PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 9, Number 11 (March 15, 2015) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Susan Benecchi Co-Editors: Mark V. Sykes, Melissa Lane Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. Postdoctoral Researcher: Mineralogy & Petrology of Planetary Materials 2. Informal Position Announcement 3. Comparative Climates of Terrestrial Planets II: Understanding How Climate Systems Work Conference (CCTP2) 4. 6th Planetary Crater Consortium Meeting 5. NASA Postdoctoral Fellowships 6. 2015 NASA Planetary Science Summer School Applications Open 7. Announcing the Annual Susan Niebur Women in Planetary Science Networking Event at LPSC 8. The Future of Planetary Radio Astronomy with Single-Dish Telescopes 9. Reminder - 2nd Planetary Data Users Workshop 10. Astrobiology Early Career Opportunities: Upcoming Deadlines 11. [NASA] PDS: Mars Exploration Rovers Data Release 43 12. The 2016 NASA Budget: The Planetary Community's Response & Next Steps 13. [NASA] Additional Requirement & Information for Geological Mapping in ROSES-15 14. [NASA] PDS: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter DATA 15. Director, NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) 16. 5th International Workshop on Lunar Surface Applications: Dates 17. [NASA] ROSES-15 ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) Mission Science Definition Team 18. [NASA] ROSES-14 Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) 19. [NASA] ROSES-15 Additional Requirement and Information for Planetary Science Research Program Overview 20. 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 POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER: MINERALOGY & PETROLOGY OF PLANETARY MATERIALS The Universities Space Research Association's Lunar and Planetary Institute, invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in the mineralogy and petrology of planetary materials. The successful candidate will work with Dr. Allan Treiman in NASA- funded efforts, emphasizing planetary crusts and magmas, and their volatile constituents and on the CheMin science team of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. The candidate will participate in analysis and interpretation of CheMin X-ray diffraction data of Mars surface materials; and may also participate in operations planning for the CheMin instrument. Applicants should have a recent Ph.D. in petrology or geochemistry; experience with planetary materials is helpful, but not required. The position would be for two years, with possible extension to a third year. The candidate must be a U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident, and be able to pass a detailed government background investigation. Applicants should send a letter of interest, a curriculum vita with a list of publications, a brief (maximum three pages) statement of research interests, and a list of three references to the posting at: https://usracareers.silkroad.com/ USRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled 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 INFORMAL POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT The Astromaterials Research Office, NASA Johnson Space Center, anticipates filling a Planetary Scientist civil service position during 2015. The selectee will establish a research program in the study of the origin and evolution of our solar system's rocky planetary bodies. This emphasis includes, but is not limited to, studies of astromaterials and materials from sample-return missions, as well as studies using remote-sensing and mission data in subfields including, but are not limited to: geochronology, high-resolution analytical studies, mineralogy, isotope and elemental geochemistry and mass spectrometry, experimental and laboratory studies, analysis and interpretation of mission data, or combinations of these. The selectee will be expected to attract research funding through peer- reviewed proposals to NASA programs and/or involvement in NASA missions. Candidates must use USAJobs.gov to submit applications; US citizenship is required. We anticipate filling the position at the GS-13 level at a negotiable starting date. A further announcement will advise of application dates and deadlines and provide the formal job posting data. Interested parties may direct inquiries to Dr. David Draper, Manager, Astromaterials Research Office, david.draper@nasa.gov. A how-to guide prepared by JSC Human Resources, will be provided upon request for preparing responsive applications using: https://www.USAJobs.gov prepared by JSC Human Resources, will be provided upon request. 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 COMPARATIVE CLIMATES OF TERRESTRIAL PLANETS II: UNDERSTANDING HOW CLIMATE SYSTEMS WORK CONFERENCE (CCTP2) This conference will be held September 8-11, 2015, at the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California. The first CCTP meeting, held in 2012, and fostered a series of interdisciplinary conversations on a wide range of planetary climates. We are planning for a similar range of conversations at the CCTP2 meeting, including the effects of the Sun and other stars on the climates of Earth and other planets in and beyond the Solar System. We anticipate the publication of a formal NASA Conference Proceeding comprised of extended abstracts from this meeting and an Executive Summary that captures the essence of the meeting's presentations and discussions. We encourage the submission of any research that puts planetary climate in the perspective of a comparative framework, including (but not limited to) the effects from space weather, the parent star, and orbital forcing. Abstract submission will open on April 1st, and will close on