PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 7, Number 10 (March 10, 2013) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Melissa Lane Co-Editors: Susan Benecchi, Mark V. Sykes Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. [NASA] Impact of Sequestration Letter 2. Workshop on the Evolution and Constitution of Mercury's Interior 3. First Announcement - LUNGRADCON 2013 4. [PDS] MSL Analyst's Notebook Release 1 5. Postdoc at Boston University - Venus and Mars Ionospheres 6. NASA Postdoctoral Fellowships 7. NASA Planetary Science Summer School Applications 8. Updating Venus Exploration Goals, Objectives, and Investigations 9. LPSC 2013 Town Hall: Planetary Mapping and Cartography, What, When, How? 10. Reminder: Call for Chapters for Asteroids IV 11. Humans to Mars Summit (H2M) 12. [PDS] MESSENGER Data Release 9 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] IMPACT OF SEQUESTRATION LETTER NASA has issued a communication to all current NASA contractors, grantees and agreement participants concerning the potential impact of sequestration. Letter may be found at: http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/nais/NASA_CAO_Ltr_to_Ctrs.pdf Should you have questions specific to your contract, grant or agreement, please contact your designated contracting, grants or agreements officer directly. William P McNally Assistant Administrator for Procurement 202-358-2090; william.p.mcnally@nasa.gov 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 WORKSHOP ON THE EVOLUTION AND CONSTITUTION OF MERCURY'S INTERIOR The workshop Evolution and Constitution of Mercury's Interior will be held April 22-24, 2013 at the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago, IL. This international meeting will explore recent results from NASA's MESSENGER mission as well as implications for the forthcoming ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission. This discussion-oriented workshop is organized around three thematic issues regarding Mercury's interior: Origin, structure, and bulk composition of Mercury Evolution of Mercury's crust and mantle Core evolution and magnetic field generation at Mercury Registration, presentation submissions, and additional information are available at: http://bit.ly/mercuryinterior Registration deadline: March 15, 2013. 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 FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT – LUNGRADCON 2013 Registration is now open for the 4th Annual Lunar Graduate Conference (LunGradCon 2013) to be held prior to the NASA Lunar Science Forum on July 13 and 14 at NASA Ames Research Center. LunGradCon provides an opportunity for grad students and early-career postdocs to present their research 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 (NLSI). In keeping with the future direction of the NLSI, we encourage participation from all students and postdocs investigating the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids, Phobos and Deimos, and the near space environments of these target bodies. A limited amount of funding will be provided for travel and lodging costs. For more details, please visit: http://lasp.colorado.edu/ccldas/lgc2013 or email any questions to: lungradcon@gmail.com Abstract submission is open until Saturday, June 15th, 2013. 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 [PDS] MSL ANALYST'S NOTEBOOK RELEASE 1 The NASA Planetary Data System announces the first release of the Analyst's Notebook for Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). The Analyst's Notebook combines sequence information, engineering and science data, and documentation for virtual mission replay. The MSL Analyst's Notebook is available through the Geosciences Node: http://an.rsl.wustl.edu/msl 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 POSTDOC AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY - VENUS AND MARS IONOSPHERES The Center for Space Physics at Boston University invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher position supervised by Professor Paul Withers. The research will involve the analysis of observations from the ionospheres of Venus and Mars, supplemented by numerical simulations. Candidates should possess a PhD degree in a relevant field. Experience conducting research on planetary ionospheres is desirable. The salary offered will be competitive and commensurate with experience. Funding is available for two years with the possibility of extension. The appointment is expected to begin as soon as possible after 1 June 2013. Please contact Paul Withers (withers@bu.edu) for further information. Applications should be sent by email to Paul Withers (withers@bu.edu). The application should be submitted in PDF format and contain a curriculum vitae, statement of research interests, and contact information for three referees. Review of applications will begin on 30 April 2013. Women and underrepresented minorities are particularly encouraged to apply. Boston University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. 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 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 $53,500 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 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 PLANETARY SCIENCE SUMMER SCHOOL APPLICATIONS NASA is accepting applications from science and engineering post-docs, recent PhDs, and doctoral students for its 25th Annual Planetary Science Summer School, which will hold two separate sessions this summer (July 29-August 2 and August 12-16) 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 April 5, 2013. Partial financial support is available for a limited number of individuals. Further information is available at: http://pscischool.jpl.nasa.gov 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 UPDATING VENUS EXPLORATION GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND INVESTIGATIONS A primary goal of the Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG) in 2013 is to update the Venus Exploration Goals and Objectives Document. A new draft of the central table for this document is posted on the VEXAG web site at: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag/goalsObjectives/ There are two mechanisms for providing feedback on these updated Goals, Objectives, and Investigations. The first will be via community feedback at the Venus Town Hall meeting at LPSC, Wednesday, 20 March, from 12:00 to 13:15 in the Waterways 6-8 Ballrooms. The second mechanism for providing feedback will be via the VEXAG web site (link above). Your comments in the form of text (word or pdf) are welcome. The key questions to address are: 1. Are there any major objectives for future exploration that need to be added (or subtracted)? 