PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 11, Number 12 (March 19, 2017) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Mark V. Sykes Co-Editors: Karen Stockstill-Cahill, Elisabeth Adams Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. Editor Susan Benecchi Departing PEN 2. LPSC: NextGen Panel on Career Paths in Planetary Science 3. LPSC: Ice Giant Town Hall 4. LPSC: MAPSIT Town Hall Meeting 5. LPSC: Planetary Aeolian Laboratory User's Workshop 6. NOI Request for Venus Small Mission Studies 7. 1st Announcement of SELENE Symposium 2017 8. NASA's Exploration Science Forum 9. SSERVI Award Nominations 10. 8th Planetary Crater Consortium Meeting Announcement 11. Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter for March 2017 12. Call for Papers on Occator Crater on Ceres 13. Findings from OPAG Posted 14. NSPIRES Users Encouraged to Complete Demographic Information 15. Mars Science Laboratory Release 14 16. Final Reminder: IAVCEI session I.1 Planetary Volcanology 17. 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Astronomical Society's Division of Dynamical Astronomy 18. Venera-D Venus Modelling Workshop 19. Barringer Grant Applications for 2017 Now Being Accepted 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 EDITOR SUSAN BENECCHI DEPARTING PEN PSI Senior Scientist Susan Benecchi has been volunteering her time as a Planetary Exploration Newsletter editor since May 2, 2010. That is pushing seven years of weekends during which she has diligently edited and co-edited 393 issues of PEN, helping and communicating with submitters, making a lot of judgment calls, and always working to improve our product. She has decided it is now time to roll off and focus on other activities. It has been a real pleasure working with her! We would also like to welcome PSI Associate Research Scientist Elisabeth Adams to our editorial team. 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 LPSC: NEXTGEN PANEL ON CAREER PATHS IN PLANETARY SCIENCE Date: Monday, March 20 Time: 12:00-13:00 Room: Waterway 1-3 The Next Generation Lunar Scientists and Engineers (NextGen) group will be holding a panel discussion on planetary science career paths. We will have panelists from NASA, Moon Express, the Planetary Science Institute, engineering companies, and universities present. Topics of discussion will include selecting a career path, how funding works for each career path, mission involvement, etc. Significant time will be allotted for an open Q&A discussion. Everyone is welcome! http://nextgenlunar.weebly.com/ 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 LPSC: ICE GIANT TOWN HALL Date: Monday, March 20 Time: 12:15-13:15 Room: Montgomery A-C The recent NASA Ice Giant Mission Study has now been completed. Members of the Science Definition Team will brief the community on the results of the study including the breadth and priority of the science, the studied mission architectures, and the recommendations of the science definition team. 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 LPSC: MAPSIT TOWN HALL MEETING Date: Tuesday, March 21 Time: 12:00-13:00 Room: Montgomery A-C We encourage you to attend the Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team (MAPSIT) community meeting. We will be rolling out the outline for our Strategic Roadmap in light of what planetary spatial data infrastructure is and means for you (more than you might think!). More information about the MAPSIT Advisory Group and its role is available here: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/mapsit/ 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 LPSC: PLANETARY AEOLIAN LABORATORY USER'S WORKSHOP Date: Tuesday, March 21 Time: 17:30-18:30 Room: Panther Creek The NASA Ames Research Center's Planetary Aeolian Laboratory (PAL) provides unique capabilities for recreating planetary aeolian processes. This users' workshop will provide an opportunity for the community to learn more about the PAL facilities, on-going improvements, and future plans, to develop ideas for experiments, and to ask questions of current users about facility capabilities and potential usage. [The poster by Sutton et al. #2653 Tuesday Evening, Titan poster session, also provides information on recent upgrades, specifically to the PAL Titan Wind Tunnel.] On behalf of PAL users and administrators, Devon M. Burr 865-974-6010 dburr1@utk.edu 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 NOI REQUEST FOR VENUS SMALL MISSION STUDIES The Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG) requests your Notice of Interest to support "VenusBridge," a concept for one or more small missions with launch dates in the early-to-mid 2020s. The intent is to determine if there are lower cost options for the continuity of US Venus exploration between Magellan and any potential future Discovery, New Frontiers, or strategic mission. Within a nominal cost cap of $200M, VenusBridge might accommodate a single mission or multiple smallsats or cubesats, including orbiters, probes, or landers. VEXAG is seeking innovative ideas on mission architectures (including launch), technology, and science investigations, including possible subsystems (e.g. bus, telecom) and