April 30th. This meeting is supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD). For more information and future updates on the meeting, please go to the CCTP 2 website: http://sservi.nasa.gov/cctp2 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 6TH PLANETARY CRATER CONSORTIUM MEETING The 6th Planetary Crater Consortium meeting will be held August 12-14, 2015, at the US Geological Survey in Flagstaff, AZ. The Planetary Crater Consortium is open to planetary scientists interested in any aspect of impact cratering on solar system bodies, including observational, theoretical, experimental, and numerical studies. The meeting is a combination of invited talks, contributed talks, and open discussion. Abstract deadline is Monday, August 3, 2015. For more information, see: www.planetarycraterconsortium.nau.edu/ or contact Nadine Barlow (Nadine.Barlow@nau.edu). 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 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, astrophysics, planetary science, astrobiology, space bioscience, aeronautics and engineering, human exploration and operations, and space technology. A sample research opportunities is: https://www3.orau.gov/NPDoc/Catalog/17710 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/1Kjlmyr For further information and to apply, visit: http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm Questions: nasapostdoc@orau.org 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 2015 NASA PLANETARY SCIENCE SUMMER SCHOOL APPLICATIONS OPEN NASA is accepting applications from science and engineering post-docs, recent PhDs, and doctoral students for its 27th Annual Planetary Science Summer School, which will be held in one single session in summer 2015 (August 10-14 only) 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 10, 2015. 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 ​ANNOUNCING THE ANNUAL SUSAN NIEBUR WOMEN IN PLANETARY SCIENCE NETWORKING EVENT AT LPSC This event is open to all interested persons, and we will spend most of the time discussing professional development topics (see link below for list). Light refreshments will be served thanks to generous support from the Division for Planetary Sciences! When: Wednesday, March 18th, 2015; 6:00 to ~7:30 pm Where: Montgomery Ballrooms A-C (in Conference Venue - Woodlands Waterway Marriott, Houston, TX) Sign-up and more info: http://bit.ly/WIPS_2015 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 THE FUTURE OF PLANETARY RADIO ASTRONOMY WITH SINGLE-DISH TELESCOPES June 9-10 2015 National Radio Astronomy Observatory Green Bank, WV https://science.nrao.edu/science/meetings/2015/planetary-radio- astronomy-future/ SOC Lance Benner Don Campbell Alyson Ford Frank Ghigo Amy Lovell Mike Nolan Radar studies of near-earth asteroids, mapping of planet and lunar surfaces, chemical compositions of comets, asteroids, and planetary atmospheres, and origins of solar systems, are just some of the exciting topics currently being studied through the use of large single-dish telescopes. We encourage you to attend this workshop and present your ideas on how the large single-dish telescopes such as the GBT and Arecibo can best contribute to future research in these and other topics, including new and improved capabilities and instrumentation. It would be greatly appreciated if you could indicate your interest in attending this workshop by sending an email to solarsystem@nrao.edu, along with details of a topic you'd like to speak about, if any. Attendance will be limited to roughly 30 people, and we aim to provide plenty of time for discussions. We expect the agenda to evolve as we hear from potential participants. Alyson Ford & Frank Ghigo National Radio Astronomy Observatory - Green Bank [Edited for length.] 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 REMINDER - 2ND PLANETARY DATA USERS WORKSHOP June 8 - 11, 2015, Flagstaff, Arizona If you have questions about how to find, download, process or visualize planetary data, this workshop is for you. Our goals are to bring together planetary scientists, data providers, data archivists, and software and technology experts to exchange ideas on current capabilities and needs for improved and new tools that can be used to address current needs in planetary research and data analysis. Possible topics include: - Availability of planetary data - Trends in data storage and rapid access - Current and new analysis and visualization tools - Demos, hands-on training and how-to guides for working with planetary data - PDS4 news and training for data providers and users Details are also available at: http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/planetdata2015/planetdata20151st.shtml Abstracts are due on March 31, 2015. We welcome your participation! 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 ASTROBIOLOGY EARLY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: UPCOMING DEADLINES Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon) 2015 - application deadline extended to Monday, March 16: http://www.abgradcon.org/ Water, Ice and the Origin of Life in the Universe Summer School - application deadline, March 15: http://www.nordicastrobiology.net/Iceland2015 FameLab Online Competition - video submission deadline, March 16: http://famelab-eeb.arc.nasa.gov/competitions/season3-online2015/ Josep Comas i Sola International Summer School in Astrobiology - application deadline, March 31: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/uimp Early Career Collaboration Award - application deadline, April 1 https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/funding/nasa-astrobiology-early -career-collaboration-award/ FameLab Regional Heat at Stony Brook University, April 16-17 - register today: http://famelab-eeb.arc.nasa.gov/competitions/season3-sb2015/ For more information on astrobiology careers and employment: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/careers/ 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] PDS: MARS EXPLORATION ROVERS DATA RELEASE 43 The Planetary Data System (PDS) is pleased to announce Release 43 of Mars Exploration Rover data. This release includes data primarily from Sols 3691 through 3780, rover Opportunity (MER1/B), instruments: APXS Atmospheric Opacity HAZCAM NAVCAM MI PANCAM Rover Motion Counter SPICE There is no RAT or Radio Science data in this release, and no more Mini-TES or Moessbauer data is expected. To access the above data, please visit the following link: http://pds.nasa.gov/subscription_service/SS-20150312.html The following special services are provided for accessing MER data: MER Analyst's Notebook: http://an.rsl.wustl.edu/mer Planetary Image Atlas: http://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/search/mer To access the latest PDS Data Releases, please visit: http://pds.nasa.gov/subscription_service/SS-Release.html All available PDS data may be found at: http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/data-search/ For further information, see the PDS Home Page: http://pds.nasa.gov/ The PDS Team pds_operator@jpl.nasa.gov (818)393-7165 12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12 THE 2016 NASA BUDGET: THE PLANETARY COMMUNITY'S RESPONSE & NEXT STEPS Tuesday, March 17, 12:00-1:15 p.m, Montgomery Ballroom Session Chair: Casey Dreier, Director of Advocacy, The Planetary Society Participants: Debra Buczkowski, Chair, GSA Planetary Geology Division Linda Elkins-Tanton, President, AGU Planetary Sciences Section Makenzie Lystrup, Chair, DPS Federal Relations Subcommittee At NASA Night you'll hear the official Administration position on this year's budget request. But at this special Tuesday session, you will have the chance to hear the unified response by the professional societies that represent you in Washington, D.C. and to bring to them your concerns or questions about budgets and future policy. This session brings together the leadership of AGU's Planetary Sciences Section, AAS's Division for Planetary Science, GSA's Planetary Geology Division, and The Planetary Society in one room to discuss the unified path forward for the next fiscal year, to provide frank answers to your questions, and to hear your ideas and concerns about issues that matter to you. Even if you are not a member of any one of these organizations, they are working to make life better for all professional planetary scientists and graduate students and want to hear from you. Scientists at any stage in their career are strongly encouraged to attend to learn about steps they can take to build a strong future for planetary science at NASA and to become empowered advocates for their field. [Edited for length.] 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] ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT & INFORMATION FOR GEOLOGICAL MAPPING IN ROSES-15 Efforts to produce a geological map for publication by the USGS have been and continue to be supported by the Planetary Science Division R&A program. In order to better enable the smooth submission and processing of proposals with such an effort, C.1, Planetary Science Research Program Overview, has been amended to add an additional requirement (outside of the 15-page main body of the proposal) and to include a discussion of how to determine where a proposal should be submitted. Investigators intending to submit a proposal with a mapping effort in ROSES 2015 should read the amended text in order to decide where to submit their proposal and to ensure that the newly required supporting document is acquired sufficiently ahead of the relevant submission deadline. Questions about the technical specifications letters should be directed to the USGS Map Coordinator (James Skinner, jskinner@usgs.gov). Questions about whether a given proposal is appropriate to a program element should be directed to that program element's point of contact (see the Summary of Key Information in the individual solicitation). 14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14 [NASA] PDS: LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER DATA The NASA Planetary Data System is pleased to announce a new delivery of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) data for the following instruments: CRaTER DLRE LAMP LEND LOLA LROC In general, LRO Release 21 includes data collected between September 15, 2014 and December 14, 2014. To access the above data, please visit the following link: http://pds.nasa.gov/tools/subscription_service/SS-20150313.shtml PDS offers two services for searching the LRO archives: The Planetary Image Atlas at the Imaging Node allows selection of LRO data by specific search criteria. http://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/search/ The Lunar Orbital Data Explorer at the Geosciences Node allows searching and downloading of LRO data and other lunar orbital data sets (Clementine and Lunar Prospector). http://ode.rsl.wustl.edu/moon/ 15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15 DIRECTOR, NASA ASTROBIOLOGY INSTITUTE (NAI) NASA seeks a new Director for the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI). The ideal candidate will be an internationally recognized scientist with proven experience in leading or managing large interdisciplinary research programs or projects, possessed with a vision for leading the Institute into the future. Applicants for this position should have a broad scientific perspective on astrobiology, experience in conducting interdisciplinary scientific