PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 11, Number 43 (October 15, 2017) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Elisabeth Adams Co-Editors: Karen R. Stockstill-Cahill, Mark V. Sykes Email: pen_editor@psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. In Memoriam: Von R. Eshleman (1924-2017) 2. 42nd Scientific Assembly of the Committee On Space Research (COSPAR) 3. THEMIS Geodetically Controlled Mosaics Available from the USGS 4. CTX DTMs for InSight Landing Site Characterization Available from the USGS 5. MOLA-HRSC Merged DTM Mosaic Available from the USGS 6. Planetary Defense Coordination Office Near Earth Objects Observations Partnerships Request for Information 7. Astrobiology 2017 Final Announcement 8. NEOWISE 2017 Data Release 9. IRSA: New Time Series Tool and Coming IRTF Archive 10. Environments of Terrestrial Planets Under the Young Sun: Seeds of Biomolecules 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 IN MEMORIAM: VON R. ESHLEMAN (1924-2017) Von R. Eshleman died peacefully in late September, five days after his 93rd birthday. Although he began his career in radar astronomy, he is best known as a pioneer in the use of spacecraft radio signals for precise measurements in planetary exploration -- specifically, the radio occultation method for profiling planetary atmospheres and ionospheres, which has now been "brought home" for monitoring Earth's atmosphere using GPS satellites. He was involved in early Mariner missions to Mars and Venus, and he was the leader of the Radio Science Team on Voyager through the Jupiter encounters. In later years he worked on ring dynamics, gravitational focusing of electromagnetic waves, and anomalous retro-reflection from icy surfaces. A longer obituary may be found at: https://ee.stanford.edu/in-memoriam/Von-eshleman 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 42nd SCIENTIFIC ASSEMBLY OF THE COMMITTEE ON SPACE RESEARCH (COSPAR) The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) will hold its 42nd Scientific Assembly in Pasadena, California, USA, on 14-22 July, 2018. The COSPAR Scientific Assemblies supply a forum to all scientists involved in space research for the presentation of their latest scientific results, the exchange of knowledge and also the discussion of space research problems. Abstract submission is now open (deadline 9 February, 2018) http://cospar2018.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 THEMIS GEODETICALLY CONTROLLED MOSAICS AVAILABLE FROM THE USGS THEMIS infrared preliminary geodetically controlled mosaics, updated spacecraft pointing and orientation information (i.e., preliminary smithed SPICE kernels), and supporting documentation are available for download from the USGS Astrogeology Science Center. All daytime infrared and nighttime infrared mosaics +/-65 deg of the equator are currently available. These preliminary mosaics are tied to a known coordinate system (USGS Viking Orbiter MDIM 2.1), spatially adjusted to align feature boundaries, and orthoprojected at 100 m/pixel scale. Final adjustments are being processed and will result in final mosaics being released in September 2018. This process results in sub-pixel registration between images, and knowledge of the accuracy of that registration and the location of features, and the daytime IR and nighttime IR mosaics to be well-registered to one another. These products enhance our knowledge (e.g., position, precision, and accuracy) of image placement and the location of small-scale surface features, and will benefit the current and future orbital acquisition of data, the planning of spacecraft and surface operations, and allows for easier and improved intercomparison of all Mars data sets. See website for product download and documentation: http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/maps/mars-themis-controlled-mosaics-and- preliminary-smithed-kernels Please contact Robin Fergason (rfergason@usgs.gov) with questions. 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 CTX DTMS FOR INSIGHT LANDING SITE CHARACTERIZATION AVAILABLE FROM THE USGS The CTX DTM products generated by the USGS Astrogeology Science Center for the InSight landing site characterization are publicly available in the PDS Annex. All CTX DTMs generated for this effort are linked below: https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/Mars/InSight/landing_site/ D06_029601_1846_F05_037684_1857_20m_DTM_destripe&cache=rebuild https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/Mars/InSight/landing_site/ D18_034071_1842_D18_034216_1845_20m_DTM&cache=rebuild https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/Mars/InSight/landing_site/ D18_034150_1838_D17_033728_1838_20m_DTM_destripe&cache=rebuild