PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 19, Number 5 (February 2, 2025) 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. Pausing All Meetings and Activities of Planetary Science Analysis/Assessment Groups 2. PhD Opportunities in Interdisciplinary Space Sciences and Planetary Research 3. Survey on Lunar Surface Sustainability 4. Progress in Understanding the Pluto System: 10 Years after Flyby 5. Schweickart Prize: Now Accepting Applications 6. Postdoc Position in Laboratory Spectroscopy of Earth & Planetary Materials 7. Postdoctoral Researcher in Small-Body Survey Science 8. PSJ Focus Issue on Mars Resources and Science Targets for Human Exploration 9. New Horizons Science Spotlight Webinar 10. Planetary Geomorphology Image of the Month 11. AOGS2025 Session PS19: Hydration in Airless Bodies of the Solar System 12. [NASA] Aperiodic PDS Data Releases in 2025.01 13. [NASA] Rescheduling EONS 2024 ACEIR Preproposal Webinar #2 14. [NASA] Space Technology Payload Challenge: A NASA STMD TechLeap Prize 15. [NASA] F.5 FINESST: SMD's Graduate Student Research Opportunity Updated Text and Charts and Reviewers Sought 16. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions 17. Planetary Science Journal - New Papers 18. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets - New Papers Commercial/Fundraising Announcements: C1. Suborbital Spaceflight and Analog Geology 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 PAUSING ALL MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES OF PLANETARY SCIENCE ANALYSIS/ASSESSMENT GROUPS We received the message below from HQ, which impacts our ability to conduct MEPAG activities. As a result, I am pausing planning for the hybrid meeting in April/May, and the SFL-SAG and Goals committee will be stopping work until further notice. We will let everyone know as soon as we are able to resume work. Vicky Hamilton, Chair "As NASA continues to review and ensure compliance with presidential actions, we are requesting that you please pause all meetings and activities of Planetary Science Analysis/Assessment Groups. This includes ExMAG, LEAG, MAPSIT, MEPAG, MExAG, OPAG, OWWG, SBAG, VEXAG, the cross-AG EDIA Working Group, and any other groups or activities that have been developed by the AGs. Please make your communities aware of this request." Thank you and we will reach out regarding next steps. Presidential Actions may be found at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/ [Edited for length] 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 PHD OPPORTUNITIES IN INTERDISCIPLINARY SPACE SCIENCES AND PLANETARY RESEARCH The Young Researcher Program welcomes applications for PhD positions, supported by the Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Graz University of Technology, and the University of Graz. The application process has two stages with which we aim to decrease selection biases: Stage 1 of the application process is anonymised (submission deadline: March 11, 2025), stage 2 takes the form of an interview. We seek candidates with a strong background in natural sciences. Successful candidates must hold a master's degree in physics, astrophysics, geoscience, computational chemistry or equivalent at the latest by the starting date of the position but preferably at the time of application. The appointment can begin July 1, 2025 and will aim for minimum of three years. The offered projects are: - Next Generation Exoplanet Cloud Formation Model - Coronal dimmings as signatures for CMEs - Towards an all-sky ion composition detector for the Saturnian system - Simulation of Deuterium in and above the Venus Atmosphere - Observations of magnetic buoyancy signatures in the Earth's magnetotail - Rossby waves in stars For more information: https://tinyurl.com/yc24ap2z We are looking forward hearing from you! [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 SURVEY ON LUNAR SURFACE SUSTAINABILITY Human activities on and around the Moon have increased. What are the implications for the long term? As part of a multi-disciplinary research project, we invite you to participate in a survey to share your thoughts on what sustainability means in the context of the Moon. The survey is anonymized and will take about 15 minutes to complete. We are looking to gather a broad range of perspectives, and would greatly appreciate your input even if you do not currently work on lunar exploration in particular. You can access the survey via this URL: https://mit.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6Eufm7HaycqDhbw/ Please feel free to contact the research team at siddiqi@mit.edu (PI, Dr. Afreen Siddiqi) with any questions. Thank you for your participation and time! 