PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 8, Number 36 (July 27, 2014) 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. SBAG 11 Meeting - July 29-31 2. GSA Session T229 - The Holey Solar System 3. GSA Session T231 - Ice Throughout the Solar System 4. AGU Session B3387 - Looking for Life: Formation, Preservation and Detection of Biosignatures in Terrestrial Analogue Environments 5. AGU Session P1671 - The Science of Exploration as Enabled by the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids and the Moons of Mars 6. AGU Session P2116 - Mercury: Results from MESSENGER's Low-Altitude Campaign 7. AGU Session P2314 - Planetary Magnetic Fields, Interior Dynamics, and Measurement Techniques 8. AGU Session P3235 - Titan's Enigmatic Atmosphere and Ionosphere 9. AGU Session P3480 - Surface Boundary Exospheres: Comparing the Moon, Mercury, and Much More 10. AGU Session P3609 - Alteration and Secondary Phases on Mars: Indicators of Habitable Environments 11. Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA) Workshop 12. NASA Postdoctoral Fellowships 13 [NASA] Heliophysics Technology and Instrument Development for Science 14. Request for Proposals: Europa CubeSat Concept Study 15. MAVEN Postdoctoral Researcher in Mars Magnetic Fields 16. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions Commercial Announcements C1. Solar System Astrophysics Book 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 SBAG 11 MEETING - JULY 29-31 The 11th Meeting of the NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group will be held July 29-31, 2014, in Washington, DC. The agenda and meeting logistics can be found online on the SBAG website: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/meetings/ The meeting will be open and shared via Webex with the information below. To join the online meeting (Meeting Number: 991 527 982): 1. Go to: https://nasa.webex.com/nasa/j.php?MTID=m6c78ead026d2ef9653135 71f3ef82926 (please note continuation of URL on this line) 2. If requested, enter your name and email address. 3. If a password is required, enter the meeting password: !qazxsw2 4. Click "Join". To join the audio conference only, dial 1-866-844-9416 (Password - ELEVEN SBAG). 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 GSA SESSION T229 - THE HOLEY SOLAR SYSTEM We want to draw your attention to this session at the GSA Annual Meeting on impact cratering. Please consider submitting an abstract! Deadline is July 29, 2014. This session focuses on the nature of impact craters and processes. Terrestrial craters provide ground-truth for the remote sensing interpretation of planetary craters. We solicit contributions regarding shock processes, materials, modeling, geologic structure, impactor evolution, and airburst phenomena are solicited. Comparisons of cratering among different size bodies are encouraged. Data from terrestrial field work, advances in modeling and experimentation, spacecraft data have provided significant new insight into the characteristics of the impact cratering processes. This session will provide an opportunity to share information and insight. To submit an abstract to this session: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2014AM/top/papers/index.cgi?sessionid=35295 General meeting information: http://community.geosociety.org/gsa2014/home/ Christian Koeberl Gordon Osinski Angela Stickle Jeff Plescia 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 GSA SESSION T231 - ICE THROUGHOUT THE SOLAR SYSTEM We call your attention to a special session on Ice Throughout the Solar System, for the Geological Society of America Meeting, to be held Oct. 19 - 22 in Vancouver. The abstract deadline is Tuesday, July 29. For more information, see: http://community.geosociety.org/gsa2014/science/sessions Ice is ubiquitous throughout the solar system: it has been found in unexpected places, may be preserved for billions of years, and can behave like rock at outer solar system temperatures. We propose an interdisciplinary session on the science of ice in any form (not just water ice), on Earth or in any part of the solar system, including laboratory analyses, terrestrial field work, geomorphology, and planetary and telescopic data analysis. Submissions may include, but are not limited to, research into terrestrial permafrost and Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, the Martian permafrost and polar caps, ice within the permanently shadowed regions of Mercury and the Moon, ice in planetary rings and plumes, outer solar system bodies including Europa, Enceladus, Triton, Titan and Pluto, and small bodies including comets and ice-rich asteroids such as Ceres. Conveners: Bob Pappalardo and Louise Prockter 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 AGU SESSION B3387 - LOOKING FOR LIFE: FORMATION, PRESERVATION AND DETECTION OF BIOSIGNATURES IN TERRESTRIAL ANALOGUE ENVIRONMENTS Interpreting in situ enigmatic features (body or trace fossils, isotopic or molecular signatures, chemical disequilibria, or conspicuous mineralization) as indicators of biological activity is a notoriously difficult task. The goal of characterizing biosignatures is not only to identify attributes as