Editor: Matthew R Perry
Co-Editors: Alex Morgan, Mark V. Sykes
Email: pen_editor@psi.edu
X: @pen2tweets
Bluesky: @planetarynews.bsky.social

o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o

1. Geosciences Special Issue: Worlds of the Solar System
2. [NASA] SMD: Lunar Science and Technology Payloads RFI
3. [NASA] SMD: Community Announcement - Release Status of an Earth
   Venture Orbital Solicitation
4. [NASA] SMD: Release of Request for Information (RFI) Regarding
   Atmospheric Microwave Radiometry Observations for NASA FALCON
5. [NASA] SMD: Advancement of "Science as a Service (SaaS)" for NASA
   and Commercial Partners Request for Information
6. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions
7. Planetary Science Journal - New Papers
8. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets - New Papers

o---------------------------------------------------------------------o

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GEOSCIENCES SPECIAL ISSUE: WORLDS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

The Special Issue entitled "Worlds of the Solar System: Geological
Evolution and Habitability of Planets and Moons" aims to bring together
the latest advances on the dynamic processes that have shaped planetary
bodies and their potential to support life. We welcome submissions on
comparative studies of Venus, Earth, and Mars, highlighting the
divergent evolutionary pathways of terrestrial planets from Venus'
runaway greenhouse conditions to Earth's long-term climate stability
and Mars' transition from a wetter, more habitable past to its current
arid state.

Beyond inner planets, this Special Issue also aims to explore the icy
worlds of the outer Solar System. We welcome investigations of Europa
and Enceladus focusing, among other topics, on evidence for subsurface
oceans, plume activity, and geophysical mechanisms that may create
niches for life beneath their ice shells, as well as studies on Titan
emphasizing its unique methane-based hydrological cycle, organic-rich
surface, and complex interactions between the atmosphere and surface
chemistry. Other icy moons are also a topic of interest for manuscripts
submitted to this Special Issue.

For complete submission directions and to see confirmed invited papers,
please go to:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/geosciences/special_issues/86M95CV534


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[NASA] SMD: LUNAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PAYLOADS RFI

NASA seeks to increase lunar landings to a near-monthly cadence
starting in 2027 via the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)
initiative, targeting 10 deliveries per year. This represents a
transformative opportunity for commercial companies, universities, and
research institutions worldwide to get payloads to the Moon regularly.

A Request for Information (RFI) from the Exploration Science Strategy
Integration Office (ESSIO) will inform how NASA fills payload
allocations on CLPS deliveries in 2027, 2028, and beyond. The RFI -
"Lunar Science and Technology Payloads for Expanded Lunar Landing
Opportunities" - requests payload details that may be shared via an
opt-in public Lunar Payload Database. NASA is especially interested in
self-funded payload teams that can deliver completed flight units to
CLPS and conduct their own surface operations.

Respond to the RFI only via NSPIRES, which is available to eligible
entities and persons in or outside the United States. Please see the
full RFI text for complete details at:

https://go.nasa.gov/ploadsrfi

Direct questions to Drs. Zachary Pirtle and Brad Bailey at
HQ-RFILunarPayloads@mail.nasa.gov (subject line: "PLoads RFI"). Do not
submit responses by email. ESSIO will lead evaluation of all RFI
responses.

[Edited for length]


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[NASA] SMD: COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT: RELEASE STATUS OF AN EARTH VENTURE
ORBITAL SOLICITATION

NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD), Earth Science Division (ESD),
is pleased to announce the release of a Community Announcement as an
advanced notice of NASA's intention to solicit Earth Venture (EV)
investigations. The full announcement can be found on the EVO-1
Acquisition Homepage:

https://essp.larc.nasa.gov/EVO-1

This will be the first solicitation in the Earth Venture Orbital (EVO)
series and will be soliciting innovative, Principal Investigator
(PI)-led, cost-capped investigations for operations in Low Earth Orbit
(LEO).

The solicitation will focus on:

- Faster time-to-science
- Strategic use of commercial capabilities
- Promoting partnerships

NASA encourages feedback in response to this Community Announcement to
help shape release of the first EVO solicitation. Questions or comments
about this EVO-1 Community Announcement should be submitted by April
23, 2026. The received questions and answers will be posted on the
EVO-1 Acquisition Homepage.

For questions or comments, please contact:

- Michael Kaszyca, NASA Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) Program
  Office Deputy Program Manager, michael.kaszyca@nasa.gov
- Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, Program Scientist, nadya@nasa.gov

We look forward to engaging with interested partners to continue
advancing Earth Science through innovative collaborations.


