PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 6, Number 11 (March 11, 2012) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Mark V. Sykes Co-Editors: Melissa Lane, Susan Benecchi Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. NRC's Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science 2. [NASA] Change to CDAPS Proposal Submission Process 3. NASA Postdoctoral Fellowships 4. [NASA] PDS Releases Stardust-NExT Mission Data 5. Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter Available 6. [NASA] Planetary Science Summer School Applications 7. Women in Planetary Science Symposium at Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2012 8. [NASA] PDS MESSENGER Release 7 9. Venus Lunch-Time Town-Hall Meeting at LPSC 10. Job Opportunity: Postdoctoral Research Associate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 11. [NASA] Due Dates Changed for the Planetary Protection Research Program 12. [NASA] Interested in Serving on a Review Panel? 13. First Announcement - LunGradCon 2012 14. Call for Proposals for the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) 15. Ultraviolet Astronomy: HST and Beyond 16. 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 NRC'S COMMITTEE ON ASTROBIOLOGY AND PLANETARY SCIENCE The National Research Council's Space Studies Board has merged the Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX) and the Committee on the Origins and Evolution of Life (COEL) to create the new Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences (CAPS). The prime functions of CAPS will be to monitor the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Vision and Voyages planetary science decadal survey and in the reports drafted under the aegis of COEL and COMPLEX, and to act as the organizing committee for future studies in the areas of astrobiology and planetary science (e.g., the mid-term assessment of the decadal survey). Philip Christensen (Arizona State University) and J. Gregory Ferry (Pennsylvania State University) have agreed to serve as the co-chairs of CAPS. Seventeen additional individuals have been identified and have agreed to serve on the committee, pending approval by the NRC's Executive Office. CAPS will hold its first face-to-face meeting on 23-25 May in the National Academies' Keck Center, 500 Fifth St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20001. Additional details about CAPS will be posted on its website at: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_067577 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] CHANGE TO CDAPS PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCESS We wanted to draw your attention to a change in the way that proposals to NASA's Cassini Data Analysis and Participating Scientist program (CDAPS) will be submitted this year. We will be testing out a new two-step proposal submission process for this program. This means that a Step-1 proposal (a glorified notice of intent) is required to later submit a normal (i.e., full, 15-page) proposal, which is now called the Step-2 proposal. The Step-1 proposals are due March 23, 2012. The full Step-2 proposals are due May 4, 2012. For more details please see the 2012 CDAPS Call for Proposals at: http://tinyurl.com/7hycfrd If the main NSPIRES page comes up, please login to NSPIRES, then click the link again. A FAQ is posted on that page which includes more information about this change. If you have questions, please contact hq-cdap@mail.nasa.gov Henry Throop and Max Bernstein Program Officers, CDAPS 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 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, exploration systems, lunar science, astrobiology, or astrophysics. 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 start at $50,000 per year, with supplements for high cost-of-living areas and for certain academic specialties. Financial assistance is available for relocation and health insurance, and $8,000 per year is provided for professional travel. 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 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] PDS RELEASES STARDUST-NEXT MISSION DATA The NASA Planetary Data System is pleased to announce release of the Stardust-NExT mission data acquired during the comet 9P/Tempel 1 flyby in February 2011. The delivery includes raw and calibrated images from the Navigation Camera (NavCam). Certified (although in lien resolution) data from Dust Flux Monitor Instrument (DFMI) are also available. The data can be accessed through the PDS Small Bodies Node. To see and download the data as well as mission and instrument information, go to: http://pdssbn.astro.umd.edu/data_sb/missions/stardustnext/ 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 MARS EXPLORATION SCIENCE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE On behalf of Dave Des Marais, the MEPAG Chair, Dave Beaty, Rich Zurek, and Charles Budney of the Mars Program Science Office, the March 2012 edition of the Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter can be found on the web at: http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov Regards, Joyce Pulliam 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 [NASA] PLANETARY SCIENCE SUMMER SCHOOL APPLICATIONS NASA is accepting applications from science and engineering post-docs, recent PhDs, and doctoral students for its 24th Annual Planetary Science Summer School, which will hold two separate sessions this summer (18-22 June and 16-20 July) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. During the program and pre-session webinars, student teams will carry out the equivalent of an early mission concept study, prepare a proposal authorization review