uniquely produced by biological processes, but also to recognize these attributes as unambiguous indicators of life. Understanding and recognizing the biogeochemical process that result in biosignatures, both in the lab and in field- based studies of terrestrial analogues of potentially habitable environments beyond Earth, will provide valuable information for future life detection missions. Emphasis will be placed on interdisciplinary studies that advance our understanding of biosignature formation mechanisms and detection methods. Conveners: Alexandra Pontefract (University of Western Ontario) and Haley M. Sapers (University of Western Ontario) 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 AGU SESSION P1671 - THE SCIENCE OF EXPLORATION AS ENABLED BY THE MOON, NEAR EARTH ASTEROIDS AND THE MOONS OF MARS A close collaboration between science, technology and exploration will enable deeper understanding of the Moon and other airless bodies as we move further out of low-Earth orbit. The new Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) will focus on the scientific aspects of exploration as they pertain to the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and the moons of Mars. This session will feature interdisciplinary, exploration-related science centered around all airless bodies targeted as potential human destinations. Areas of study reported here will represent the broad spectrum of lunar, NEA, and Martian moon sciences encompassing investigations of the surface, interior, exosphere, and near-space environments as well as science uniquely enabled from these bodies. Please join the SSERVI planetary and exploration science community by submitting an abstract to this AGU session. Abstract deadline: August 6th, 2014 https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/webprogrampreliminary/ Session1671.html Conveners: Brad Bailey (brad.bailey@nasa.gov) Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute David Morrison (david.morrison@nasa.gov) Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute Yvonne J Pendleton (yvonne.pendleton@nasa.gov) Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute Gregory Schmidt (gregory.k.schmidt@nasa.gov) Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute 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 AGU SESSION P2116 - MERCURY: RESULTS FROM MESSENGER'S LOW-ALTITUDE CAMPAIGN We invite contributions to a special session on Mercury at the 2014 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, CA, December 15–19, 2014. NASA's MESSENGER mission, now nearing the fourth and final year of orbital operations at Mercury, is well into a low-altitude campaign that is returning images and measurements of the planetary surface and near-surface that are unprecedented in their resolution. This session will highlight the latest results from MESSENGER observations and their implications for Mercury's geological evolution, the interaction of the planet's exosphere and magnetosphere with the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field, and the planet's geophysical and geochemical characteristics. We also welcome contributed papers on future mission opportunities, complementary ground-based observations, laboratory measurements, and theoretical developments relevant to planetary processes at Mercury. Invited Speakers: Brian Anderson (JHU/APL) Daniel Baker (CU Boulder) Rosemary Killen (NASA GSFC) Erwan Mazarico (MIT/GSFC) Please consider submitting an abstract for this session. For more information, visit: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/webprogrampreliminary/Session2116.html The submission deadline is August 6, 2014. Conveners: Paul Byrne (Lunar and Planetary Institute) Larry Nittler (Carnegie Institution of Washington) Sean Solomon (Columbia University) We look forward to seeing you in San Francisco. 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 AGU SESSION P2314 - PLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS, INTERIOR DYNAMICS, AND MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES Abstract submission deadline: August 6, 2014 Planetary magnetic fields open a window to a planet's interior and may also play a role in the retention of a planet's atmosphere from the effects of stellar wind, providing an opportunity for life to exist and flourish at the surface of terrestrial planets. This session invites papers regarding theories, numerical simulations, and observations of the nature of magnetic fields in solar system planets or extrasolar planets. Further, the session aims to bring together scientists from different communities for an up-to-date overview of the nature of planetary magnetic fields and interior dynamics in the Solar system planets and exoplanets. Contributions dealing with magnetic field generation and Solar wind interaction with planetary magnetic fields are welcome. Observational methods of interest are low frequency radio, UV, and other remote sensing techniques that may provide evidence for the presence of extrasolar planetary magnetic fields. To submit abstracts to this session, visit: http://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/p/papers/index.cgi?sessionid=2314 Conveners: Walid Majid, (JPL) Daniel Winterhalter (JPL) Leslie Rogers (Caltech) 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 AGU SESSION P3235 - TITAN'S ENIGMATIC ATMOSPHERE AND IONOSPHERE Abstract submission deadline: August 6th The processes that control Titan’s atmosphere and ionosphere remain in many ways enigmatic even after ten years of observations and study from the Cassini mission and the Huygens probe. The instruments onboard Cassini-Huygens have studied in-situ and remotely many aspects of Titan’s atmosphere and coupled ionosphere. In the mesosphere, stratosphere, thermosphere, ionosphere, and exosphere studies of atmospheric composition, structure, and chemistry have recently produced breakthroughs in our understanding of this complex system. In this session, we focus on recent and ongoing studies of Titan’s atmosphere and ionosphere. Papers focusing on atmospheric observations, modeling, and laboratory studies are welcomed. Co-Sponsored by SA and SM Conveners: Joseph H. Westlake, JHUAPL (joseph.westlake@jhuapl.edu) Sarah M. Hörst, Johns Hopkins University 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 AGU SESSION P3480 - SURFACE BOUNDARY EXOSPHERES: COMPARING THE MOON, MERCURY, AND MUCH MORE Surface boundary exospheres are thin collisionless planetary atmospheres in which gas and dust constituents only collide with the surface. This class of atmosphere may be the most common among solar system objects. Mercury, the Moon, several outer planets moons, and Saturn’s rings are known to host such atmospheres, and it is likely that other moons and the larger asteroids do also, including trojans and centaurs. These bodies should also host tenuous shrouds of dust, whether from actively vented plume materials or ejecta from ongoing micrometeoroid bombardment of the surfaces and ring systems of such bodies. The purpose of this session is to report results from recent missions, including MESSENGER at Mercury, LADEE and LRO at the Moon, Cassini at Saturn/Enceladus, Hubble and Galileo at Europa and Io, and Earth-based occultations of Chariklo. Comparison of observations with modeling results of source, transport and loss processes are very welcome. Abstract submission, due 6 Aug 2014, can be found here: http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2014/scientific-program/ Conveners: R. Elphic (richard.c.elphic@nasa.gov) K. Retherford (KRetherford@swri.edu) M. Benna (mehdi.benna-1@nasa.gov) J. Keller (john.w.keller@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 AGU SESSION P3609 - ALTERATION AND SECONDARY PHASES ON MARS: INDICATORS OF HABITABLE ENVIRONMENTS This session will focus on understanding the range of habitable environments available on Mars in both the past and present using the geochemical record. It has long been appreciated that many martian surface materials have interacted with or formed in water; the nature of these materials can elucidate the aqueous conditions under which they formed. New datasets from surface and orbital missions have expanded the range of known habitable environments on Mars by revealing novel alteration pathways and secondary mineral phases in a variety of forms (including clays, cements, and coatings). Studies integrating in situ, remote sensing, laboratory, and terrestrial analog datasets are encouraged. Conveners: Nina Lanza, Los Alamos National Laboratory Craig J. Hardgrove, Arizona State University 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 ASTEROID IMPACT DEFLECTION ASSESSMENT (AIDA) WORKSHOP The first International Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA) Workshop will be held 15-17 October 2014 in Laurel, Maryland. AIDA is a technology demonstration of the kinetic impactor concept. It is composed of the DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) and AIM (Asteroid Impact Mission) spacecrafts, each under consideration by NASA and ESA.The combination of both spacecrafts is referred to as AIDA. Abstracts are solicited for participants to the workshop. Topics include studies relevant to the two concepts (DART projectile and AIM rendezvous spacecraft), knowledge of the Didymos binary system (the target of the AIDA demonstration), and on binary origins, dynamics and properties (e.g. regolith and surface characteristics, internal structure), impact observing strategies, additional science opportunities during an impact demonstration and associated payloads, impact modeling and momentum transfer of an artificial projectile, ejecta dynamics, etc. Abstracts are due 1 September 2014. Please visit: http://www.oca.eu/michel/AIDAWorkshop2014/ for further details, including abstract format. 