PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 12, Number 55 (December 30, 2018) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Mark V. Sykes Co-Editors: Elisabeth Adams, Karen Stockstill-Cahill Email: pen_editor@psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. New Horizons Ultima Thule Flyby on 31 December/1 January - Getting the Word Out to Engage the Public in the First Exploration of a KBO 2. ABSCICON 2019 Session: Planetary Protection for Astrobiology - Progress and Challenges in Science and Policy 3. ABSCICON 2019 Session: The Impact of Astrospheric Space Weather on Exoplanetary Habitability 4. ABSCICON 2019 Session: Origins and Evolution Pathways of Organics in Ocean Worlds 5. New Topic Added to LPSC Abstract Drop-Down List: Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure 6. Planetary Geomorphology at EGU2019 Deadline 7. Mars Exploration Rovers Data Release 58 8. 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 HORIZONS ULTIMA THULE FLYBY ON 31 DECEMBER/1 JANUARY - GETTING THE WORD OUT TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC IN THE FIRST EXPLORATION OF A KBO On December 31 and January 1, NASA's New Horizons mission will make the first close reconnaissance of a KBO, 2014 MU69, aka Ultima Thule. This challenging and scientifically exciting flyby will make the farthest exploration of worlds in history, a billion miles beyond Pluto. Extensive flyby social media and TV coverage begins on Dec. 28. The mission website at: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu has links to Twitter (hashtags #UltimaThule and #UltimaFlyby), other social media channels, and live streams carrying the event. More is here: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/Where-to-Watch.php If the government shutdown has ended, this coverage will include NASA social accounts and NASA TV; but even if not, numerous traditional and social media, as well as TV channels will be covering the flyby and its ensuring early results. Public engagement is a key factor in support for the NASA planetary program. The New Horizons mission team asks community members to help spread the word about this exciting exploration using social media channels, mailing lists, and other means over the next few days as we approach and then flyby Ultima. 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 ABSCICON 2019 SESSION: PLANETARY PROTECTION FOR ASTROBIOLOGY - PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES IN SCIENCE AND POLICY We invite you to submit an abstract to the 2019 Astrobiology Science Conference, which will be held on 24-28 June 2019 in Bellevue, Washington. Planetary protection is an ongoing concern, especially for missions to Mars, Phobos/Deimos, Europa, Enceladus, and Titan - and with a special concern for sample return missions to Earth. We aim to highlight current developments in the policy, science, and implementation of planetary protection, including the identification of research and technology challenges for robotic and human missions. Topics of interest include spacecraft microbiology and biochemistry; survivability and possible evolution of microorganisms in environments associated with spacecraft assembly, operation, and exploration; microbial monitoring in human habitats and in human support systems; transport of human/robotic mission bioburden in extraterrestrial environments; bioburden reduction and prevention technologies; sample acquisition and containment technologies, and return-to-earth schema and facilities for Earth sample processing. For more information: http://agu.confex.com/agu/abscicon19/prelim.cgi/Session/65827 Conveners: J. Rummel (SETI Institute), T. Errigo (NASA GSFC), R. Mogul (Cal Poly Pomona), B. McCauley Rench (NASA HQ), A. Spry (SETI Institute) Submission deadline: 23 January 2019 23:59 EST [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 ABSCICON 2019 SESSION: THE IMPACT OF ASTROSPHERIC SPACE WEATHER ON EXOPLANETARY HABITABILITY This session addresses the broad question of a set of factors an exoplanet requires for enabling life as we know it to thrive, and the impact of the planet's host star on habitability in light of recent discoveries of rocky exoplanets in the habitable zones around FGKM stars. We invite abstracts of theoretical, observational and laboratory studies with a particular focus on: (a) the erosion of atmospheres and oceans by thermal and non-thermal escape mechanisms; (b) impact on exoplanetary atmospheric chemistry; (c) pathways for igniting molecular complexity (including prebiotic chemistry) via ionizing radiation and energetic particles, (d) modulation of atmospheric biosignatures vis space weather effects, and (e) effects of exoplanetary magnetic fields on planetary habitability and observational strategies to detect them. We encourage submission of cross-disciplinary presentations aimed at uniting the physics and chemistry of habitable environments in a holistic fashion. Conveners: V. Airapetian (NASA GSFC), C. Dong (Princeton University), A. Rymer (JHU), M. Gudel (University of Vienna), N. Hud (Georgia Tech), M. Way (GISS), M. Lingam (CfA), E. Provornikova (CUA), C. Harman (GISS) Abstract submission deadline: 23 January 2019 23:59 EST https://connect.agu.org/abscicon/program/format-schedule [Edited for length] 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 ABSCICON 2019 SESSION: ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION PATHWAYS OF ORGANICS IN OCEAN WORLDS You are invited to submit abstracts to our session dedicated to the organic matter evolution: https://agu.confex.com/agu/abscicon19/prelim.cgi/Session/65833 Evidence for organics on planetary surfaces (or atmosphere in the case of Titan) has been found across the solar system with telescopic observations. Organics compounds have been recently observed with spacecraft at Enceladus and Titan (Cassini) and Ceres (Dawn). Understanding the origins and fates of carbon and organics in ocean worlds is an important topic considering the potential of these bodies for fostering conditions conducive to the development of biomolecules. Multiple pathways may occur depending on environmental conditions in the early ocean and the long-term evolution of the interior. Predicting the cycling of accreted carbon compounds, local prebiotic chemistry, and the mechanisms driving surface exposure requires interdisciplinary research covering astrochemical and geochemical modeling, meteorite analyses, material physics, and geophysical processes in order to understand the information contained in observations returned by telescopic and spacecraft observations. Submission deadline: 23 January 2019 23:59 EST. Please fell free to forward this message to interested parties and see you in Seattle. The session conveners: Julie Castillo-Rogez, Vassilissa Vinogradoff, Marc Neveu [Edited for length] 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 NEW TOPIC ADDED TO LPSC ABSTRACT DROP-DOWN LIST: PLANETARY SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE Dear Colleagues, We'd like to alert you to the fact that a new topical selection has been added to the drop-down menu for Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) abstracts: "Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure." This topic is intended to incorporate contributions that address the tasks of storing, discovering, accessing, and utilizing planetary spatial data. Please direct any questions to Prof. Jani Radebaugh (janirad@byu.edu). The meeting will be March 18-22, 2019 in the Woodlands, TX, and the abstract deadline is Tuesday, January 8, 2019 5:00 PM CST (GMT -6). Meeting website: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2019/ Many thanks, the MAPSIT (Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team) steering committee: https://www.lpi.usra.edu/mapsit/ 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 GEOMORPHOLOGY AT EGU 2019 DEADLINE The abstract deadline is fast approaching (10 January 2019, 13:00 CET) for EGU 2019 (Vienna Austria 7-12 April) including the Planetary Geomorphology session GM1.5/PS1.2. Our invited speaker this year is Marisa Palucis, who studies hillslopes, river channels, alluvial fans, and deltas on Earth and Mars and is a member of the MSL (Curiosity Rover) science team. The Planetary Geomorphology session welcomes abstracts concerning landforms, landscapes and the processes that shape them on all solar system bodies. Novel approaches using remote sensing data, Earth analogue studies and flume/simulation work and are particularly encouraged. This session provides a stimulating forum for cross-disciplinary discussion so join us once again for a mix of geomorphology and planetary science. Session details and link to abstract instructions and submission: https://egu2019.eu/abstracts_and_programme /how_to_submit_an_abstract.html Happy New Year from the Planetary Geomorphology Conveners: Susan Conway, Frances Butcher, Davide Baioni, Tjalling de Haas, Nikolaus J. Kuhn 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 MARS EXPLORATION ROVERS DATA RELEASE 58 The Planetary Data System (PDS) is pleased to announce Release 58 of Mars Exploration Rover data. This release includes data primarily from Sols 5041 through 5130, rover Opportunity (MER1/B), instruments: APXS Atmospheric Opacity HAZCAM MI NAVCAM PANCAM RAT SPICE There is no Radio Science or Rover Motion Counter data in this release, and no more Mini-TES or Moessbauer data is expected. To access the above data, go to: https://pds.nasa.gov/datasearch/subscription-service/SS-20181228.shtml The following special services are provided for accessing MER data - MER Analyst's Notebook: http://an.rsl.wustl.edu/mer Planetary Image Atlas: https://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/search/mer-opportunity To access the latest PDS Data Releases, go to: https://pds.nasa.gov/datasearch/subscription-service/SS-Release.shtml All available PDS data may be found at: https://pds.nasa.gov/datasearch/data-search/ For further information, see the PDS Home Page: https://pds.nasa.gov/ 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 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS No new meetings. 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