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 PROGRESS IN UNDERSTANDING THE PLUTO SYSTEM: 10 YEARS AFTER FLYBY The "Progress in Understanding the Pluto System: 10 Years after Flyby" meeting will be held July 14-18, 2025 at the Kossiakoff Conference Center of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. NASA's New Horizons mission conducted the first and only exploration flyby of the Pluto system, culminating at the closest approach on July 14, 2015. This meeting will assess advances made since then using New Horizons and all other data (ground-based, JWST, HST, etc.), as well as theory and modeling, regarding all aspects of the Pluto system and the dwarf planets of the Kuiper Belt. Session topics will include: Pluto, Charon, Pluto's Small Satellites, Kuiper Belt Dwarf Planets, Pluto and Satellite System Origins, and Past and Future Exploration of Pluto, the Kuiper Belt, and the Outer Solar System. To be added to the mailing list to receive information about this meeting, submit an indication of interest by Wednesday February 19, 2025 at: https://tinyurl.com/2fw8tup5 Registration and abstract submission will open on Thursday February 20. The deadline for abstract submission is Friday, April 18. For more information, see the USRA meeting page: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/plutosystem2025/ 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 SCHWEICKART PRIZE: NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS Are you a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow with bold ideas for planetary defense? The Schweickart Prize invites you to submit an innovative proposal for tackling challenges like asteroid detection, impact mitigation, space law, or public education. The winner will be granted a cash prize of $10k USD, receive an award, be given public exposure through a press campaign, and receive mentorship by the Prize Selection Committee, including Apollo 9 Astronaut Rusty Schweickart. The application submission deadline is Wednesday, 5 March 2025, 11:59 PM PST Interested students are encouraged to watch our student Q&A webinars to get more information and firsthand insights from the 2024 Prize Winner to the application process. Watch here: https://bit.ly/3CDi9zU For further details, visit the official Schweickart Prize website: https://www.schweickartprize.org/for-students Sign up for the newsletter: https://bit.ly/3PKJvqJ 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 POSTDOC POSITION IN LABORATORY SPECTROSCOPY OF EARTH & PLANETARY MATERIALS The Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN has an opening for a postdoctoral researcher to support the Planetary Spectroscopy Laboratory at Purdue, part of the PRECISE NASA Planetary Science Enabling Facility. The position will include development of new laboratory facilities (reflectance point and imaging spectroscopy, FTIR, environmental analog chambers, etc.), support for external users of the lab through PRECISE, and science investigations utilizing the lab along with other PRECISE facilities, potentially supported by analog field work or analysis of planetary remote sensing data. For details and application instructions, please see link to ad below, and contact Prof. Briony Horgan (briony@purdue.edu) with any questions. https://tinyurl.com/2eb28k8a 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 POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN SMALL-BODY SURVEY SCIENCE The Department of Physics at the University of Helsinki is seeking an ambitious postdoctoral researcher to join the Planetary System Research group, and carry out research within the framework of a project entitled "Physico-dynamical population model of near-Earth objects based on data from Rubin, Gaia, and Euclid", funded by the Research Council of Finland (PI: Mikael Granvik). The objective is to develop the tools necessary for the development of next-generation NEO population models as well as the first realization of such a model. The candidate should have a PhD in planetary science, astronomy, or a closely related field, and, preferably, experience with numerical modeling of asteroid dynamics, development and application of survey debiasing tools, and/or analysis of data from large surveys. In addition, good programming and data-analysis skills, and a demonstrated ability to work both independently and in a team are considered highly advantageous. More information at: https://aas.org/jobregister/ad/defae27e [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 PSJ FOCUS ISSUE ON MARS RESOURCES AND SCIENCE TARGETS FOR HUMAN EXPLORATION A new Planetary Science Journal focus issue entitled "Human Exploration of Mars: Resources and Science Targets" is now accepting contributions. This focus issue highlights Mars research that seeks to understand potential resources to sustain human missions, as well as pinpointing scientifically intriguing targets that would benefit from direct human exploration on the Martian surface. Contributions to the issue are intended to include a diverse array of data analyses, modeling, field-analog, and conceptual studies, all geared towards advancing the scientific exploration of Mars. For more information about the focus issue, please visit: https://iopscience.iop.org/collections/PSJ-250131-01 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 NEW HORIZONS SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT WEBINAR Join us on 27 February 2025, 2:30-3pm EST (11:30-12 PST, 12:30-1pm MST, 1:30-2pm CST) New Horizons continues its