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 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/1iUrK4I For further information and to apply, visit: http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm Questions: nasapostdoc@orau.org 13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13 [NASA] HELIOPHYSICS TECHNOLOGY AND INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT FOR SCIENCE The Heliophysics Technology and Instrument Development for Science (H-TIDeS) program seeks to investigate key Heliophysics science questions by addressing the best possible: (i) science and/or technology investigations that can be carried out with instruments flown on suborbital sounding rockets, stratospheric balloons, CubeSats, commercial reusable suborbital launch vehicles, or other platforms; (ii) state-of-the-art instrument technology development for instruments that may be proposed as candidate experiments for future space flight opportunities; and (iii) laboratory research. CubeSat proposals must be responsive to the Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) opportunity. PI's of Step-2 proposals must have previously submitted a Step-1 proposal. This amendment delays the Step-2 due date for Heliophysics Technology and Instrument Development for Science (H-TIDeS) to September 5, 2014, because of the change in program management for the program. The NASA Research Announcement NNH14ZDA001N is posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ and will appear on the RSS feed at: http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/ roses-2014 Questions concerning H-TIDeS (ROSES-2014 Appendix B.3) and this amendment may be directed to: Therese Kucera therese.a.kucera@nasa.gov 14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: EUROPA CUBESAT CONCEPT STUDY SCIENCE JPL invites proposals with the intent to provide a study to address a mission concept for a small CubeSat spacecraft up to 3U in size that would be carried aboard the potential Europa Clipper spacecraft, released in the Jovian system and would make measurements at Europa. This request is open to U.S. Higher Educational Institutions. It is anticipated that up to 10 proposals will be selected, each not to exceed $25K. The performance period is approximately 8 months. The proposal due date is Aug. 18, 2014, 3:00 p.m. PDT. This effort may lead to additional tasks in the future, however, there is no commitment at this time to fly CubeSats on the potential Europa Clipper mission. Any communication in reference to this RFP should be via email to the attention of Patrick Thompson (Patrick.M.Thompson@jpl.nasa.gov). Complete information is available at: https://acquisition.jpl.nasa.gov/RFP/SS-06-30-14 15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15 MAVEN POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN MARS MAGNETIC FIELDS NASA-GSFC/CRESST/University of Maryland Applications are now being accepted for a Postdoctoral Research Associate, funded through the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) and the Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology (CRESST), to work in the Planetary Magnetospheres Laboratory of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) investigating Mars magnetic fields using data from the MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission. Additional details are available at: http://www.astro.umd.edu/employment/ The appointment will be initially for one year, with the possibility of renewal in subsequent years. Candidates should have a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline with experience conducting scientific research related to the MAVEN science objectives or the types of instruments included in the MAVEN science payload. Disciplined IDL and Fortran programming skills, demonstrated scientific writing ability, and experience in acquisition and analysis of data (especially magnetometer data) from space flight instruments are highly desirable. The University of Maryland is an equal opportunity employer. All applications received by September 1, 2014 will receive full consideration. 16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS September 20-21, 2014 SpaceUp Toulouse http://www.spaceup.fr Toulouse, France October 15-17, 2014 First International Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA) Workshop http://www.oca.eu/michel/AIDAWorkshop2014/ Laurel, MD October 23-24, 2014 Premier Atelier http://plato-france1.sciencesconf.org/resource/page/id/1 Marseille, France [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.] *********************************************************************** COMMERCIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS *********************************************************************** C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1 SOLAR SYSTEM ASTROPHYSICS BOOK For those teaching planetary science courses, the fully updated 2nd edition of the upper lever undergraduate 2-volume textbook, Solar System Astrophysics (2014) by E. F. Milone and W. J. F. Wilson is now available from Springer. Links to either volume may be found at: http://people.ucalgary.ca/~milone/pubs.html Background is provided for all sub-disciplines and derivations are extensive and complete. E. F. Milone *********************************************************************** * 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. Title plus text is limited to 200 words. Go to * http://planetarynews.org/submission.html for complete submission * directions. * * PEN is a service provided by the Planetary Science Institute * (http://www.psi.edu) using no NASA funds. All editorial work is * volunteer. ***********************************************************************