presentation, present it to a review board, and receive feedback. By the end of the session, students will have a clearer understanding of the life cycle of a space mission; relationships between mission design, cost, and schedule; and the tradeoffs necessary to stay within cost and schedule while preserving the quality of science. Applications are due March 28, 2012. Partial financial support is available for a limited number of individuals. Further information is available at: http://pscischool.jpl.nasa.gov 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 WOMEN IN PLANETARY SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM AT LUNAR AND PLANETARY SCIENCE CONFERENCE 2012 The 4th Annual Women in Planetary Science Symposium, sponsored by LPSC and NASA Headquarters, will be a buffet dinner on Wednesday evening, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, in the Montgomery Ballroom at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel. This year, we will feature a panel on Women on Planetary Missions with Victoria Hamilton, Sarah Milkovich, Louise Prockter, and Jessica Sunshine. Please register at: http://icpi.nasaprs.com/womeninscience Everyone is welcome to attend. The deadline for registration is Wednesday, March 15. 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 [NASA] PDS MESSENGER RELEASE 7 The Planetary Data System is pleased to announce Release 7 of data collected by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission. After a 6.6-year cruise phase, during which the spacecraft flew by Earth once, Venus twice, and Mercury three times, MESSENGER entered orbit about the innermost planet on 18 March 2011, becoming the first spacecraft ever to do so, and initiating a one-year phase of orbital operations. NASA recently extended MESSENGER's orbital operations for a second year. This delivery includes formatted raw and calibrated data for all seven MESSENGER science instruments and the radio science investigation for months three through six of orbital operations (18 May 2011 through 17 September 2011). SPICE data from launch through the period of this release are also included. With this release, data are now available to the public for the first full Mercury solar day of MESSENGER orbital operations. All data sets in this MESSENGER release can be accessed from: http://pds.nasa.gov/subscription_service/SS-20120308.html To access all data archived in the PDS, go to: http://pds.nasa.gov The ACT-REACT QuickMap interactive Web interface to MESSENGER data is available through links at: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/ http://www.nasa.gov/messenger The MDIS mosaics can be downloaded from: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/the_mission/mosaics.html 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 VENUS LUNCH-TIME TOWN-HALL MEETING AT LPSC You're invited to participate in a lunchtime Venus Town-Hall Meeting at LPSC on Wednesday, March 21, 2012, Noon - 1:15 PM, Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, Woodlands, Texas. This Town-Hall Meeting will provide an update on Venus related topics such as VEXAG sponsored conferences and plans to update the Venus Goals and Objectives document. This follows a Tuesday morning session on "Venus Volcanism Viewpoints: Vague or Viable?", chaired by Virgil Sharpton (LPI) and Mark Bullock (SWRI). 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 JOB OPPORTUNITY: POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE AT RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE The Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the area of exoplanet exploration, including observational investigations and/or instrumentation development. The successful applicant will carry out independent research on the detection of exoplanets and characterization of exoplanetary systems and their parent stars, with emphasis on exploring the conditions for habitability. Applicants must send a current CV with list of publications, contact information for 3 professional references, and a 1-2 page statement of research interests to Professor Jon A. Morse (jmorse@rpi.edu). Potential applicants may wish to review the current research activities of the NY Center for Astrobiology at: http://www.origins.rpi.edu/origin.html and consider how she/he could complement and enhance its portfolio, then include such ideas in the research statement. Applicants must have a PhD (or foreign degree equivalent) in astronomy, astrophysics, physics, planetary science, or related field. The initial appointment is for 1 year beginning as early as July 2012, renewable for up to 2 additional years pending satisfactory review and availability of funding. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has a strong institutional commitment to diversity and is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 [NASA] DUE DATES CHANGED FOR THE PLANETARY PROTECTION RESEARCH PROGRAM Planetary protection involves preventing biological contamination on both outbound and sample return missions to other planetary bodies. Numerous areas of research in astrobiology/exobiology are improving our understanding of the potential for survival of Earth microbes in extraterrestrial environments, relevant to preventing contamination of other bodies by organisms carried on spacecraft. Research is required to improve NASA's understanding of the potential for both forward and backward contamination, how to minimize it, and to set standards in these areas for spacecraft preparation and operating procedures. Improvements in technologies and methods for evaluating the potential for life in returned samples are also of interest. Notices of Intent are now due on June 29, 