operation, now at 61au from the Sun. Since 2015 it has made ground-breaking discoveries of the Pluto-Charon system, flown past the small contact KBO binary Arrokoth and collected phase and light curve data for some three-dozen additional KBOs and the ice giants. It has also been sampling dust density throughout the Solar System and studying the cosmic optical background. To raise awareness of New Horizon's scientific impact we are beginning a new spotlight seminar series (30 min, fourth week each month) which we invite you to attend online, or watch recorded at your convenience. Our speaker will be Tod Lauer of NOIRLab and he will be speaking on "A Demonstration of Interstellar Navigation Using new Horizons" Connection Link: https://tinyurl.com/67aw24ny Meeting ID: 973 1769 7636 Passcode: 802327 Calendar for future seminars: https://tinyurl.com/2dp85h2h Recordings are archived and posted at: https://tinyurl.com/bdzf7szt For questions, contact New Horizons CoI Susan Benecchi, susank@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 GEOMORPHOLOGY IMAGE OF THE MONTH The February image of the month is now available on the IAG's Planetary Geomorphology web page: https://planetarygeomorphology.wordpress.com This month's topic is "A flurry of clouds and dust on Mars", contributed by Dr. A. Maattanen , Dr. D. Tirsch and Dr. J. Hernandez-Bernal. 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 AOGS2025 SESSION PS19: HYDRATION IN AIRLESS BODIES OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM Please consider submitting an abstract to this Planetary Science section for the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) to be held in Singapore from July 27 to August 1, 2025: https://tinyurl.com/3u3y4e42 The recent decades have brought a revolution in our understanding of the distribution of water in airless bodies in the Solar System. Discoveries like water ice in the Permanently Shaded Regions of Mercury, water vapor around Ceres, hydration of the surface of the Moon and asteroids, and aqueous alterations inside samples from the Moon and asteroids revealed the surprising pervasiveness of water in Solar System's airless bodies and pose the question of where this water came from. We welcome submissions of abstracts covering laboratory investigations, remote and in situ measurements of water molecules, and modeling of the transport of water molecules in exospheres and its interaction with the surface in Solar System airless bodies. The abstract submission deadline is February 18, 2025. Conveners: Cesare Grava (SwRI, USA) Amanda Hendrix (PSI, USA) Shuai Li (University of Hawai'i, USA) Yang "Steve" Liu (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China) Christian Wohler (Technical University of Dortmund, Germany) 12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12 [NASA] APERIODIC PDS DATA RELEASES IN 2025.01 In January 2025, PDS ingested and made available the following data, none of which were regularly released with an ongoing mission: - 2025.01.31 Galileo Jupiter Radio Science Subsystem Derived - 2025.01.30 Phoenix TEGA Mass Spectrometer Evolved Gas Hopping Mode Peak - 2025.01.27 CTX and HiRISE DEMs by UCLA and UT Austin - 2025.01.23 MAVEN ROSE Derived Data - 2025.01.16 Mission-Independent DSN Calibration Data - 2025.01.15 MSL ChemCam Passive Surface Spectra - 2025.01.06 MARS EXPRESS MARS,SUN MRS 1/2/3 EXTENDED MISSION 9 - 2025.01.02 Pioneer Venus Orbiter Supplemental Experimenter Data Records - 2024.09.24 Pioneer Venus Orbiter Magnetometer and Electric Field Anc Data To access those data: https://pds.nasa.gov/datasearch/subscription-service/SS-20250131.shtml To access all data archived in PDS: https://pds.nasa.gov 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] RESCHEDULING EONS 2024 ACEIR PREPROPOSAL WEBINAR #2 This National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) entitled Engagement Opportunities in NASA STEM (EONS) - 2024, solicits proposals for competitive funding opportunities in support of the programs administered by NASA's Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM). EONS-2024 is an omnibus announcement that includes a wide range of NASA STEM Engagement opportunities for basic and applied science and technology research and education. Specific opportunities will be issued periodically throughout the year as Appendices to this solicitation with individual requirements and milestones. The MUREP ACEIR NOFO was released on December 2, 2024, and remain open until March 3, 2025, at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. The second optional pre-proposal webinar for the ACEIR opportunity 3:00pm Eastern January 30, 2025 will be rescheduled. Please note, webinar recordings and the Q&A doc are posted to the MUREP ACEIR Landing Page: https://tinyurl.com/4cwf95nf For general inquiries, contact NASAACEIR@nasaprs.com [Edited for length] 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] SPACE TECHNOLOGY PAYLOAD CHALLENGE: A NASA STMD TECHLEAP PRIZE The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released a challenge under STMD's Flight Opportunities TechLeap Prize titled "Space