System (PDS) while the data are still under review. Data are available from all three Dawn instruments, the Framing Camera (FC), the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIR), and the Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND). The data that are currently available are raw data, in engineering units, sometimes referred to as EDRs by the PDS or as NASA level-1a data. Additional data sets will be added when they are submitted to the PDS. The Dawn website is located at: http://dawnpub.igpp.ucla.edu Users of these data should exercise caution. Invariably there will be errors or omissions in the documentation. Please report any problems that are encountered to: Joseph Mafi (jmafi@igpp.ucla.edu - Dawn Science data archivist) or Steven Joy (sjoy@igpp.ucla.edu - Dawn Science Center manager) and they will be added to the PDS peer review liens and corrected before final archive. 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 AAS OPPOSES THE GRANT ACT OF 2011 (H.R. 3433) AAS endorsed a letter by the Coalition for National Science Funding on 30 January 2012, writing in opposition to the Grant Reform and New Transparency (GRANT) Act of 2011 (H.R. 3433) because as written this bill could have unintended adverse effects on the continued development of the scientific and engineering research enterprise and compromise the U.S. innovation system. Many other scientific organization, such as the American Institute of Physics (AIP) and the American Physical Society (APS), oppose the legislation as written. For a link to the AAS endorsement see: http://aas.org/policy/endorsements The text of the bill is posted at: http://oversight.house.gov/images/stories/Markups/LANKFO_036_xml.pdf Page 9, line 15 is where these requirements are outlined. [Editor Note: This bill requires federal agencies to post online the full text of awarded grant proposals not later than three years after the grant is awarded, the full names and employers of the proposal reviewers, and the reviews and scores.] 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS February 29, 2012 First Landing Site Workshop for Future Mars Missions http://marsnext.jpl.nasa.gov/ Herndon, VA April 19-20, 2012 European Lunar Symposium http://lunarscience.nasa.gov/els2012/ Berlin, Germany April 20, 2012 Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and GIS in Extreme Environments http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/groups/ASPRS-Southwest-Technical-Meeting Flagstaff, AZ June 4-6, 2012 Moving Forward in Space https://sites.google.com/a/temple.edu/forward-in-space/home Philadelphia, PA June 25-29, 2012 Planetary Data: A Workshop for Users and Software Developers http://on.doi.gov/PlanetD Flagstaff, AZ July 17-19, 2012 5th Annual Lunar Science Forum http://lunarscience.nasa.gov/LSF2012/ Moffett Field, CA 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, or * send a request to pen_editor at psi.edu * * To unsubscribe, send an email to pen_editor at psi.edu * * 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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