PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER 
Volume 9, Number 49 (December 6, 2015)

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] NASA Seeks Reviewers for 2015 Undergraduate Student 
   Instrument Proposals
2. [NASA] Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations Geodesy 
   and Heat Transport (InSight) Participating Scientist Program
3. Scientific Ballooning Technologies Workshop Announcement
4. December 2015 MEPAG Newsletter Available
5. Planetary Geomorphology 'Image of the Month'
6. [NASA] Suggestions for the Standard Announcement of Opportunity
7. [NASA] ROSES-15 Release of K2 Guest Observer Cycle 4
8. [NASA] PDS RFI Response Date Extended to January 25, 2016
9. Reminder: Approaching Deadline for VEXAG Student Travel Grants for 
   International Venus Science Conference 2016
10. [NASA] PDS - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Data Release 35
11. [NASA] PDS - Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Data Release 10
12. Summer School “Volcanism, Plate Tectonics, Hydrothermal Vents and 
    Life”
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] NASA SEEKS REVIEWERS FOR 2015 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT INSTRUMENT 
PROPOSALS

NASA is currently seeking volunteer mail-in reviewers for the 2015 
Undergraduate Student Instrument Project proposals. Signing up does 
not commit you to provide reviews, nor will NASA be obligated to 
invite you to do so, this is just an opportunity for us find some 
subject matter experts and for you to gain some review experience and 
help NASA. For more information see: 

http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/volunteer-review-panels/
undergraduate-student-instrument-project/ 


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

THE INTERIOR EXPLORATION USING SEISMIC INVESTIGATIONS GEODESY AND HEAT 
TRANSPORT (INSIGHT) PARTICIPATING SCIENTIST PROGRAM

The objectives of the program are to: 

a) enhance the scientific return from the InSight mission by 
broadening participation in the mission, and 
b) augment the existing InSight science team to include new members 
conducting investigations that broaden and/or complement the funded 
InSight Principal Investigator (PI)-led investigations. 

The goal of the InSight PSP is to maximize the contribution of InSight 
to the future exploration and scientific understanding of Mars and the 
other terrestrial-type planets. 

Notices of intent are requested by January 5, 2016 and proposals are 
due March 1, 2016.
 
This program element does not collect a data management plan via the 
NSPIRES cover pages, as some aspects of data archiving must be 
included in the body of the proposal and will be evaluated as part of 
merit, see Section 3.3, Evaluation Criteria.
 
This Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research 
Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2015" (NNH15ZDA001N) 
is posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at:

http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ 

and appears on the RSS feed at: 

http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/
roses-2015

Questions concerning this program element may be directed to: 
Robert A. Fogel at rfogel@nasa.gov

[Edited for length]


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

SCIENTIFIC BALLOONING TECHNOLOGIES WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT

We are pleased to announce a workshop dedicated to discussing 
technologies for scientific Ballooning.  

The Scientific Ballooning Technologies Workshop will be held in the 
Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota/Twin Cities. The 
2.5-day workshop will be held between May 9, and noon of May 11, 2016. 

The workshop scope includes (but is not limited to) gondola design, 
experiment-wide data acquisition and control systems, attitude control 
systems, on-board control software both for the attitude control and 
for the entire experiment, on-board computer hardware, power systems, 
telemetry systems, and thermal design and control.

The workshop will provide an opportunity for all hands-on ballooning 
practitioners to discuss the technologies we are all using to carry 
out our scientific investigations. 

More information about the workshop is available at:

http://2016balloontech.umn.edu/home

We warmly welcome you to this workshop!

The Organizing Committee (Jessica Gaskin, Shaul Hanany, Eliot Young)


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

DECEMBER 2015 MEPAG NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE

To the Mars Community,

On behalf of Lisa Pratt (MEPAG Chair), Dave Beaty, Rich Zurek, and 
Serina Diniega of the Mars Program Science Office, the December 2015 
edition of the Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter can be 
found on the web at: 

http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov

Please send your Mars community announcements and calendar items 
for inclusion in the newsletter to Meredith at: 

Meredith.A.Cosby@jpl.nasa.gov


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

PLANETARY GEOMORPHOLOGY 'IMAGE OF THE MONTH'

The December 'Image of the Month' is now available at the IAG's 
Planetary Geomorphology web page:

http://planetarygeomorphology.wordpress.com/

This month's topic is "Pluto, up close!". Contributed by Dr. Veronica 
Bray, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona.