2012. Proposals are now due September 5, 2012. This change is being made so that the due dates occur on work days. Go to: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ Questions concerning the Planetary Protection Research Program, may be addressed to Cassie Conley cassie.conley@nasa.gov 202-358-3912 12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12 [NASA] INTERESTED IN SERVING ON A REVIEW PANEL? Postdocs and early-career professionals, would you like to get some experience on a review panel? Serving on a review panel is one of the best ways to improve your proposal-writing skills. We are recruiting reviewers for the NESSF (NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship) program. These are graduate student fellowship proposals that cover a wide range of planetary topics. The review panels will be held virtually via Webex (no travel required) in mid to late April. If you are interested in serving on this panel, please send a CV or short description of your expertise to Dr. Sarah Noble sarah.k.noble@nasa.gov 13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13 FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT - LUNGRADCON 2012 Registration is now open for the 3nd Annual Lunar Graduate Conference (LunGradCon 2012) to be held on Saturday and Sunday, July 14-15, 2012 at the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), preceding the NASA Lunar Science Forum. LunGradCon provides an opportunity for grad students and early-career postdocs to present their research on lunar science in a low-stress, friendly environment, being critiqued only by their peers. In addition to oral presentations, the conference presents opportunities for professional development and networking with fellow grad students and postdocs, as well as senior members of the NASA Lunar Science Institute. A limited amount of funding will be provided for travel and lodging costs. For more details, please visit: http://lasp.colorado.edu/ccldas/lgc2012 or email any questions to: lungradcon@gmail.com 14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14 CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE NASA INFRARED TELESCOPE FACILITY (IRTF) Deadline: Monday 02 April 2012 NASA Infrared Telescope Facility Observing Proposals, Due date for the 2012B semester (August 1, 2012 to January 31, 2013) is Monday, April 2, 2012. See our online submission form. Available instruments include: (1) SpeX, a 1-5 micron cross-dispersed medium-resolution spectrograph (up to R=2,500) and imager; (2) CSHELL, a 1-5 micron high-resolution spectrograph (up to R=40,000); (3) NSFCAM2, a 2048x2048 pixel, 1-5 micron camera with a 0.04"/pixel scale (82"x82" field-of-view) and a circular variable filter; (4) MORIS, a 512x512 pixel Andor CCD camera mounted at the side-facing, dichroic-fed window of the SpeX cryostat (60"x60" field-of-view); MORIS can be used simultaneously with SpeX, and (5) PI-instruments including a low-resolution 3-14 micron spectrograph and high-resolution spectrographs for 8-25 microns. Information on available instruments can be found at: http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/Facility 15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15 ULTRAVIOLET ASTRONOMY: HST AND BEYOND This is the second announcement for the upcoming conference: UV Astronomy: HST and Beyond to be held June 18-21 on the island of Kauai. Ultraviolet Astronomy: HST and Beyond will review the current forefront in UV astronomy, and look to the future, identifying the science cases and instrumentation needs for the next generation of instruments, small, medium and large. We have a series of invited review talks on scientific and observational topics, and invite contributions on the latest results in ultraviolet astrophysics, technological developments, and future mission concepts. The deadline for submitting contributions is March 31, 2012. If you planning on attend the meeting, I would like to encourage you to register at: http://uvastro2012.colorado.edu/ The preliminary schedule of invited talks is now available online. See you in Hawaii. Aloha James Green and the Scientific Organizing Committee 16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16 [NASA] OPAG MEETING 29-30 MARCH, ST. LOUIS The NASA Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) will meet 29-30 March at the Renaissance Grand St. Louis Hotel, in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. The room block is still open and will remain so through Monday, March 12. Further Information regarding hotel and other logistics can be found at: http://icpi.nasaprs.com/opag Potential attendees are kindly asked to go to this website, and click on the invitation link and RSVP for attendance (this will assist our meeting planners). This OPAG meeting will be critical for the future of Outer Planet exploration. An updated agenda can be found at: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag Bill McKinnon, OPAG Chair 17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html May 23-25, 2012 NRC Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_067577 Washington, DC June 18-21, 2012 Ultraviolet Astronomy: HST and Beyond http://uvastro2012.colorado.edu/ Kauai, HI July 14-15, 2012 LunGradCon 2012 http://lasp.colorado.edu/ccldas/lgc2012 Moffett Field, CA July 16-20, 2012 Characterizing & Modeling Extrasolar Planetary Atmospheres - Theory & Observation http://www.mpia-hd.mpg.de/exoplanets2012 Heidelberg, Germany November 14-16, 2012 Bridging Communities: Unifying the Canadian Space Sector http://cpsx.uwo.ca/2012-canadian-space-summit London, Canada [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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