PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 8, Number 6 (February 2, 2014) 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. [NASA] Request for Information (RFI) for MaterialsLAB Workshop: New Workshop Dates 2. [NASA] Mars Critical Data Products Program (Round IX) - Initial Landing Site Characterization for the Mars 2020 Rover Mission 3. NASA Postdoctoral Fellowships 4. [NASA] Cancellation of the Lunar Advanced Science and Exploration Call 5. AOGS Special Session PS04: C/ISON and Other Comets of 2013 6. AOGS Special Session PS05: Polarimetry of Solar System, Exoplanets, Brown Dwarfs and Disks 7. NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute's Exploration Science Forum 8. Call for Abstracts for the International Workshop on Instrumentation for Planetary Missions 9. Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter: February 2014 10. 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] REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) FOR MATERIALSLAB WORKSHOP: NEW WORKSHOP DATES NASA has rescheduled the MaterialsLAB Workshop from the original January dates to April 15-16, 2014. The workshop is being held to advise NASA on future research directions for the microgravity materials science program. The two-day event will bring together scientists and engineers from academia, industry, and other government agencies to assist NASA in identifying key engineering drivers and research priorities for the next generation of materials science experiments to be developed for the International Space Station. The full RFI and submission instructions can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/mrhxt9g Topical areas for the workshop break-out sessions include: Metals, Semiconductors, Polymers, Biomaterials, Nanomaterials, Glasses, Granular Materials, Ceramics, Organics, and Composites. You can register for the workshop at: http://icpi.nasaprs.com/NASAmaterialsLABWorkshop2014 NASA Primary Point of Contact (POC): Patton Downey Technical Manager of Microgravity Materials Marshall Space Flight Center patton.downey@nasa.gov 256.544.6432 [Edited for length] 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] MARS CRITICAL DATA PRODUCTS PROGRAM (ROUND IX) - INITIAL LANDING SITE CHARACTERIZATION FOR THE MARS 2020 ROVER MISSION The Mars Exploration Program has issued, in January 2014, a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Round IX of the Mars Critical Data Products program. This RFP provides support for initial landing site surface, atmosphere, and gravity characterization for the Mars 2020 rover mission. The intent is to convert mission data and numerical simulations into products focused on specific landing site targets (to be provided by the program) that will be useful for reducing the risk to the Mars 2020 rover mission. Proposals are due on Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Details of the RFPs are posted at: https://acquisition.jpl.nasa.gov/rfp/WH-2691-120313.htm or https://acquisition.jpl.nasa.gov/bizops/ 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) 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/18696 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/18GSlHK For further information and to apply, visit: http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm Questions: 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] CANCELLATION OF THE LUNAR ADVANCED SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION CALL The Lunar Advanced Science and Exploration Research (LASER) program funds basic and applied lunar science. The objective of the LASER program was to conduct a suite of lunar science investigations spanning the continuum from basic science to applied exploration science. Proposals having significant components of both basic and applied lunar science that further our understanding of the Moon and how to conduct science there are sought and highly encouraged. When ROSES 2013 was released a year ago it included the LASER call with had a due date in spring 2014. Since the Planetary Science Division has reorganized its research program this call is redundant with new calls that will be released this year. See: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/PSD-RandA/ Proposers to LASER should look for ROSES 2014 Appendix C.8, the Lunar Data Analysis Program (LDAP) program, as well as ROSES 2014 Appendices C.2, Emerging Worlds; C.3, The Solar System Workings program; and C.7, Planetary Data Archiving, Restoration, and Tools. Questions may be directed to: Robert Fogel 202-358-2289 rfogel@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 AOGS SPECIAL SESSION PS04: C/ISON AND OTHER COMETS OF 2013 The year 2013 saw many interesting comets, from C/PanSTARRS, C/Lemmon, 2P/Encke to the globally observed sungrazer, C/ISON, and discovery of C/Lovejoy. With the ROSETTA mission on its way to its target 67P/CG, the field of cometary sciences is providing a rich field for observers, modellers, and experimentalists to expand the field. We invite invited and contributed presentations that address any aspect of these comets of 2013 and other cometary studies. We anticipate a half-day to a full day session. Abstract Deadline: 11 February 2014 http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2014/public.asp?page=abstract.htm Conveners: Padma A Yanamandra-Fisher (Space Science Institute, USA) padmayf@gmail.com Takafumi Oortsubo (Tohulu University, Japan) ootsubo@astr.tohuku.ac.jp Jessica Aggarwal (Max Planck Institute, Germany) je.aggarwal@gmail.com Claudia Alexander (CIT/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USA) claudia.alexander@jpl.nasa.gov Ludmilla Kolokolova (University of Maryland, USA) ludmilla@astro.umd.edu Junichi Watanabe (National Astronomical Obs. of Japan, Japan) jun.watanabe@nao.ac.jp A.