PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 9, Number 51 (December 20, 2015) 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. New PhD Program in Astronomy and Planetary Science at Northern Arizona University 2. Register Today for the 2016 Humans to Mars (H2M) Summit 3. EGU 2016 Session PS1.5: Science and Technology for the Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) Mission 4. Venus 2016 Conference: Reminder of Abstract Call 5. [NASA] Due Date for Comments on the SMD Standard AO Extended to January 15, 2016 6. [NASA] JWST Early Release Science Program Request 7. New Rosetta Data Releases 8. MAVEN Science-Team Meeting, 2-5 Feb 2016 9. 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 NEW PHD PROGRAM IN ASTRONOMY AND PLANETARY SCIENCE AT NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY The department of physics and astronomy at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, is very pleased that we are currently accepting applications for our new PhD program in astronomy and planetary science. The first group of students will be admitted in the next couple of months and begin our new program in August, 2016. We are looking for excellent students with backgrounds in physics, astronomy, planetary science, chemistry, geology, or related fields to be part of our inaugural class. We would appreciate your help in advertising our program to students whom you know who are looking for an exciting PhD program with great faculty in a beautiful place. More information about our program can be found on web page at: http://www.physics.nau.edu/AstroPhD.shtml The deadline for applications is January 15, 2016. Interested students may contact me with any questions. David Trilling Graduate coordinator for the new PhD program David.Trilling@nau.edu 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 REGISTER TODAY FOR THE 2016 HUMANS TO MARS (H2M) SUMMIT Join us at the Humans to Mars (H2M) Summit that will be held from May 17-19, 2016 at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. H2M is an annual Mars exploration conference that addresses the major technical, scientific, and policy challenges that need to be overcome in order to send humans to Mars by the 2030s. It is the most comprehensive conference in the world focused on landing humans on Mars, and the 2016 H2M is shaping up to be the biggest H2M yet. Confirmed and tentative speakers already include Dava Newman, Andrew Weir (Author, The Martian) Ellen Stofan, Bill Nye ("The Science Guy"), James Green, Miles O'Brien (PBS, CNN), Penelope Boston, 'Astronaut Abby' Harrison, Joe Cassady (Aerojet Rocketdyne), Harley Thronson (NASA Goddard), and many more. Register today at: http://h2m.exploremars.org 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 EGU 2016 SESSION PS1.5: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE ASTEROID IMPACT AND DEFLECTION ASSESSMENT (AIDA) MISSION Please consider submitting an abstract for the session PS1.5 "Science and Technology for the Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) Mission" at the EGU General Assembly 2016 (deadline: 13 January 2016, 13:00 CET). This session invites contributions about the expected scientific output of the AIDA mission, supporting ground-based observations, asteroid and impact modeling, and new technology and instrumentation for asteroid exploration. More information can be found at: http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2016/session/21284 If you know of others that would be interested in this session, please forward this information. Cheers, Michael Kueppers, Andy Cheng, Patrick Michel, Naomi Murdoch Co-Converners 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 VENUS 2016 CONFERENCE: REMINDER OF ABSTRACT CALL This is a reminder of the International Venus conference which will occur 4-8 April 2016 in Oxford. Please submit your abstracts before the deadline of 22 Jan 2016. Instructions on how to submit abstracts, and other details of the conference, are given at the conference website: http://venus2016.uk We have also set the registration fee for the conference at UK160, a fee which includes onsite lunches and also a social event on the evening of Wednesday 6 April. Colin Wilson & the Venus 2016 organising committee info@venus2016.uk 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] DUE DATE FOR COMMENTS ON THE SMD STANDARD AO EXTENDED TO JANUARY 15, 2016 The Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has extended the open period for comments on the Standard Announcement of Opportunity (AO) until January 15, 2016. For reference information regarding the current Standard AO Template and a copy of the previous message inviting