LOCATIONNETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 7, Number 42 (September 29, 2013) 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. In Memoriam: Gary Bruce Hansen (1953-2013) 2. Planetary Geomorphology Image of the Month 3. [NASA] Proposal Writing Practicum at DPS 4. [NASA] Astrobiology Institute - Cycle 7 Cooperative Agreement Notice Released 5. [NASA] Mars 2020 Announcement of Opportunity 6. NASA Postdoctoral Fellowships 7. [NASA] VEXAG Meeting #11 Impending Deadlines 8. [NASA] VEXAG Meeting #11 Preview - Request for Community Comments on Updated Venus Exploration Goals, Objectives, Investigations 9. 45th Meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences 10. Agency Night at DPS 11. Panel Discussions on EPO at DPS 12. Pro-Am Workshop at DPS 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 IN MEMORIAM: GARY BRUCE HANSEN (1953-2013) Gary Hansen died peacefully at home Thursday night from ALS. Gary had been suffering from the disease for several years as he continued to work and attend conferences. Gary received a BSc in Engineering and Applied Science from the California Institute of Technology in 1975, an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1986, and a Ph.D. in Geophysics from the University of Washington in 1996, under the tutelage of Steve Warren, determining the optical constants of carbon dioxide ice from the near through far infrared. His specialty became radiative transfer, especially in multi-scattering media, such as CO2 and H2O ices. He worked with both the Galileo NIMS and Cassini VIMS teams with Tom McCord, contributing greatly to the calibration and analyses of the data sets from those instruments. He lived in Seattle, Washington where he was a research scientist with the University of Washington and is survived by a brother and his father. We will miss him; Gary was both a good scientist and a caring person. Composed by K. Hibbitts with contributions by Tom McCord. 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 GEOMORPHOLOGY IMAGE OF THE MONTH The Planetary Geomorphology Image of the Month has moved to: http://planetarygeomorphology.wordpress.com/ This new location allows you contribute direct feedback and comments on posts. You can also choose to follow the blog and receive an email alert when new posts are published. The September 'Image of the Month' is now available at the IAG's Planetary Geomorphology web page. This Month's topic is on "Open (hydrostatic) pingos on Earth and possibly Mars". Guest Post by Drs. Richard Soare, Susan Conway and Peter Grindrod. Mary Bourke IAG Working Group on Planetary Geomorphology 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] PROPOSAL WRITING PRACTICUM AT DPS The Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters will be offering a proposal writing workshop at the 45th Annual Meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences in Denver, CO. This Proposal Writing Practicum is based on the cumulative experience of current and former Discipline Scientists who have managed a variety of Research and Announcement (R&A) programs at NASA Headquarters. The specific focus of this intense, educational session is to provide a greater understanding of NASA's research programs and review process and offer constructive insight into writing an effective research proposal. The event is open to all at no charge. All interested planetary scientists, from graduate students through emeritus professors, are encouraged to attend. To register, send an e-mail with your name, affiliation, and current position to curt.niebur@nasa.gov. The workshop will be held on Sunday, Oct. 6, from 1-5 pm in the Governor's Square 17 room at the Sheraton Denver Downtown (the host venue for the DPS conference). Event Type: Workshop Organizer: Curt Niebur Location: Governor's Square 17 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] ASTROBIOLOGY INSTITUTE - CYCLE 7 COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT NOTICE RELEASED Preproposal Conference: September 30, 2013 Step-1 Proposal Due Date: November 4, 2013 Step-2 Proposals Due Date: January 31, 2014 The full text of the CAN can be found at: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/can7/ and by going to: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ Choose 'Solicitations', then 'Open Solicitations', and search for 'NNH13ZDA017C' or 'NASA Astrobiology Institute'. The goal of CAN Cycle 7 is to maintain a multidisciplinary institute by selecting focused, interdisciplinary teams that complement without replicating the strengths of the continuing teams. The teams selected in Cycle 7 will replace the teams selected in Cycle 5, whose five-year Cooperative Agreements are expiring. A preproposal conference will be held on September 30, 2013, at 11:00 AM PDT (2:00 PM EDT) to provide interested parties with the opportunity to better understand the intent, scope, and selection criteria of this CAN. Information about the preproposal conference will be posted at: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/can7/ Programmatic questions regarding this solicitation should be submitted no later than 10 days prior to the proposal due date to: Mary Voytek (202) 358-1577 CAN7@nasa.gov [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] MARS 2020 ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY Preproposal Conference: October 8, 2013 Notice of Intent Due Date: October 15, 2013 Proposal Due Date: December 23, 2013 The full text of the AO and any appendices are available at: http://solicitation.nasaprs.com/Mars2020 Links to the AO and additional information are located at the Mars 2020 Acquisition Website: http://soma.larc.nasa.gov/mars2020 Investigations comprised of individual instruments or multiple instruments (suites) may respond to the overall Mars 2020 objectives to explore and quantitatively assess Mars as a potential habitat for life, to search for signs of past life, to collect carefully selected samples for possible future return to Earth, and to prepare for future human exploration of Mars. This AO solicits flight investigations for which each PI is responsible for a complete space flight investigation, including instrument hardware, mission operations, and data analysis. The total allocated cost for all the SMD-funded investigations selected is ~$100M for Phases A-D. Additional funding of ~$60M is allocated for Phase E. Additionally, exploration technology investigations, jointly funded by the HEOMD and STMD may be selected at a total cost of ~$30M, including Phase E costs. Point of Contact: Mitchell D. Schulte 202-358-2127 202-358-3097 mars2020-ao@lists.nasa.gov [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 NASA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) provides opportunities for scientists and engineers to conduct research largely of their own choosing, yet compatible with the research opportunities posted on the NPP Web site. Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP Fellows complete one- to three-year Fellowship appointments that advance NASA's missions in earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics, space bioscience, aeronautics and engineering, human exploration and space operations, and astrobiology. An example of one of the research opportunities in planetary science is: https://www3.orau.gov/NPDoc/Catalog/17903 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. The latest NPP Newsletter: http://bit.ly/14cNpfH For further information and to apply, visit: http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm Questions: 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] VEXAG MEETING #11 IMPENDING DEADLINES As a reminder, VEXAG Meeting #11 will be held in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, Washington DC with 2 full day sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday, November 19-20, 2013 and a half-day session Thursday, November 21, 2013. Tuesday, November 19th will be a full-day Venus Technology Forum. Registration and Logistics are now available via a link the VEXAG Web-Site: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag/ A block of sleeping rooms is currently on hold for VEXAG Meeting participants at the Residence Inn Marriott, located at 333 E Street, SW Washington, DC 20024. Monday, September 30, 2013 is the deadline for reservations. Applications for Student Travel Grants should be submitted via a second link on the VEXAG Web-Site http://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag/. Deadline for submission is postponed a week to Monday, October 7, 2013. Selections will be announced in mid-October. Objectives for this meeting are to conduct a community review of new and updated VEXAG documents: - Venus Exploration Goals, Objectives and Investigations (update) - Venus Exploration Road-Map (new) - Technologies for Venus (new) In addition, there will be status reports on a number of ongoing Venus related activities. 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 VEXAG MEETING #11 PREVIEW - REQUEST FOR COMMUNITY COMMENTS ON UPDATED VENUS EXPLORATION GOALS, OBJECTIVES, INVESTIGATIONS As a follow-up to last November's VEXAG Meeting recommendations, an update to VEXAG's Venus Exploration Goals, Objectives, and Investigations has been drafted. The primary difference between this draft and the prior version is a restructuring of the overall Goals. The prioritized objectives and investigations retain their strong link to priorities identified in the Decadal Survey. An accompanying document providing additional detail for each investigation is currently being drafted and will be available for comment during the November 2013 VEXAG meeting. The new draft table of updated VEXAG's Venus Exploration Goals, Objectives, and Investigations has been posted on the VEXAG website along with a form for submitting comments. Community comments (with a deadline of November 1, 2013) are being solicited at the VEXAG Web-Site Home Page: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag/ or VEXAG's Web-Site for Community Comments on the updated VEXAG's Venus Exploration Goals, Objectives Table: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag/investigations_comments/ 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 45TH MEETING OF THE DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES Denver, CO 6-11 October 2013 A fantastic program of planetary science! http://aas.org/meetings/45th-meeting-division-planetary-sciences From the LOC: Colorado is getting back to it's usually dry and sunny weather. Come enjoy the science and the scenery! You can still register for the meeting and you can also register at the meeting. Due to the difficult situation some NASA colleagues are facing this year, we will not reinforce the prior registration policy. Note then that you will be able to also register on site. Volunteers that sign up to work a minimum of 16 hours receive complimentary meeting registration. If interested, please contact Kathy Cox at kathy.cox@aas.org or 202-328-2010 x117. 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 AGENCY NIGHT AT DPS: Tuesday 7:30pm-9:00pm The following people are anticipated to attend: - John Grunsfeld, NASA HQ, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate - Jim Green, NASA HQ, Director of Planetary Science - Maria Womack, NSF, Program Director of Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Grants - Yvonne Pendleton, NASA ARC, Director of Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 PANEL DISCUSSION ON EPO AT DPS: You're invited to attend a lunchtime panel discussion on "The Future of Education & Public Outreach" to be held during the Denver DPS meeting. Massive changes to E/PO have been proposed that impact the way that our work as planetary scientists makes its way to the classrooms and to the general public. The panel discussion will include a review of those plans, their current status, and a discussion on what lies ahead. Panelists include Jim Green, NASA/SMD; Heidi Hammel, incoming DPS chair; Maria Womack, NSF, and other members of the E/PO community to be confirmed. The event will take place on Wednesday, 9 October from 12:30-1:30 in the Governors Square 15 meeting room in the Sheraton. The event will be recorded and made available online after the event for those unable to attend in person. Nick Schneider DPS Education & Public Outreach Officer nick.schneider@lasp.colorado.edu 12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12 PRO-AM WORKSHOP AT DPS: Thurs. Oct. 10th at 6:00pm. DPS is experimenting with a professional-amateur workshop where professionals present what opportunities are out there for collaborations with NASA missions and amateurs show samples of their observations. Examples: observing Pluto during New Horizons flyby, observing Jupiter's clouds while Juno flies over the poles, taking images of comet ISON to find time-variability, light-curves of asteroids, follow-up on NEOs, searches for Moon impacts (perhaps related to LADEE), Mars observations during MAVEN, etc, etc, etc). Participants wishing to present (5 mns, 5 slides) send title & description (<200 words) to frbagenal@gmail.com. Organizer: Fran Bagenal, University of Colorado. 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 February 3-6 2014 Exoplanet Observations with the E-ELT http://www.eso.org/exoelt2014/ Garching, Germany March 20-22, 2014 Meeting of the Astronomical Society of India 2014 http://www.asi2014.in/ Mohali, India [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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