novel techniques for answering key Venus science questions in this low cost range. See: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag/reports/GOI-140625.pdf The VenusBridge concept will be previewed at the LPSC Venus Town Hall Meeting. A VEXAG VenusBridge Focus Group will subsequently be formed. If you have a great idea for low-cost Venus exploration, please send a summary up to one page in length, including your contact information, to VEXAG Chair Bob Grimm, grimm@boulder.swri.edu. Also please indicate if you are interested in serving on the Focus Group. [Edited for length] 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 1ST ANNOUNCEMENT OF SELENE SYMPOSIUM 2017 We are pleased to announce the SELENE Symposium 2017, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of its launch, held in Japan. The symposium will take place at the University of Waseda (Nishi-Waseda Campus), Tokyo, Japan, on Wed. 13th September and Thu. 14th September, 2017. The Japanese lunar orbiter SELENE (Kaguya) was launched 10 years ago on the 14th of September, 2007. We will appreciate your presentation of recent scientific results and future exploration plans in this symposium. Japan has confirmed the launches of two small lunar landers by 2020, the Tokyo Olympic year: 1) SLIM by Epsilon Launch Vehicle 2) Omotenashi by SLS A detailed description of these small landers will be presented and discussed in the symposium, as well as a wide range of lunar science topics. The long-term vision of Japan's larger-class lunar exploration projects will also be presented and discussed. LOC Chair: Takahiro IWATA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) +81-50-336-23618 FAX +81-42-759-8516 iwata.takahiro@jaxa.jp [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'S EXPLORATION SCIENCE FORUM The Solar System Exploration Research Institute (SSERVI) is pleased to announce the 4th annual NASA Exploration Science Forum (ESF), to be held in person July 18-20, 2017 at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. This year's Forum will feature scientific discussions of human exploration targets of interest (the Moon, near-Earth asteroids, and the moons of Mars). Science sessions will focus on recent mission results and in-depth analyses of science and exploration studies. Dedicated side-conferences for graduate students and young professionals will coincide with the ESF. Public engagement discussions will be interwoven among science topics as well. Abstracts will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. PDT April 12, 2017 at: https://nesf2017.arc.nasa.gov/ Foreign national participants MUST register at the above url by June 1, 2017. US citizens may register until July 7, 2017. 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 SSERVI AWARD NOMINATIONS NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) is soliciting nominations for the following SSERVI Awards: Shoemaker Award (lifetime career achievement award in lunar and planetary sciences), the Wargo Award (scientist or engineer who has focused on integrating science and exploration throughout their career) and the Niebur Award (early career award for significant contributions to exploration science). Nominees from previous years will automatically be carried forward to the upcoming year. Further descriptions of each award and the nomination form may be found at: http://lunarscience.arc.nasa.gov/awards/ Thank you in advance for your nominations and recognition of those who have contributed so substantially to our field! We do accept nominations year-round, but to be considered for the 2017 awards, please provide your nominations by March 31, 2017. 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 8TH PLANETARY CRATER CONSORTIUM MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT The 8th Planetary Crater Consortium meeting will be held August 9-11, 2017, at the US Geological Survey in Flagstaff, AZ. The Planetary Crater Consortium is open to all planetary scientists interested in any aspect of impact cratering on solar system bodies, including observational, theoretical, experimental, and numerical studies. Contributions on terrestrial impact crater field studies are encouraged, as well as presentations about cratering on other solar system bodies. The meeting is a combination of contributed talks, posters, and open discussion. An optional field trip around the rim of Meteor Crater will be arranged for Saturday, August 12, if there is sufficient interest. Abstract deadline is Tuesday, August 1, 2017. For more information, see: http://www.planetarycraterconsortium.nau.edu/ or contact Nadine Barlow (Nadine.Barlow@nau.edu). 