PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 17, Number 14 (April 2, 2023) PEN Website: https://planetarynews.org Editor: Matthew R. Perry Co-Editors: Alex Morgan, Mark V. Sykes Email: pen_editor@psi.edu Twitter: @pen2tweets o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. Call to Action: Petition Congress for 2029 Launch Date for VERITAS 2. The 4th Dust, Atmosphere, and Plasma Environment of the Moon and Small Bodies 3. OPAG May Hybrid Meeting, Lightning Talks and Poster Session 4. Save the Date: First Texas Area Planetary Science Meeting (TAPS) - August 17-18, San Antonio 5. Asteroids, Comets, Meteors (ACM) Conference: Expressions of Interest 6. Exploring Mars Together: A Plan for a Sustainable Future for Science at Mars 7. Call for DPS Prize Nominations (Due April 15, 2023) 8. NASA Planetary Data Training Workshop, Tempe, Arizona, May 23-26, 2023 9. PhD Position in Space Research/Mass Spectrometry at the University of Bern, Switzerland 10. Job Announcement: Life Detection Scientist at NASA Goddard 11. Science Community Involvement Opportunity - Mars Sample Receiving Project Measurement Definition Team 12. Hybrid Science Lecture with Updates from JWST, April 6, 2023 13. NASA Facility for Astromaterials Research 14. [NASA] Science Mission Directorate Budget Community Town Hall - April 6 Question and Answer Session 15. [NASA] PDS: Insight Data Release 16 16. [NASA] PDS: Odyssey Data Release 83 17. [NASA] PDS: Aperiodic PDS Data Releases in 2023.03 18. [NASA] MUREP Curriculum Awards (MCA) - Preproposal Webinar #2 19. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions 20. 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 CALL TO ACTION: PETITION CONGRESS FOR 2029 LAUNCH DATE FOR VERITAS The VERITAS team needs your help. NASA selected VERITAS in June 2021 and then put the mission on hold this past November despite us being on time and on budget. Now we are scheduled to launch "no earlier than 2031". To maintain our schedule as much as possible, we are working to petition Congress to stipulate a 2029 launch date for VERITAS. If you are willing and able, please visit the URL below (and sign) the petition to our elected officials. We realize that many are unable to participate in this petition given your affiliations, but please share this with any U.S. friends and family you may have who are able to do so. Support Veritas: https://tinyurl.com/246j5muj If you would like more information about the situation VERITAS finds itself in, please feel free to reach out to me or anyone else on the VERTIAS team. Thank you for your support, Jenny Whitten she/her Associate Deputy PI of VERITAS jwhitten1@tulane.edu [Editor Note: Even civil servants in the US have a right to engage in free speech and solicit Congress as private individuals] 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 4TH DUST, ATMOSPHERE, AND PLASMA ENVIRONMENT OF THE MOON AND SMALL BODIES The 4th Dust, Atmosphere, and Plasma Environment of the Moon and Small Bodies (DAP-2023) will be a three-day workshop from June 5-7, 2023 in Boulder, CO. Abstract submission (deadline March 31, 2023) and registration (deadline May 15, 2023) are open at: https://impact.colorado.edu/dap/2023. The DAP-2023 workshop will be hosted by the SSERVI-IMPACT team at the University of Colorado, and will be a forum to 1. Discuss our current understanding of the surface environment of the Moon and other small bodies, 2. Share new results from past and ongoing missions to the moon, airless bodies and comets, and 3. Describe expectations, problems, and solutions for planned future missions to dusty destinations. DAP-2023 will follow the traditions of three previous workshops, LDAP-2010, DAP-2012, and DAP-2017. Best regards, Tobin Munsat, Xu Wang, Mihaly Horanyi, Jan Deca, Addie Dove, and Jorge Nunez DAP-2023 organizers Contact: Tobin.Munsat@Colorado.EDU 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 OPAG MAY HYBRID MEETING, LIGHTNING TALKS AND POSTER SESSION The next Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) meeting will be held on May 2-3, 2023 as a hybrid meeting, virtually and at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, MD. OPAG will host a poster session on the evening of May 2, for in-person attendees. Posters can focus on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA), research, mission concepts, technology developments, etc. A brief lightning talk (1-2 min) will be given by presenters to advertise the posters. For virtual attendees who would like to present, we can offer a longer lightning talk (4-5 minutes, depending on the number of presentations). OPAG looks forward to providing this opportunity