comments please see: http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/ Modifications that could result in shortening and/or simplifying Step 1 proposals submitted for two-step flight mission acquisitions and other suggestions may be submitted via email by January 15, 2016 to Thomas Wagner at thomas.wagner@nasa.gov and Washito Sasamoto at washito.a.sasamoto@nasa.gov 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] JWST EARLY RELEASE SCIENCE PROGRAM REQUEST The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is scheduled for launch in October 2018, and the first call for proposals will be released in 2017. The Space Telescope Science Institute, following the recommendations of the JWST Advisory Committee is now defining the parameters for an Early Release Science (ERS) program. See: http://www.stsci.edu/jwst/advisory-committee/JSTAC-Recommendations _ERS_CF.pdf The primary objective of the ERS program is to provide community access to a broad suite of JWST science observations as early as possible in Cycle 1. The observing programs will be chosen by peer review to provide representative datasets and to address technical challenges related to the major instrumental modes available on JWST. ERS observations are expected to seed initial discovery and to inform Cycle 2 proposals, which will be submitted just months after the start of Cycle 1. We are gathering input to inform our preparations for the program through a brief survey at: http://goo.gl/forms/lR0rHG4H4o The survey will be open until 15 January 2016. It takes 10-15 minutes to complete. More information on the general framework and timeline for the ERS program can be found on the ERS webpage: http://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science/ers Questions are welcome via email: jwst_ers@stsci.edu 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 NEW ROSETTA DATA RELEASES Small Bodies Node of the NASA Planetary Data System is pleased to announce that the following datasets have been released: Rosetta 67P Prelanding Phase data: - Rosetta-Orbiter ALICE Prelanding 67P Raw, Calibrated, and Resampled Data - Rosetta-Orbiter GIADA Prelanding 67P Data - Rosetta-Orbiter MIDAS Prelanding 67P Data - Rosetta-Orbiter OSIRIS WAC and NAC Prelanding (M01 to M04) 67P EDR Data v1.1 - Rosetta-Orbiter OSIRIS WAC and NAC Prelanding (M04B to M07) 67P EDR Data - Rosetta-Orbiter OSIRIS WAC and NAC Prelanding (M01 to M07) 67P Calibrated Data - Rosetta-Orbiter RPCICA Prelanding 67P Raw Data - Rosetta-Orbiter RPCIES Prelanding 67P Raw Data - Rosetta-Orbiter RPCLAP Prelanding 67P Edited and Calibrated Data Rosetta 67P Escort 1 Phase data: - Rosetta-Orbiter COSIMA In-Flight and 67P Data thru March 2015 - Rosetta-Orbiter MIDAS Escort 1 67P Data - Rosetta-Orbiter ROSINA Escort 1 67P Raw Data - Rosetta-Orbiter RPCMIP Escort 1 67P Calibrated Data - Rosetta-Orbiter RPCICA Escort 1 67P Raw Data - Rosetta-Orbiter RPCIES Escort 1 67P Raw Data - Rosetta-Orbiter NAVCAM Escort 1 (MTP012, MTP013) 67P Raw Data Rosetta 67P Escort 2 Phase data: - Rosetta-Orbiter NAVCAM Escort 2 (MTP014, MTP015) 67P Raw Data The datasets are ESA PSA certified. To see and download the data as well as mission and instrument information, go to: http://pdssbn.astro.umd.edu/ The data can be also accessed through the ESA PSA website: http://www.sciops.esa.int/index.php?project=PSA&page=rosetta 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 MAVEN SCIENCE-TEAM MEETING, 2-5 FEB 2016 The next MAVEN science-team meeting will be held in Boulder on 2-5 Feb 2016. We invite our scientific colleagues who are analyzing MAVEN data to participate in the meeting. If you would like to attend, please email bruce.jakosky@lasp.colorado.edu, and include a brief statement (one or two sentences) describing your MAVEN analysis. No walk-ins without prior approval, for logistical/planning reasons. 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 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS February 17-19, 2016 Solar System Symposium http://ws2016.webnode.jp Sapporo, Japan March 19-20, 2016 Microsymposium 57: Polar Volatiles on the Moon and Mercury - Nature, Evolution & Future Exploration http://www.planetary.brown.edu/html_pages/micro57.htm The Woodlands, TX April 8, 2016 The Use of Extraterrestrial Resources to Help Facilitate Space Science and Exploration https://www.ras.org.uk/component/gem/?id=375 London, United Kingdom August 23 - September 1, 2016 Summer Course on Volcanism, Plate Tectonics, Hydrothermal Vents and Life http://www.nordicastrobiology.net/Azores2016/ Angra do Heroismo, Portugal [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. 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