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 MARS EXPLORATION SCIENCE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR MARCH 2017 On behalf of Jeff Johnson (MEPAG Chair), Dave Beaty, Rich Zurek, and James Ashley of the Mars Program Science Office, the March 2017 edition of the Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter can be found on the web at: http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov Additionally, we have updated the posted materials from MEPAG Meeting 33. Nearly all presentations are now available (and we expect to finish in the near future) and we have also posted a Meeting Summary document. Please send your Mars community announcements and calendar items for inclusion in the newsletter to Barbara at Barbara.A.Saltzberg@jpl.nasa.gov 12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12 CALL FOR PAPERS ON OCCATOR CRATER ON CERES The Dawn mission has collected a wealth of data about the dwarf planet Ceres with its Framing Camera, Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector and gravity science investigation. Occator crater is one of the most intriguing locations on Ceres as observed by Dawn, and it contains distinctive bright regions called the Cerealia Facula and Vinalia Faculae. Our understanding of the formation and evolution of Occator crater, in particular the Cerealia and Vinalia Faculae, is currently under investigation. We hereby call for submissions of papers to a special issue on the "The Formation and Evolution of Ceres' Occator Crater". These papers will focus on interpretations and explanations of the processes that formed Occator crater, and may also discuss the resulting implications for our understanding of Ceres' formation and evolution. We envisage that the majority of submissions will base their investigations on Dawn data. However, submissions relevant to Occator crater that are based on a wide range of datasets and techniques are welcome. For further details see: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/icarus/call-for-papers /call-for-papers-on-occator-crater-on-ceres 13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13 FINDINGS FROM OPAG POSTED Findings from the Outer Planets Assessment Group steering committee following the winter 2017 meeting in Atlanta have been posted at: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag There are finding about: 1. Europa Lander 2. Europa Clipper 3. New Frontiers 4. Ice Giant mission study 5. Juno mission 6. Workforce inclusivity and diversity 7. Roadmaps to Ocean Worlds (ROW) 8. R&A wording regarding mission and DAP funding conflicts 9. Participating Scientist study 10. Mid-Decadal review 11. Decadal Survey satatement of tasks 12. Legacy of Cassini and CDAP 13. Outer Planets technology 14. Planetary Advisory Committee membership The next OPAG meeting will be September 6-7, 2017, in La Jolla, CA, hosted by Scripps Institute of Oceanography. There will also be several town halls of interest at LPSC, about Europa Lander, Ice Giants, and ROW. See: http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2017/events/highlighted OPAG now has a Deputy Chair: Dr. Linda Spilker (JPL). Welcome Linda! 14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14 NSPIRES USERS ENCOURAGED TO COMPLETE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION The objective of the demographics survey in NSPIRES is to better understand all of the scientific communities that NASA funds, including planetary science, and to understand any underlying diversity issues that may be occurring. Using this information the NASA Office of Chief Scientist can work to identify recommendations of inclusive practices to help improve the diversity of our professional communities and reduce or mitigate issues of implicit bias. Providing the data allows for the Office of the Chief Scientist to capture a true snapshot of our professional community. Providing this information is completely voluntary, and the data you provide are confidential. Only the Office of the Chief Scientist has access to the information, and your demographic data are not seen during the review process or by Program Officers when they make their selections. Go to: https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/index.do and click on the "Account Management" link. Then click on the "Personal Profile" link, complete the demographics data section on the Personal Profile page, and hit the Save button at the bottom of the page. This form takes just a minute or two to complete, but it will greatly help NASA understand the diversity of our community! [Edited for length] 15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15 MARS SCIENCE LABORATORY RELEASE 14 The NASA Planetary Data System announces the fourteenth release of MSL data acquired from Sols 1418-1514 (August 1 to November 9, 2016). This release consists of raw and derived data sets from instruments: Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) Chemistry & Micro-Imaging (ChemCam) Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) Hazard Avoidance Cameras (Hazcam) Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) Mast-mounted Cameras (Mastcam) Navigation Cameras (Navcam) Position Localization and Attitude Correction Estimate Storage (PLACES) Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Spacecraft, Planet, Instrument, Pointing C-Matrix, and Event Kernels (SPICE) To access the above data: https://pds.nasa.gov/tools/subscription_service/SS-20170316.shtml Links to all MSL data sets may be found on the PDS Geosciences Node: http://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/msl/ The data may also be reached from: https://pds.nasa.gov/ PDS offers two services for searching the MSL archives: (1) 