You can now follow IAG Planetary Geomorphology Image of the Month 
on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/PlanetaryGeomorphology

or Twitter @PlanetGeomorpho

The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), 
an exempt charity in England & Wales and a charity registered in 
Scotland (SC 038302). The Open University is authorised and regulated 
by the Financial Conduct Authority.


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] SUGGESTIONS FOR THE STANDARD ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY

SMD welcomes suggestions from the proposing community on the Standard 
AO. The current (June 2014) Standard AO Template may be found at: 

http://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/sao_templates.html

SMD is interested especially in constructive modifications that could 
result in shortening and/or simplifying Step 1 proposals submitted for 
2-step flight mission acquisitions. These and other suggestions should 
be submitted via E-mail by December 21, 2015 to: 

thomas.wagner@nasa.gov and washito.a.sasamoto@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

[NASA] ROSES-15 RELEASE OF K2 GUEST OBSERVER CYCLE 4

The text in this program element is different from that which appeared 
as K2 GO Cycle 3 in program element D.7, so please read it carefully.
 
ROSES-2015 solicits proposals for the acquisition and analysis of new 
scientific data from the K2 mission:

http://keplerscience.arc.nasa.gov

K2 repurposes the space-borne hardware and ground-based operations of 
the Kepler mission for a pointed survey of predetermined locations 
along the ecliptic plane:

http://keplerscience.arc.nasa.gov

The single, visible-wavelength instrument on board K2 provides high-
precision photometry capability, with short cadence and long cadence 
modes, and provides a powerful tool for broadband variability analyses 
of planetary, stellar, extragalactic, and solar system sources.

Mandatory Step-1 proposals are due February 5, 2016, and Step-2 
proposals are due March 4, 2016.
 
The NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and 
Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2015" (NNH15ZDA001N) is posted on the NASA 
research opportunity homepage at:

http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ 

and appears on the RSS feed at: 

http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/
roses-2015.
 
Technical questions concerning this program element may be directed to 
the Kepler Science Center at keplergo@mail.arc.nasa.gov.  
 
The NASA point of contact for programmatic information is Mario Perez 
at mario.perez@nasa.gov.

[Edited for length]


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

[NASA] PDS RFI Response Date Extended to January 25, 2016

Previously NASA sent out a Request For Information (RFI) to facilitate 
work with the planetary science community to develop a Roadmap for its 
Planetary Data Services - the data and sample management architecture 
that supports the robotic exploration of the Solar System - 
particularly, the Planetary Data System (PDS). That RFI may be found 
at: 

http://tinyurl.com/PDSRFI

The deadline for responding to this RFI has been extended to January 
25, 2016.

Questions concerning this Request for Information may be addressed to 
Dr. Michael New at michael.h.new@nasa.gov.


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: APPROACHING DEADLINE FOR VEXAG STUDENT TRAVEL GRANTS FOR 
INTERNATIONAL VENUS SCIENCE CONFERENCE 2016

The Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG) will provide travel 
support for one or two U.S. students to the International Venus 
Science Conference 2016, Oxford, England, April 4-8, 2016: 

http://venus2016.uk 

Travel support would include travel, accommodations and a daily 
allowance for meals.

To apply, provide by Friday, December 11, 2015 to 
twthompson@jpl.nasa.gov a concatenated document containing:

1) A statement of how your participation in this meeting will benefit 
   you professionally and contribute to NASA's explorations of Venus, 
2) A draft of your abstract for the meeting,
3) Your resume, and
4) A faculty member endorsement.
5) For administrative reasons, provide: 

- Legal Full Name,
- Date of Birth and City/State of Birth,
- Preferred Email Address + Phone Numbers,
- Home Address,
- Emergency Contact - Name, Relationship, and Phone Number,
- Your Affiliation with Full Address and Phone Number, and
- Gender

If you are a permanent resident alien, also provide:

