PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 10, Number 50 (December 4, 2016) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Mark V. Sykes Co-Editors: Karen Stockstill-Cahill, Susan Benecchi Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. OPAG Findings Posted 2. Seeking Members for the WFIRST Solar System Working Group 3. NAIF Job Opening 4. Planetary Geomorphology 'Image of the Month' 5. [NASA] Ames Seeks Space Science Division Director 6. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Data Release 39 7. Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG) Call for Executive Committee Members 8. Research Space Scientist, GS-1330-13/14 9. MEPAG Face-to-Face Forecasting Deadline December 4th 10. Working Group on Finding Signs of Past Rock-Hosted Life 11. 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 OPAG FINDINGS POSTED Findings from the August 2016 meeting of the NASA Outer Planets Assessment Group have been posted at: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/ 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 SEEKING MEMBERS FOR THE WFIRST SOLAR SYSTEM WORKING GROUP NASA's Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) is NASA's next flagship mission after JWST. WFIRST is on track for a 2025 launch and a 6 year primary mission. This mission has two primary instruments: the Wide Field Instrument (WFI) with a 0.25 square degree FOV and the Coronagraph Instrument (CGI), which is designed to take images and spectra of super-Earths. Between the two instruments, WFIRST will be capable of imaging and grism spectroscopy over the wavelength range 0.7-2 microns as well as R~100 spectroscopy with an IFU. More details can be found here: https://wfirst.gsfc.nasa.gov/ We are soliciting participants for the WFIRST Solar System Working Group to help develop science cases and provide input to the project team on instrumentation and observatory constraints. If you are interested please contact either of the co-leads, James (Gerbs) Bauer (JPL - james.m.bauer@jpl.nasa.gov) or Stefanie Milam (NASA/GSFC - Stefanie.n.milam@nasa.gov) by December 30, 2016. 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 NAIF JOB OPENING NASA's Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility, developers of the "SPICE" observation geometry system used worldwide in support of planetary missions, is looking for a permanent new staff member. Interested persons should read the detailed announcement at: http://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/naif/newhire_R2.pdf and may apply for the job through the JPL Human Resources website, here: https://experienced-jpl.icims.com/jobs/search selecting Requisition ID 2016-7626. 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 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 "The Geomorphology of Potential Mars Tsunami Deposits". Post contributed by Dr. Alexis Rodriguez, Planetary Science Institute, Tucson AZ, USA. You can follow IAG Planetary Geomorphology Image of the Month on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/PlanetaryGeomorphology) or Twitter @PlanetGeomorpho. Susan Conway (Chair, IAG Planetary Geomorphology working group) 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] AMES SEEKS SPACE SCIENCE DIVISION DIRECTOR NASA is seeking applicants for the position of Division Chief of the Space Science and Astrobiology Division at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) in Silicon Valley, California. The ARC Space Sciences and Astrobiology Division is comprised of over 150 scientists and engineers, including nearly 60 civil servants. The Division Chief provides technical and administrative supervision and management for a Division that conducts fundamental research in astrobiology, planetary sciences, and astrophysics. He/she is responsible for the formulation, strategy, advocacy, and direction of the key research, technology, applied sciences, and science-enabling activities pursued by the Division. The incumbent works with and advises the ARC Science Directorate management on the strategic direction and implementation of the Space Sciences and Astrobiology programs at the Center. The vacancy announcement, AR17D0015, Supervisory Space Scientist, AST, Space Sciences, GS-1330-15, opens on Wednesday, November 30, and will close on Friday, December 16. The vacancy announcement may be found at USAJobs.gov by accessing the link at: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/457765800 All applications must be submitted within USAJobs.gov before the posted deadline. For further information, a contact email is given in the vacancy announcement at USAJobs.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 MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER DATA RELEASE 39 The NASA 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 is no SHARAD or derived gravity data in this release. HiRISE data is not yet available. In general, MRO Release 39 includes data collected from February 9, 2016, to May 8, 2016. To access the above data: https://pds.nasa.gov/tools/subscription_service/SS-20161201.shtml To access the latest PDS Data Releases: https://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 pds_operator@jpl.nasa.gov (818) 393-7165 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 VENUS EXPLORATION ANALYSIS GROUP (VEXAG) CALL FOR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS VEXAG is seeking volunteers for VEXAG Executive Committee members to replace those who have successfully completed their service to the Venus community. The new members will start in 2017 for a term that run for three years. Also, the VEXAG Early Career Scholars Focus Group is looking for interested group members. If you are interested, send your resume and a statement of how you could contribute to VEXAG to Bob Grimm and Martha Gilmore, VEXAG Chair and Deputy Chair (grimm@boulder.swri.edu, mgilmore@wesleyan.edu) by January 6, 2017. VEXAG activities for the next three years are expected to be community building with an emphasis on: - Venus Exploration Goals, Objectives, and Strategies - Technology Development and Laboratory Measurements - International Collaboration - Early Career and Young Scholar Development - Venus Exploration Roadmaps VEXAG is a community-based forum established in July 2005 to assess scientific priorities and strategies for exploration of Venus. VEXAG is currently composed of a chair and five focus groups, where the focus groups actively solicit input from the Venus community on the topics listed above. More information may be found at the LPI VEXAG Web-site: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag/ 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 RESEARCH SPACE SCIENTIST, GS-1330-13/14 The Planetary Systems Branch (Code SST) within the Space Science and Astrobiology Division (Code SS) of the Science Directorate (Code S) at the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field CA 94035, is currently seeking interested applicants for the position of a Research Space Scientist. The incumbent conducts scientific research and provides expertise in the area of planetary atmospheres (theory/modeling), in particular, the Mars atmosphere and its climate system, and/or terrestrial-like planetary atmospheres. For further details and applications procedures, please see the following USAJOBS.gov link: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/458306400 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 MEPAG FACE-TO-FACE FORECASTING DEADLINE DECEMBER 4TH The 2017 face-to-face meeting of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) is scheduled for February 22-23, 2017 at the Double-Tree Hotel in Monrovia, CA. If you usually forecast for conferences, you must forecast for this conference by Sunday December 4th, 2016. 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 WORKING GROUP ON FINDING SIGNS OF PAST ROCK-HOSTED LIFE Motivated by the suite of habitable environments available to Mars-2020 for in situ exploration and sample collection, we are convening a set of 4 web-hosted telecons, open to the community. For those wishing to help make a presentation and peer-reviewed publication, there will also be an in-person gathering February 6-7 at Caltech. See: http://web.gps.caltech.edu/~rocklife2017/ The first talk, "Martian Environments, Facies, and Ages: Evidence for Rock-Hosted Waters. What is the evidence for ancient Mars environmental conditions? What is the likelihood of habitats for rock-hosted life?" will be either 8:30am December 9 or December 19th. Pencil in (no newsletter in between the closing of Doodle poll!) and check out the website Wednesday 12/7 for date and dial-in information. 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html March 15-17, 2017 UKEXOM2017: UK Exoplanet Community Meeting https://ukexo2017.sciencesconf.org St. Andrews, Scotland July 2-6, 2018 Exoplanets II http://exoplanets.phy.cam.ac.uk/Meetings/exoplanets2 Cambridge, United Kingdom [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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