2. Are any measurements and/or measurement techniques that are both valuable and currently feasible that are not in the table? If so, what change would you make to the table to include that item? 3. What, if any, changes would you suggest regarding the proposed priorities of the objectives and investigations (be specific, and provide justification)? Sincerely, Lori S. Glaze VEXAG Chair 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 LPSC 2013 TOWN HALL: PLANETARY MAPPING AND CARTOGRAPHY, WHAT, WHEN, HOW? Wednesday, March 20, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., Waterway Ballrooms 1–3 Planetary mapping is foundational to planetary science and exploration. This town hall discussion will highlight the need to use planetary data and turn them into useful, registered cartographic products, at known levels of accuracy to support the best-possible science and exploration. Talks include an introduction to planetary mapping, a report on Mars Science Laboratory landing site mapping, and a summary on the status and needs for small body mapping. If you use planetary data, this meeting is for you! For more information, see: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2013/events/highlighted/ 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 REMINDER: CALL FOR CHAPTERS FOR ASTEROIDS IV Deadline: March 31, 2013 Dear Colleagues, This message is a solicitation for ideas for chapter topics and a solicitation for volunteers for chapter authors for the book Asteroids IV. If you would like to recommend chapters for the book, or would like to volunteer to write a particular chapter as a first author, we would like to know no later than March 31st, 2013. The Asteroids IV web site includes the call for chapters and instructions that can be seen and downloaded: http://www.oca.eu/michel/ASTEROIDSIV/ The SOC will then make the final choice of chapters, based on the received ideas and its own conclusions. Your participation would be an extremely valuable service to the asteroid and planetary science community. It is our intention to make Asteroids IV as useful as Asteroids (1979), Asteroids II (1989), and Asteroids III (2002) such that it becomes the science community's primary reference manual for at least the next decade, and we hope you will volunteer to participate in this challenge. On behalf of the co-Editors and SOC, Best regards, Patrick Michel Editor, Asteroids IV 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 HUMANS TO MARS SUMMIT (H2M) Register today for the Humans to Mars Summit (H2M). You will not want to miss this event. See the amazing agenda at: http://h2m.exploremars.org/agenda Presented by Explore Mars, Inc. in partnership with the Space Policy Institute, H2M is taking place on May 6-8, 2013 at the Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Speakers include Charles Bolden, John Grunsfeld, James Garvin, William Gerstenmaier, Dennis Tito, Rebecca Keiser, Taber MacCallum, Bruce Jakosky, Paul Hahaffy, Penelope Boston, Steve Squyres, Vint Cerf, Michael Gazarik, Pascale Ehrenfreund, Adam Steltzner, Jennifer Heldmann, David Beaty, Bret Drake, Saralyn Mark, and many, many more. Register at: http://h2m.exploremars.org/register If you have any questions, feel free to contact Chris Carberry at carberry@exploremars.org. 12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12 [PDS] MESSENGER DATA RELEASE 9 The Planetary Data System is pleased to announce Release 9 of data collected by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission. MESSENGER entered orbit about Mercury on 18 March 2011, the first spacecraft ever to do so. The primary orbital phase lasted one Earth-year, and the spacecraft will complete an extended year of orbital operations on 17 March 2013. This release includes advanced products for the first time, created using data through 25 March 2012, encompassing the first two full Mercury solar days of orbital operations. This release extends the formatted raw and calibrated data available at the PDS for all seven MESSENGER science instruments and the radio science investigation from 25 March 2012 to 17 September 2012. SPICE data from launch through the end of this release are also included. With this release, data are now available for the third 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-20130308.html The ACT-REACT QuickMap interactive Web interface to MESSENGER data: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu http://www.nasa.gov/messenger The MDIS mosaics can be downloaded from: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/the_mission/mosaics.html 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 Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html May 6-8. 2013 Humans to Mars Summit (H2H) http://h2m.exploremars.org/agenda Washington, DC June 25-July 2, 2013 Summer Course "Molecules in Space" Application deadline: April 2, 2013 http://www.nordicastrobiology.net/Onsala2013 Onsala, Sweden July 13-14, 2013 4th Annual Lunar Graduate Conference (LunGradCon 2013) http://lasp.colorado.edu/ccldas/lgc2013 Moffett Field, CA [Editor Note: If there is a planetary-related meeting, conference or workshop of which you think 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.php, 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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