- Country of Citizenship
- Birth Date and Birth City, State/Region and Country
- Passport Number, with Expiration Date
- Visa Type, with Effective and Expiration Dates
- Alien Registration # (if applicable)


10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10

[NASA] PDS - MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER (MRO) DATA RELEASE 35

The Planetary Data System (PDS) is pleased to announce a new delivery 
of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) data for the following 
instruments:
 
CRISM
CTX
MARCI
MCS
RSS
SPICE

There are no SHARAD or gravity data this release. HiRise data is not
yet available. Available only with this release is the new CRISM
Type Spectra Library at:

http://crismtypespectra.rsl.wustl.edu/

In general, MRO Release 35 includes data collected from
February 9, 2015 through May 8, 2015.

To access the above data go to:

http://pds.nasa.gov/tools/subscription_service/SS-20151201.shtml

To access the latest PDS Data Releases:

http://pds.nasa.gov/tools/subscription_service/SS-Release.shtml

All available PDS data may be found at:

http://pds.nasa.gov/tools/data-search/

For further information, see the PDS Home Page:

http://pds.nasa.gov/

The PDS Team
Mailto: pds_operator@jpl.nasa.gov
Phone: (818) 393-7165


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 SCIENCE LABORATORY (MSL) DATA RELEASE 10

The NASA Planetary Data System announces the tenth release of data 
from the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, covering data acquired 
from Sol 939 through Sol 1062 (March 28, 2015, through August 2, 2015).

This release consists of raw and derived data sets from the following
instruments:

APXS
ChemCam
CheMin
DAN
Hazcam
MAHLI
MARDI
Mastcam
Navcam
RAD
REMS
SAM
SPICE

*This release of MAHLI data includes a technical paper documenting the 
MAHLI characterization and calibration status from August 2008 to 
February 2015.

To access the above data for this release:

http://pds.nasa.gov/tools/subscription_service/SS-20151205.shtml

Links to all MSL data sets may be found on the PDS Geosciences Node 
web site: 

http://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/msl/

The data may also be reached from the main PDS home page: 

http://pds.nasa.gov/

MSL data are archived at the PDS Atmospheres, Planetary Plasma 
Interactions (PPI), Geosciences, Imaging, and Navigation and Ancillary 
Information Facility (NAIF) Nodes.

PDS offers two services for searching the MSL archives:
The Planetary Image Atlas at the Imaging Node allows selection of MSL
image data by specific search criteria:

http://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/search

The MSL Analyst's Notebook at the Geosciences Node allows searching 
and downloading of all MSL data in the context of mission events:

http://an.rsl.wustl.edu/msl


12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12

SUMMER SCHOOL “VOLCANISM, PLATE TECTONICS, HYDROTHERMAL VENTS AND LIFE”

Azores, Portugal 23 August – 1 September 2016 

The course aims to give participants a thorough introduction into 
influence of volcanism, plate tectonics on life and the role of 
hydrothermal vents in the emergence of life. It is co-organised by the 
European Astrobiology Campus, the Nordic Network of Astrobiology and 
the COST Action “Origins and Evolution of Life in the Universe”. The 
summer school, which is held in the picturesque town of Angra de 
Heroísmo (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) will include:

- Lectures by leading scientists in the field covering a cornucopia of 
  different subjects
- Field excursions to geologically interesting sights (volcanic areas, 
  hot springs, lava caves, etc.)
- Characterisation of microbesin lava caves and hot springs via 
  Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
- Poster sessions
- Participant-led discussions

Bursaries including travel grants are available for students and early 
career investigators affiliated to universities in most European 
countries. For further information about the summer school please 
check the website:

http://www.nordicastrobiology.net/Azores2016/

Deadline for applications is 15 March 2016 23:59 UTC


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

June 2-4, 2016
Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference
http://nsrc.swri.org/
Broomfield, CO

June 11-12, 2016
PPW Short Course: Destination Venus: Science, Technology and Mission 
Architectures
http://ippw2016.jhuapl.edu/index.php
Laurel, MD

June 13-17, 2016
International Planetary Probe Workshop (IPPW-13)
http://ippw2016.jhuapl.edu/index.php
Laurel, MD

[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.]


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