https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/Mars/InSight/landing_site/ D18_034427_1842_D17_033939_1843_20m_DTM&cache=rebuild https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/Mars/InSight/landing_site/ D19_034783_1864_D20_034928_1864_20m_DTM_destripe&cache=rebuild https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/Mars/InSight/landing_site/ F02_036695_1843_D02_028045_1831_20m_DTM_destripe&cache=rebuild https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/Mars/InSight/landing_site/ F02_036761_1828_F04_037262_1841_20m_DTM_destripe&cache=rebuild Several product types are available, including DTMs, orthoimages, and slope maps. The orthos and slope maps are listed under "Derived Products" on each DTM product page. The ortho and slope product pages also contain links back to the DTM they were derived from. USGS Astrogeolgoy also generated HiRISE DTMs for InSight landing site selection, and those DTMs are all available via the HiRISE DTM release page: https://www.uahirise.org/dtm/ Please contact Robin Fergason (rfergason@usgs.gov) with questions. 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 MOLA-HRSC MERGED DTM MOSAIC AVAILABLE FROM THE USGS This data product is a blend of digital elevation model (DEM/DTM) data derived from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) instrument aboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft (MGS) and the High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) aboard the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft. This product was created in support of thermal modelling studies (Fergason et al. 2017; Laura 2016), but may also be of interest to the broader planetary community. A cell-size of 200 meters/pixel was chosen as a compromise between up-sampling the MOLA (463 meters/pixel) and down-sampling the HRSC DEMs (50 to 100 meters/pixel). This is an interim product only. The HRSC Team is currently generating HRSC DEM mosaics (level 5 products) that cover 5 deg by 5 deg regions, and these mosaics are of superior quality to this hybrid product. We highly recommend using the level 5 HRSC products, when they become available. See the following website for product download and documentation: https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/Mars/Topography/ HRSC_MOLA_Blend/Mars_HRSC_MOLA_BlendDEM_Global_200mp Please contact Robin Fergason (rfergason@usgs.gov) or Trent Hare (thare@usgs.gov) with questions. 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 PLANETARY DEFENSE COORDINATION OFFICE NEAR EARTH OBJECTS OBSERVATIONS PARTNERSHIPS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Through this Request for Information (RFI) NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) is soliciting capability statements to identify private sector and philanthropic organizations that could contribute to the Near-Earth Object (NEO) Observations Program. This RFI will be used for planning purposes only and will be internally reviewed. NASA will use the information obtained as a result of this RFI on a non-attribution basis. Responses of up to 10 pages must be submitted by November 13, 2017, via NSPIRES in response to NNH17ZDA009L. The specific objective of this RFI is to seek information on organizations that NASA's PDCO could partner with to enhance the NEO Observations Program and specific information on their capabilities that could aid in this Survey. Previous relevant experience is also of interest. Capability areas that PDCO is interested in include but are not limited to: 1. Data Processing and Management 2. Detection and Tracking 3. Follow-Up 4. Characterization Please refer to the full text of this RFI which is posted as a PDF on the NSPIRES web page at NNH17ZDA009L for background information, response guidelines, and other details. Questions: Dr. Kelly Fast kelly.e.fast@nasa.gov [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 ASTROBIOLOGY 2017 FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT Find below the latest news for the quickly approaching Astrobiology 2017 conference (Coyhaique, November 26-December 1, 2017). http://www.astrobiology2017.org Poster Contribution And Regular Registration Deadline The poster contribution and regular registration deadlines have been extended until October 20, 2017. Don't miss the chance to participate and send in your poster contribution! Astrobiology 2017 Best Poster Award An award has been established for the best poster; it will be selected during the week of the conference. The link to the abstract submission form will be send with the confirmation email after your registration. Program 61 superb oral contributions have already been selected while the number of participants keeps growing. For the final program and