for you to showcase your work and network! If you wish to give a lightning talk (virtually or in person) please fill out this form by April 20, 2022. If you have questions, please contact: Kate Craft: Kate.Craft@jhuapl.edu and Kunio Sayanagi: kunio.m.sayanagi@nasa.gov There is also opportunity for a limited number of stipends for in-person and virtual attendance for students and early careers. Further details on this and a link to register for the meeting is here: https://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/meetings/OPAGMay2023/ Thank you! OPAG Steering Committee 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 SAVE THE DATE: FIRST TEXAS AREA PLANETARY SCIENCE MEETING (TAPS) - AUGUST 17-18, SAN ANTONIO We are excited to announce the first Texas Area Planetary Science Meeting (TAPS) taking place on August 17-18, 2023, at the downtown UT San Antonio (UTSA) campus in San Antonio. This inaugural conference aims to strengthen interactions within the Texas planetary-exoplanet science and astrobiology community and foster collaborations & partnerships between institutions & researchers. We encourage researchers, faculty, postdocs, and students interested in planetary science and astrobiology/exoplanet research to join us for this 1.5-day event. We are pleased to offer travel support for attendees, with priority given to early-career students and postdocs. Others may also apply based on need. Stay tuned for more details about the travel grant application. A short 2000-character abstract will be due by June (exact date to be announced). Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information on registration, travel grant application, and abstract submission. We look forward to hosting you at the First Texas Area Planetary Science Meeting! For more information about the TAPS meeting: https://www.lpi.usra.edu/features/2023/033123/TAPS/ Please contact Xinting Yu (xinting.yu@utsa.edu) for any 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 ASTEROIDS, COMETS, METEORS (ACM) CONFERENCE: EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST To help with planning for the Asteroids, Comets, Meteors (ACM) conference to be held in Flagstaff, Arizona from June 18-23, the organizers are soliciting expressions of interest for the following: Lowell Observatory organizes summer camps for kids ages 6-12 years old. More information at: https://lowell.edu/visit/orbits-curiosity/ These camps generally run M-F from 9am-3pm and cost approximately $300 per week. Lowell is considering the possibility of hosting a special session of these camps for the week of ACM. If you are planning to attend ACM and would be interested in signing up your child, please submit an expression of interest at: https://forms.gle/nAbcXegAUbnVsKra9 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 EXPLORING MARS TOGETHER: A PLAN FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR SCIENCE AT MARS Over the past year, the Mars Exploration Program (MEP) has been thinking strategically about ways to guide the Mars program through the next two decades. The product of this work, Exploring Mars Together: A Plan for a Sustainable Future for Science at Mars, outlines a draft vision for scientific exploration, technology development, infrastructure, and community partnerships that will make the Mars program of the future robust, resilient, and reflective of our diverse community. A draft of this plan was presented at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science (CAPS) meeting on March 29, 2023. A presentation is also planned for the MEPAG 40 Hybrid Meeting on April 11-12, 2023 in Washington DC and online. Reviewing the slides in advance (link below) of the MEPAG meeting on April 11-12 will allow you time to consider the details of the draft plan. As always, the MEP will welcome your feedback. Please visit the following link to access the DRAFT Plan for a Sustainable Future for Science at Mars: https://go.nasa.gov/3LWGfYQ [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 CALL FOR DPS PRIZE NOMINATIONS (DUE APRIL 15, 2023) Every year the DPS recognizes exceptional achievement in our field. Please consider nominating a respected colleague for one of the annual DPS prizes. The DPS sponsors six prizes: 1. The Gerard P. Kuiper Prize recognizes and honors outstanding contributors to the field of planetary science. 2. The Claudia J. Alexander Prize recognizes excellence and achievements by a mid-career scientist. 3. The Harold C. Urey Prize recognizes and encourages outstanding achievements in planetary research by an early-career scientist. 