PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 15, Number 7 (February 14, 2021) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Mark V. Sykes Co-Editors: Elisabeth Adams, Georgiana Kramer Email: pen_editor@psi.edu Twitter: @pen2tweets o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. In Memoriam: Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez (1959-2021) 2. Earth and Space Exploration Program 2021 3. Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter for February 2021 4. InSightSeers Program 5. Postdoctoral Opportunity in M-Class Lab at UMD 6. [NASA] Planetary Advisory Committee Meeting 7. Short Course on Mineralogy of Planetary Surfaces and Biosignatures 8. [NASA] Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES) 2021 9. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions 10. Planetary Science Journal - New Papers 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: RAFAEL NAVARRO-GONZALEZ (1959-2021) It is with great sadness we announce the death of chemist and astrobiologist Dr. Rafael Navarro Gonzalez on January 27, 2021 from complications with COVID-19. A tribute to Rafael will be scheduled at a TBD time when COVID-19 is a lower risk. Rafael was an internationally recognized and talented scientist, the recipient of the 2009 Alexander von Humboldt Medal, the World Academy of Sciences Award in Earth Sciences, and the first recipient of the Molina fellowship are only a few of his awards. His research blends laboratory simulations, field work, and theoretical modeling in chemistry, physics and biology. He identified the role of volcanic lightning in the origin of life on Earth. Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez was born in Mexico City on April 25, 1959. He earned a Bachelors in Biology from UNAM, Doctorate in Chemistry from University of Maryland at College Park. Dr. Navarro Gonzalez established the Chemistry Laboratory Plasmas and Planetary Studies at the Institute of Nuclear Sciences at (UNAM). Among the most significant contributions are the detection of organics in Mars-like environments on Earth. He was a Co-I on the SAM instrument onboard NASA's MSL and on the HABIT instrument onboard ESA's Exomars mission. 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 EARTH AND SPACE EXPLORATION PROGRAM 2021 Applications are sought from Astrobiology, Earth and Planetary Science Researchers for the Earth and Space Exploration Program in Ladakh, India starting June 2021. The opportunity allows the resident scientist to conduct their own research in Ladakh (Tso Kar and Puga region) and serve as mentors and role-models for incoming student teams. The program will cover return airfare, meals and stay expenses in New Delhi and Ladakh for the duration of residence for the scientist. (Visa application and COVID-related travel assistance will be provided for international scientists.) Resident Scientists will get an opportunity to join an international team of researchers helping build the program being driven by Amity University Mumbai. For more information on the Resident Scientist Program, go to: https://www.acoea.com/rsp For participants, the interest sign up page is here: https://www.acoea.com/mars This is also listed on NASA opportunities page: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/funding/earth-space-exploration-resident-scientist-program/ 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 MARS EXPLORATION SCIENCE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR FEBRUARY 2021 On behalf of R. Aileen Yingst (MEPAG Chair), Rich Zurek, Brandi Carrier, and Dave Beaty of the Mars Program Science Office, the February 2021 edition of the Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter can be found on the web at: http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov In this newsletter, we continue to update the upcoming conference schedule with postponements, cancellations, and conversions to virtual meetings. We hope everyone remains safe and healthy within these stressful, rapidly evolving, social-isolating times. Please send your Mars community announcements and calendar items for inclusion in the newsletter to Barbara at: Barbara.A.Saltzberg@jpl.nasa.gov 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 INSIGHTSEERS PROGRAM The InSight team is organizing a pilot program intended to expose early career scientists to the experience of working on a mission science team. We are inviting a select number of senior graduate students and early career scientists to be "InSightSeers" to observe our next mission science team meeting in March. We hope that this will provide valuable insight into the work and team dynamics that take place on missions and help early career scientists make informed decisions about their career paths. This opportunity is open to advanced graduate students and early career scientists that are U.S. citizens and green card holders. Respondents will be selected based upon the anticipated impact to their career path and the alignment of their research interests with the scientific objectives of the mission. InSight recognizes and supports the benefits of having diverse and inclusive communities and expects that such values will be reflected in this opportunity. Questions can be sent to ingrid_daubar@brown.edu with the subject line "InSightSeers". This form indicating your interest must be filled out by Wednesday, February 24, 2021: https://forms.gle/DAyvLHZR8JKMZ7Gj8 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 POSTDOCTORAL OPPORTUNITY IN M-CLASS LAB AT UMD The M-CLASS Laboratory at the University of Maryland seeks a postdoctoral researcher to contribute to the integration and test of a laser-enabled Orbitrap mass analyzer, a NASA-funded protoflight instrument designed to characterize surface materials on the Moon and other planetary bodies. The primary responsibilities of the position include: 1) verification of component functionality and integration of the system-level instrument; 2) development of innovative laser desorption mass spectrometry (LDMS) analytical techniques, including 2D chemical imaging; 3) demonstration of performance capabilities, particularly quantitative analysis of isotopic, elemental, and molecular signals; and, 4) coordinated measurements of lunar and/or other planetary analog samples. Commercial instrumentation (i.e., LTQ Orbitrap XL and Q Exactive, each with a custom laser source) is available to support comparative analyses. Interested applicants can request further information from the Principal Investigator, Ricardo Arevalo Jr. (rarevalo@umd.edu). More information on the M-CLASS Laboratory can be found at: https://mclasslaboratory.squarespace.com/ 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] PLANETARY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING The next NASA Planetary Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting will be held, via WebEx, on March 1 and 2, 2021. Full agenda: https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/nac/science-advisory-committees/pac 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 SHORT COURSE ON MINERALOGY OF PLANETARY SURFACES AND BIOSIGNATURES The University of Oslo and DEEP Research School are organizing a short course on Mineralogy of Planetary Surfaces and Biosignatures from May 10-14, 2021. The lectures will be held on-line. The course will provide a series of lectures on Early Earth and life formation, habitability of extreme environments, carbonaceous material and organics in the Solar System, the geology of Mars, biosignatures and current searches for life on Mars. For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/3b5jj5u The course is open to Ph.D. students and early career researchers with backgrounds in geosciences and/or planetary science. To register, please fill in the form before March 5. https://nettskjema.no/a/184679#/page/1 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] RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES IN SPACE AND EARTH SCIENCE (ROSES) 2021 NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) announces the release of its annual omnibus solicitation for basic and applied research, Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES) 2021 as NNH21ZDA001N on the NSPIRES web page at: http://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2021 [Edited for length] 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 Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html May 10-14, 2021 Short Course on Mineralogy of Planetary Surfaces and Biosignatures http://bit.ly/3b5jj5u Online [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] 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL - NEW PAPERS Editor, Faith Vilas http://psj.aas.org Selection and Characteristics of the Dragonfly Landing Site near Selk Crater, Titan Ralph D. Lorenz et al. 2021 PSJ 2:24 http://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/abd08f The Coma Dust of Comet C/2013 US 10 (Catalina): A Window into Carbon in the Solar System Charles E. Woodward et al. 2021 PSJ 2:25 http://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/abca3e Heavy Positive Ion Groups in Titan's Ionosphere from Cassini Plasma Spectrometer IBS Observations Richard P. Haythornthwaite et al. 2021 PSJ 2:26 http://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/abd404 Binary Planetesimal Formation from Gravitationally Collapsing Pebble Clouds David Nesvorny et al. 2021 PSJ 2:27 http://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/abd858 *********************************************************************** * 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@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. Title plus text is limited to 200 words. All PEN * submissions will be tweeted @pen2tweets. Please submit a 234 (or * fewer) character tweet to accommodate the PEN tag. 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