-Chantal Levasseur-Regourd (PMC Univ. Paris 6/CNRS-IPSL, France) anny-chantal.levasseur@aerov.jussieu.fr 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 AOGS SPECIAL SESSION PS05: POLARIMETRY OF SOLAR SYSTEM, EXOPLANETS, BROWN DWARFS AND DISKS Polarimetry is currently enjoying a rejuvenation in various astronomical applications. As a complementary technique to imaging and spectroscopy, polarization allows the investigation of scattering properties of variety of media ranging from planetary atmospheres, comets, small bodies (planetary satellites, asteroids, Kuiper Belt objects, etc.) to detection and characterization of exoplanets, brown dwarfs, star and planet forming regions; characterization of magnetic fields and search for optically active molecules in a search for habitability elsewhere than our earth. We invite contributions from observers, modellers, laboratory measurements, instrument designers and missions. We anticipate half to one day of presentations including oral and poster contributions. Abstract Deadline: 11 February 2014 http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2014/public.asp?page=abstract.htm Conveners: Motohide Tamura (The University of Tokyo/NAOJ, Japan) motohide.tamura@nao.ac.jp Padma A Yanamandra-Fisher (Space Science Institute, USA) padmayf@gmail.com Koji Kawabata (Hiroshima University, Japan) kawabtkj@hiroshima-u.ac.jp Junichi Watanabe (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Japan) jun.watanabe@nao.ac.jp Frans Snik (Leiden University, Netherlands) snik@strw.leidenuniv.nl Ludmilla Kolokolova (University of Maryland, USA) ludmilla@astro.umd.edu Sujan Sengupta (Indian Institute of Astrophysics, India) sujan@iiap.res.in Jun Takahashi (University of Hyogo, Japan) takahashi@nhao.jp A.-Chantal Levasseur-Regourd (PMC Univ. Paris 6 / CNRS-IPSL, France) anny-chantal.levasseur@aerov.jussieu.fr 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 SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION RESEARCH VIRTUAL INSTITUTE'S EXPLORATION SCIENCE FORUM First Announcement The Solar System Exploration Research Institute (SSERVI) is pleased to announce the 1st annual NASA Exploration Science Forum (ESF), to be held in person July 21-23, 2014 at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. This year's forum will feature scientific discussions of exploration targets of interest (the Moon, near-Earth asteroids, and the moons of Mars). Science sessions will focus on recent mission results and in-depth analyses of science and exploration studies. Dedicated side-conferences for graduate students and young professionals (a graduate student conference and Next Generation Lunar Scientists and Engineers, NGLSE) will coincide with the ESF. Public engagement discussions will be interwoven among science topics as well. Additionally, a 1.5-day meeting discussing science and exploration in the Global Exploration Roadmap (GER) will immediately follow the ESF, where the scientific community is welcome to attend. Abstracts will be accepted February 18 through midnight PDT April 26, 2014 at: http://sservi.nasa.gov/NESF2014/ The next announcement (February 2014) will discuss Exploration Science Forum logistics and details on the GER meeting. We look forward to another exciting meeting focusing on the intersection of science and exploration! 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 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON INSTRUMENTATION FOR PLANETARY MISSIONS NASA/GSFC will host the International Workshop on Instrumentation for Planetary Missions November 4-7, 2014, Greenbelt, Maryland (Washington DC, USA). The objective of the Workshop is to have a broad canvas of instrumentation and technology available to upcoming 'Decadal Survey' missions and those further out. It is also meant to be a forum of collaboration, exchange and discussions where science questions, and the technology needed to address them, are discussed. Workshop details and abstract submission instructions can be found here: http://ssed.gsfc.nasa.gov/IPM/ 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 MARS EXPLORATION SCIENCE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER: FEBRUARY 2014 On behalf of Lisa Pratt (MEPAG Chair), Dave Beaty, Rich Zurek, and Amy Hale of the Mars Program Science Office, the latest newsletter can be found on the web at: http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS July 9-11, 2014 http://akari.open.ac.uk/ The Universe in the Light of Akari and Synergy with Future Large Space Telescopes Oxford, United Kingdom July 21-23, 2014 NASA Exploration Science Forum (ESF) http://sservi.nasa.gov/NESF2014/ 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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