4. The Harold Masursky Award recognizes and honors individuals who have rendered outstanding service to planetary science and exploration. 5. The Carl Sagan Medal recognizes and honors outstanding communication by an active planetary scientist to the general public. 6. The Jonathan Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award recognizes distinguished popular writing on planetary sciences. DPS members and the planetary science community-at-large are encouraged to submit nominations for DPS prizes. Please fill out the nomination form and it will be submitted to the prize subcommittee: https://dps.aas.org/prizes/eberhart#Nomination Deadline: April 15, 2023 (A little over two weeks left!) Questions: Email dpsprize@aas.org 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 PLANETARY DATA TRAINING WORKSHOP, TEMPE, ARIZONA, MAY 23-26, 2023 The next NASA Planetary Data Training Workshop will be an in-person only event held at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, on May 23-26, 2023. This Workshop is intended for students and newcomers who want to learn to use digital planetary data for research involving studies of the surfaces of the terrestrial planets and icy moons. We are offering two $2000 travel grants for people from underrepresented groups who want to learn to use planetary data. For a description of the Workshop, registration form, and travel grant applications, and information on hotels and other travel information, please visit this website: https://rgcps.asu.edu/gis-pdtw/ Please contact David.Williams@asu.edu for questions. 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 PHD POSITION IN SPACE RESEARCH/MASS SPECTROMETRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BERN, SWITZERLAND Comet Interceptor (CI), the European Space Agency's new F-class mission, is currently under development to fly past a pristine comet. The University of Bern is the lead institute of the mass spectrometer suite MANiaC (Mass Analyzer for Neutrals in a Coma) which is dedicated to the investigation of the gas coma surrounding the comet. The PhD contains both theoretical and lab work in the field of comets and spacecraft instrumentation. A key aspect is the characterization of CI/MANiaC and includes operation, characterization, and calibration of the different instrument models and subunits. The position requires a Master of Science degree in physics or a closely related field in engineering. Experience in instrumentation, lab work, and programming languages are a clear advantage. Interested applicants should send their curriculum vitae (including professional experience), a one-page motivation letter, the contact details of two reference persons, and the grades obtained at the Master level to Dr. Martin Rubin (martin.rubin@unibe.ch). Details: https://tinyurl.com/b6ve5twy 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: LIFE DETECTION SCIENTIST AT NASA GODDARD The Astrochemistry Laboratory of the Solar System Exploration Division at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is seeking a full-time research scientist specializing in life detection science who would work to connect theories of life and biological search patterns to measurable parameters and contribute to future mission concepts. The successful candidate will work closely with life detection instrument technology developers to conceive of measurement approaches that are well connected to fundamental, robust theories or models of biology and life signatures. This research position entails developing productive collaborative relationships, leading ground-breaking research, and providing input into future mission/instrument design. This is a GS-13/14 level civil servant position located at NASA-Goddard in Greenbelt, Maryland near Washington, DC. As a government position, individuals must have US citizenship at time of application. A full vacancy announcement, which contains further information including qualification requirements and application instructions, will be posted at the end of April on www.usajobs.gov. For additional information contact: Dr. Natasha Johnson, natasha.m.johnson@nasa.gov 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 SCIENCE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT OPPORTUNITY - MARS SAMPLE RECEIVING PROJECT MEASUREMENT DEFINITION TEAM NASA and ESA are planning to charter a Measurement Definition Team (MDT) to assess the measurement and instrumentation needs for the high-containment Mars Sample Return Sample Receiving Project facility to process samples brought back from Mars and accomplish sample safety assessment, curation, and science. There will be an open call for membership, and early career individuals are encouraged