an updated list of participants: http://astrobiology2017.org/scientific-programme/ http://astrobiology2017.org/participants/ Training School All the seats for the Training School preceding Astrobiology 2017 have been taken. We will soon contact those registered there for meal alternatives. For more information on the training school: http://astrobiology2017.org/training-school/ Follow Us Pre-register at the bottom of http://astrobiology2017.org to receive updated information, and follow us in Twitter and Facebook: http://twitter.com/astrobio2017 http://facebook.com/astrobio2017 With best regards, Patricio Rojo (LOC's chair) [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 NEOWISE 2017 DATA RELEASE The 2017 data release for NEOWISE was in June 2017. The 3-year NEOWISE archive now contains over 7.7 million calibrated image sets and over 57 billion source detections overall. As of mid-September 2017, NEOWISE is 55% into its eighth sky coverage since the start of the Reactivation mission. Over 691,000 infrared measurements have been made of 27,628 different solar system objects, including 735 NEOs and 128 comets. See these websites for data access and more information: http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/Missions/wise.html http://wise2.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/release/neowise/ https://neowise.ipac.caltech.edu/ This video playlist collects all the WISE and Solar System Object relevant videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist? list=PL3UuvF_s8KWJ0HAT-6KcFEOp74MV9eKM5 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 IRSA: New Time Series Tool and Coming IRTF Archive (1) IRSA has a new Time Series Tool: http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/irsaviewer/timeseries This tool allows exploration and analysis of time series observations. For WISE/NEOWISE and PTF, users can view measurements as a function of time, simultaneously visualize the single-epoch images, and optionally find the period of variability. Partial functionality is available for other data sets. This video playlist collects all the relevant movies on the Time Series Tool: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list= PL3UuvF_s8KWKPpThkUGibSXgSrH2wxgFY This video describes how to use this tool for Solar System Objects: https://youtu.be/cA1ZzK2xAw8 (2) IRTF archive coming to IRSA Starting in Feb 2018, IRSA will host the public archive for the NASA/Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). The archive will serve raw data from the SpeX and iSHELL instruments. 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 ENVIRONMENTS OF TERRESTRIAL PLANETS UNDER THE YOUNG SUN: SEEDS OF BIOMOLECULES Symposium will be held on April 9-13, 2018, hosted by the Sellers Exoplanet Environments Collaboration at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA. This symposium is a major international interdisciplinary conference in the emerging area of astrobiology covering astrophysical, physico-chemical, atmospheric and geological aspects of environments of early terrestrial planets with a focus on the impacts of the young Sun's space weather on the precursors of life. The understanding of impacts of external factors on prebiotic chemistry including UV and particle fluxes from the young Sun (and other active stars) along with the physio-chemical evolution of planetary atmospheres under the influence of their volcanic and tectonic activity will sharpen our definition of habitability on early terrestrial and terrestrial-type exoplanets. It will also help to specify environmental constraints for prebiotic atmospheric chemistry experiments that will better specify the most plausible pathways to the origin of life. This is only possible by forming a key linkage between astrophysics, heliophysics, planetary scientists, Earth science and the prebiotic chemistry/origin of life community. Please contact Dr. Vladimir Airapetian at vladimir.airapetian@nasa.gov for further details. 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 December 16-20, 2017 Franco-Australian Astrobiology and Exoplanet School and Workshop http://faabexo.anu.edu.au/ Canberra, Australia July 22-26, 2018 Science & Evolution of Gemini Observatory http://www.gemini.edu/seg2018 San Francisco, CA [Editor Note: If there is a planetary-related meeting, conference or workshop that you think your colleagues should be aware of, please send the date, title, URL and location to pen_editor@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@psi.edu * * To unsubscribe, send an email to pen_editor@psi.edu * * Please send all replies and submissions to pen_editor@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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