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/ (2) 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 The PDS Team pds_operator@jpl.nasa.gov (818) 393-7165 16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16 FINAL REMINDER: IAVCEI SESSION I.1 PLANETARY VOLCANOLOGY The abstract submission deadline for the IAVCEI 2017 Scientific Assembly in Portland, OR on August 14-18, 2017 has been extended to March 22, 2017. We therefore invite you once more to submit an abstract to our session on Planetary Volcanology. Volcanic activity is a hallmark of almost every large solid-surface body in the Solar System. In this session, we solicit contributions exploring the myriad styles of volcanic landforms and processes on Solar System bodies (planets, moons, or asteroids) using field observations, remotely sensed data, laboratory or numerical simulations, or some combination thereof. We especially welcome submissions of comparative analyses between volcanism on Earth and on other worlds, or between other planetary bodies. You can submit your abstract here: http://iavcei2017.org/abstract.html Planets are cool and so are volcanoes so see if you can join us! Conveners: Paul K. Byrne (North Carolina State University) DelWayne R. Bohnenstiehl (North Carolina State University) Patrick J. McGovern (Lunar and Planetary Institute) 17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17 2017 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY'S DIVISION OF DYNAMICAL ASTRONOMY The AAS Division of Dynamical Astronomy is pleased to announce that its annual meeting will take place at Queen Mary University of London on June 11-15, 2017 The annual AAS-DDA meeting brings together researchers in astronomy, astrophysics, planetary science, and astrodynamics for discussions and talks on all aspects of dynamics in the space sciences. The DDA meeting features invited talks on a range of topics, contributed talks (with no parallel sessions), and posters that can be displayed throughout the entire conference. The 2017 meeting also features three special sessions: * Impact of Gaia Astrometry on Dynamical Astronomy (Chair: Norbert Zacharias, US Naval Observatory) * Post-Main Sequence Planetary System Science (Chair: Dimitri Veras, University of Warwick) * Cassini Ring-Grazing Orbits and Grand Finale (Chair: Matthew Tiscareno SETI) In addition, Prof. Rosemary F. G. Wyse (FRAS) will be honoured at the 2017 meeting with the AAS-DDA Brouwer Award. The 2017 DDA meeting is being co-sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society. Abstract deadline: April 10, 2017 For additional information see the meeting website: https://dda.aas.org/meetings/2017 18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18 VENERA-D VENUS MODELLING WORKSHOP October 5-7, 2017 (the week before the 7th Moscow Solar System Symposium) Location: IKI, Moscow, Russia Workshop Objectives: To understand the limitations and needs of current models (e.g. General Circulation Models or GCMs, interior structure models and plasma environment), landing site selection, and the types of measurements needed to more adequately constrain parameters in the models and experiments. This would in turn form a basis to better identify the types of instruments needed to achieve the important science of Venera-D. More information will be forthcoming. Point of contact for the workshop is Dima Gorinov (gorinov-dmitry@yandex.ru ). 19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19 BARRINGER GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR 2017 NOW BEING ACCEPTED This year's application deadline for grants from the Barringer Family Fund for Meteorite Impact Research is April 7, 2017. This program provides 3 to 5 competitive grants each year in the range of $2,500 to $5,000 USD for support of field research at known or suspected impact sites worldwide. Grant funds may be used to assist with travel and subsistence costs, as well as laboratory and computer analysis of research samples and findings. Masters, doctoral, and post-doctoral students enrolled in formal university programs are eligible. For additional details and an application, please go to: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/science/kring/Awards/Barringer_Fund/ The Barringer Family Fund for Meteorite Impact Research has been established as a memorial to recognize the contributions of Brandon, Moreau, Paul, and Richard Barringer to the field of meteoritics and the Barringer family's strong interest and support over many years in research and student education. In addition to its memorial nature, the Fund also reflects the family's long-standing commitment to responsible stewardship of The Barringer Meteorite Crater and the family's steadfast resolve in maintaining the crater as a unique scientific research and education site. David A. Kring, Ph.D. [Edited for length] 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 July 10-14, 2017 Ultraviolet Sky Surveys http://www.astro.tau.ac.il/events/uss/ Tel Aviv, Israel July 23-28, 2017 Meteoritical Society Annual Meeting http://metsoc2017-santafe.com Santa Fe, NM [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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