to apply. We expect the applications for this committee to be accepted in late Spring 2023, with an anticipated committee timeline between September 2023 and July 2024. If you are interested in receiving more information as it becomes available, please register your interest by signing up on the Mars Sample Receiving Project Measurement Definition Team 1 - Indication of Interest form hosted at: https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system. Note: emails are only being collected for the purpose of sharing information about this MDT, and the list will be deleted once the group has been formed. Questions may be directed to Lindsay E. Hays at lindsay.hays@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 HYBRID SCIENCE LECTURE WITH UPDATES FROM JWST, APRIL 6, 2023 Join the LPI for a hybrid presentation (in-person and online) by Dr. Ian Wong of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Dr. Wong will provide a high-level overview of some of the highlights from the first year of JWST Solar System observations and discuss how these results will revolutionize our understanding of solar system formation and evolution. This event will be held in-person and online on Thursday, April 6. The presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT (8:30 p.m. ET/ 6:30 p.m. MT/ 5:30 p.m. PT). Learn more: https://www.lpi.usra.edu/features/2023/032223/cess/ 13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13 NASA FACILITY FOR ASTROMATERIALS RESEARCH Welcome to the new NASA Facility for Astromaterials Research (NFAR). Our User Program is designed to provide access to a unique combination of laboratories, instruments, infrastructure, technical expertise, and other assets for conducting broad-based world-class planetary research. NFAR enables direct access to both research and curation expertise, to facilitate specialized sample handling and analysis of allocated samples to sample PIs, particularly those affiliated with institutions that historically have limited access to or lack in-house analytical or experimental facilities. The first round of proposal submissions are due April 2023. Website: https://tinyurl.com/mtj52abv 14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14 [NASA] SCIENCE MISSION DIRECTORATE BUDGET COMMUNITY TOWN HALL - APRIL 6 QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION Date: April 6, 2023 Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Eastern Time NASA's Science Mission Directorate will hold a community town hall question and answer session focused on the FY24 budget with Associate Administrator for Science Nicky Fox and her leadership team. Participants are invited to submit their questions below and/or vote up questions already posted. Members of SMD, the science community, academia, the media, and the public are invited to participate by joining the WebEx link below. https://tinyurl.com/mpsny9rp If prompted, please use event number 2760 969 9860, followed by event password eU4mTzJ6Q@2 (38468956 from phones) Participants are invited to submit their questions and/or vote up questions already posted at: https://nasa.cnf.io/sessions/pdsd/#!/dashboard Users must provide their first and last name and organization and can submit their own questions or vote up questions submitted by others. The meeting leaders will try to answer as many of the submitted questions as possible. A recording will be available later that day at: https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/virtual-townhall If you are unable to join the WebEx, we will be live streaming the town hall to YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@NASAScience/streams Kirsten Petree kirsten.petree@nasa.gov 15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15 [NASA] PDS: INSIGHT DATA RELEASE 16 The NASA Planetary Data System announces Release 16 of data from the InSight Lander mission to Mars. This release contains raw, calibrated, and derived data products covering the time period from October 1 - December 15, 2022 (End of Mission). The data are archived at various PDS nodes. - SEIS (Seismometer) at the Geosciences Node - HP3/RAD (Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package / Radiometer) at the Geosciences Node - RISE (Radio Science) at the Geosciences Node - IDA (Instrument Deployment Arm) at the Geosciences Node - APSS (Temperature, Wind, and Pressure) at the Atmospheres Node - IFG (Insight Fluxgate Magnetometer) at the PPI Node - ICC/IDC (Instrument Context Camera / Instrument Deployment Camera) at the Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node - SPICE at the NAIF Node The data may be accessed from: https://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/insight/ InSight releases occur every three months. The next release is scheduled for June 30, 2023. To access the latest PDS Data Releases, please visit the following link: 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/ 16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16 [NASA] PDS: ODYSSEY DATA RELEASE 83 The NASA Planetary Data System announces Release 83 of data from the Mars Odyssey Orbiter. This release contains raw, calibrated, and derived data products nominally covering the time period July 1, 2022, through September 30, 2022, for the GRS/HEND/NS suite, and June 3, 2022, through September 2, 2022, for THEMIS. GRS/HEND/NS data are archived at the PDS Geosciences Node, THEMIS data at the THEMIS Data Node, and SPICE data at the PDS NAIF Node. The data may be accessed from: https://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/odyssey/ or from a dataset-centered view: https://pds.nasa.gov/datasearch/subscription-service/SS-20230401.shtml Odyssey releases occur every three months. The next release is scheduled for June 30, 2023. To access the latest PDS Data Releases, please visit the following link: 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/ 17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17 [NASA] PDS: APERIODIC PDS DATA RELEASES IN 2023.03 In March 2023, PDS ingested and made available the following data, none of which were regularly released with an ongoing mission: - 2023.03.28 LRO Mini-RF 100mpp Global Mosaics - 2023.03.13 MRO SHARAD RDRs - 2023.03.13 MRO SHARAD EDRs - 2023.03.10 DART Spacecraft Archive v2 (draft) - 2023.03.10 DART Spacecraft Archive v1 (final) - 2023.03.06 Laboratory Study of Hydrocarbon IR Spectra v4 - 2023.02.28 Galileo Magnetometer Pre-Jupiter Calibrated Data - 2023.02.07 MSL ChemCam Passive Surface Spectra To access those data: https://pds.nasa.gov/datasearch/subscription-service/SS-20230331.shtml To access all data archived in PDS: https://pds.nasa.gov 18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18 [NASA] MUREP CURRICULUM AWARDS (MCA) - PREPROPOSAL WEBINAR #2 A second pre-proposal webinar will be held on Thursday, April 6, 2023 from 4:00-5:00 PM Eastern Time. This webinar is for further clarification of proposal preparation and requirements as well as to answer questions from potential proposers. Proposers may also receive technical assistance from project staff at this time, including tips and guidance for submitting proposals. Registration is required (link to participate will be sent to your email after registration is completed.) Use the following link to register: https://tinyurl.com/2ktyjpjx A recording of the first pre-proposal webinar is posted on the MCA landing page. It is recommended that participants who did not attend the first webinar review that recording prior to attending the second webinar. A recording of the second webinar will be made available on the MCA landing page as well. Please visit the MCA landing page in NSPIRES for information about this opportunity. Proposers are strongly advised to visit the site for updates prior to the call. Please submit all questions to MCA@nasaprs.com. Should you or your colleagues be interested in this opportunity, please apply at the MCA landing page on NSPIRES. 19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS Note: Most face-to-face meetings going forward will have online components. Check their websites for details. Posted at https://planetarynews.org/meetings.html August 17-18, 2023 First Texas Area Planetary Science Meeting (TAPS) https://www.lpi.usra.edu/features/2023/033123/TAPS/ San Antonio, TX November 1-3, 2023 Fluvial Aeolian InteRactions on PLAnetarY surfaces (FAIRPLAY) workshop https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/fairplay/home Noordwijk, Netherlands [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.] 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 SCIENCE JOURNAL - NEW PAPERS Direct Links to Open Access Papers Editor, Faith Vilas https://psj.aas.org The Enigmatic Abundance of Atomic Hydrogen in Saturn's Upper Atmosphere Lotfi Ben-Jaffel et al. 2023 PSJ 4:54 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/acaf78 *********************************************************************** * The Planetary Exploration Newsletter is issued approximately weekly. * Current and back issues are available at https://planetarynews.org * * To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your email address, go to * https://planetarynews.org/pen_subscribe.php. * * 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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