research, and demonstrated skills needed to harness the strengths of disparate research communities towards a greater goal. S/he should understand how to grow a research endeavor and respond to changing budget climates while focusing on maximizing the scientific return on NASA's investments in astrobiology. S/he should have experience in leading a diverse staff ranging from established scientists to support personnel, resource planning, and executing budgets and schedules. S/he should be comfortable with modern information technologies and distributed research teams. NASA is particularly interested in applicants who will find ways to infuse astrobiology into NASA flight missions. Interested individuals should apply directly to USAJobs at: http://www.usajobs.gov by May 1, 2015. In the keyword search box, type vacancy number "AR15S0001". Select "Director, NASA Astrobiology Institute", then click "Apply Online". 16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16 5TH INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON LUNAR SURFACE APPLICATIONS: DATES April 14th-17th, 2015 Cocoa Beach, Florida March 16th Early bird registration ends March 16th Early hotel registration ends March 16th Presentation slides due For more information see: http://www.lsaworkshops.com 17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17 [NASA] ROSES-15 ISRO SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR (NISAR) MISSION SCIENCE DEFINITION TEAM A competitively selected Science Definition Team (SDT), working iteratively with the NISAR Program Scientist, Program Applications Lead, and the Project Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, develops NASA's baseline and threshold science requirements for the NISAR mission. The initial SDT was selected in 2012 for the DESDynI- Radar mission for a period of three years. This solicitation will re-compete the SDT for the NISAR mission (NSDT). The NSDT supports the NISAR project to provide the science requirements flow down, science algorithms definition, guidance on development of algorithms and associated error models, data acquisition plan, data latency and data dissemination plans, definition of a calibration and validation plan, publication of results, and public engagement, including liaison with the broader science and applications communities. The SDT also assists in the promotion of early adopter activities that may conduct prelaunch research and evaluation using data (simulated or from field campaigns) to accelerate use of data after launch. NOIs requested by May 1, 2015 Proposals are due by June 8, 2015. Announcement #: NNH15ZDA001N 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-2015 Questions: Craig Dobson (202) 358-2054 Craig.Dobson@nasa.gov [Edited for length.] 18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18 [NASA] ROSES-14 SMALL INNOVATIVE MISSIONS FOR PLANETARY EXPLORATION (SIMPLEX) The due date for Step-2 proposals has been changed to March 27, 2015. This ROSES element supports the formulation and development of science investigations that require a spaceflight mission that can be accomplished using small spacecraft. All proposed investigations must be responsive to the goals of the Planetary Science Division as described in the 2014 NASA Science Plan available at: http://science1.nasa.gov/about-us/science-strategy/ In order to advance the objectives outlined in the Science Plan, proposed investigations may target any body in the Solar System, except for the Earth and Sun. Investigations of extra‑solar planets are not solicited in this NRA. Step-1 proposals were due on January 13, 2015 Step-2 proposals are now due on March 27, 2015 Announcement #: NNH14ZDA001N 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: Janice Buckner (202) 358-0183 janice.l.buckner@nasa.gov [Edited for length.] 19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19 [NASA] ROSES-15 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT AND INFORMATION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM OVERVIEW Efforts to produce a geological map for publication by the USGS have been and continue to be supported by the Planetary Science Division R&A program. In order to better enable the smooth submission and processing of proposals with such an effort, C.1, Planetary Science Research Program Overview, has been amended to add an additional requirement (outside of the 15-page main body of the proposal) and to include a discussion of how to determine where a proposal should be submitted. Investigators intending to submit a proposal with a mapping effort in ROSES 2015 should read the amended text in order to decide where to submit their proposal and to ensure that the newly required supporting document is acquired sufficiently ahead of the relevant submission deadline. Questions about the technical specifications letters should be directed to the USGS Map Coordinator (James Skinner, jskinner@usgs.gov). Questions about whether a given proposal is appropriate to a program element should be directed to that program element's point of contact (see the Summary of Key Information in the individual solicitation). 20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html August 21-22, 2015 Cartography Beyond the Ordinary World http://niteroi2015.elte.hu Niteroi, Brazil September 8-11, 2015 Comparative Climates of Terrestrial Planets II: Understanding How Climate Systems Work http://sservi.nasa.gov/cctp2 Moffett Field, CA September 27-October 2, 2015 European Planetary Science Congress 2015 http://www.epsc2015.eu Nantes, France [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.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. ***********************************************************************