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[NASA] SMD: RELEASE OF REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) REGARDING
ATMOSPHERIC MICROWAVE RADIOMETRY OBSERVATIONS FOR NASA FALCON

NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Earth Science Division (ESD),
is pleased to announce the release of a Request for Information (RFI)
for commercially-owned and operated microwave radiometry observations
to fly in formation with NASA Fleet for the Atmosphere Linking
Commercial Observations with NASA (FALCON). The full announcement for
NNH26ZDA007L can be found here:

https://go.nasa.gov/atmrorfi

The RFI is seeking mission concepts that promote:

- Faster time to science
- Strategic use of commercial capabilities

The RFI response should be submitted by April 23, 2026.

For questions or comments, please contact: Will McCarty, Program
Scientist, will.mccarty@nasa.gov; Beth Weinstein, Deputy Associate
Director for Flight, beth.e.weinstein@nasa.gov

We look forward to engaging with interested partners to continue
advancing Earth Science through innovative collaborations.


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[NASA] SMD: ADVANCEMENT OF "SCIENCE AS A SERVICE (SAAS)" FOR NASA AND
COMMERCIAL PARTNERS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

A new Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Request for Information (RFI) -
"Advancement of Science as a Service (SaaS) for NASA and Commercial
Partners" (NNH26ZDA006L) - seeks input from commercial and research
communities on strategies to accelerate technology maturation, advance
public-private partnerships, and expand space access across Earth
Science, Space Weather, and Astrophysics.

NASA invites input from U.S. and international stakeholders - including
industry, universities, nonprofits, FFRDCs, government partners, and
individual researchers - on topics including commercial technology
needs, on-orbit validation requirements, streamlined payload
integration, technology transition pathways, and approaches to
strengthen cross-community partnerships.

Responses will directly inform NASA's Venture Technology Accelerator
(VTA), Space Weather observational architecture planning, and emerging
astrophysics technology transition concepts, with the overarching goal
of lowering technical, schedule, and financial risk for next-generation
science capabilities.

Responses are due April 23, 2026. Submit only via NSPIRES. Do not
submit by email.

For the full text of the RFI and response instructions:

https://go.nasa.gov/saasrfi

Direct questions to Michael Seablom (Michael.S.Seablom@nasa.gov) or
Shawn Domagal-Goldman (Shawn.Goldman@nasa.gov) at NASA Headquarters.

[Edited for length]


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PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS

Note: Many face-to-face meetings going forward will have online
components. Check their websites for details.

Posted at https://planetarynews.org/meetings.html

No new meetings posted.


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PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL - NEW PAPERS

Direct Links to Open Access Papers

Editor, Brian Jackson
https://psj.aas.org

Synchronization of a Tidal Binary by Inward Orbital Migration. The
Case of Pluto and Charon
Michael Efroimsky et al. 2026 PSJ 7:68
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae47f7

Probabilistic Modeling of Lunar Topography for Exosphere Simulations
and Implications for Helium, Neon, and Argon
Alexander Peschel et al. 2026 PSJ 7:69
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae4901

Linear Polarization Variations and Circular Polarization Are Common
among Airless Bodies
Sloane J. Wiktorowicz et al. 2026 PSJ 7:70
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae4c5f

Thermal and Dielectric Properties of Juno's Regolith at One Millimeter
Wavelength
Jian-Yang Li et al. 2026 PSJ 7:71
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae468f

Effect of Irregular Particle Shape in Simulations of Tidal Disruption
and Reaccumulation of Small Solar System Bodies
Julian C. Marohnic et al. 2026 PSJ 7:72
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae4908


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JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH: PLANETS - NEW PAPERS

Direct Links to Open Access (OA) Papers

Editors-in-Chief, Amanda Hendrix & Debra Buczkowski
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21699100

https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009447

Revealing the Internal Structure of Mars-Analog Glaciers From
Drone-Based Radar Sounding
Roberto J. Aguilar et al.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009208

Intrusion-Induced Forced Folding Model for the Origin of Seitah
Formation Domes on the Jezero Crater Floor, Mars
Robert Barnes et al.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009463

Influence of Mars Topography on Neutral Surface Radiation: Modeling and
MSL/RAD Observations
Gabin Charpentier et al.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009336

ANGSA. A New Mission to the Taurus Littrow Valley
Charles K. Shearer, Francis M. McCubbin, Amanda Hendrix
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE008958


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