Technology Payload Challenge." An online Q&A session will be held on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at 2:30 pm ET. Recordings of previous information sessions as well as detailed information about the challenge are available on the challenge website: https://www.stpc.nasatechleap.org/ Registration is due on or before March 4, 2025, at 5:00 pm ET, with applications due on or before March 20, 2025, at 5:00 pm ET. Note that registration is a prerequisite to submit an application. Selections are expected to be announced in July 2025 (target). [Edited for length] 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] F.5 FINESST: SMD'S GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY UPDATED TEXT AND CHARTS AND REVIEWERS SOUGHT F.5 Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) solicits proposals for graduate student-designed and performed research projects relevant to NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The PDF file with the name that begins :F.5 Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology..." is located on the right side of the page immediately above the section called "Other Documents" at: https://go.nasa.gov/FINESST24 This Amendment makes several changes to F.5 FINESST: - Sections 2.1 and 2.6 have been updated to conform with Executive Orders posted at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/ - References to the review criterion in Section 4.1.4 are updated to match corrections made on January 22. - Charts from the Earth Science Division second Office Hours on January 22, are available under "Other Documents" at: https://go.nasa.gov/FINESST24 [Edited for length] 16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16 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 June 23-25, 2025 2025 Earth and Planetary Cloud Workshop https://www.nasa.gov/jpl/pcarf/workshop-2025/ Pasadena, CA July 14-18, 2025 Progress in Understanding the Pluto System: 10 Years after Flyby https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/plutosystem2025/ Laurel, MD July 27 - August 1, 2025 Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) https://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2025/public.asp?page=home.asp Marina Bay, Singapore [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.] 17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17 PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL - NEW PAPERS Direct Links to Open Access Papers Editor, Faith Vilas https://psj.aas.org Impact of Jupiter's Heating and Self-shadowing on the Jovian Circumplanetary Disk Structure Antoine Schneeberger and Olivier Mousis 2025 PSJ 6:23 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad9de1 The Interplay of Surface Composition, Mineralogy, and Physical Conditions That Affect the Surface Release Processes and Particle Environment of Mercury Peter Wurz et al. 2025 PSJ 6:24 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad95fa History and Habitability of the LP 890-9 Planetary System Rory Barnes et al. 2025 PSJ 6:25 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad94dc Cross Validation of Albedo Determination for 1627 Ivar from Three Different Techniques Elena Selmi et al. 2025 PSJ 6:26 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ada563 Interior and Gravity Field Models for Uranus Suggest a Mixed- composition Interior: Implications for the Uranus Orbiter and Probe Zifan Lin et al. 2025 PSJ 6:27 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ada124 ORIGIN: Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry of Nucleobases for In Situ Space Exploration Nikita J. Boeren et al. 2025 PSJ 6:28 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad9de9 Refined Mapping of Subsurface Water Ice on Mars to Support Future Missions G. A. Morgan et al. 2025 PSJ 6:29 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad9b24 A Global Survey of Lunar Surface Thorium Anomalies Associated with Impact Basins S. Nagihara 2025 PSJ 6:30 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ada49e Long-term Spectral Monitoring of Active Asteroid (6478) Gault: Implications for the H Chondrite Parent Body Adam Battle et al. 2025 PSJ 6:31 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ada286 18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18 JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH: PLANETS - NEW PAPERS Direct Links to Open Access (OA) Papers Editor-in-Chief, Amanda Hendrix https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21699100 No new open access papers this week. *********************************************************************** COMMERCIAL/FUNDRAISING ANNOUNCEMENTS *********************************************************************** C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1-C1 SUBORBITAL SPACEFLIGHT AND ANALOG GEOLOGY Do you want to visit Virgin Galactic's launch site where people leave Earth? How about exploring the Moon and Mars' analog geologic terrains right here on Earth? This February 27 we kick off the Earth and Space Experience. Seats are filling up, so join us! https://www.areslearning.com/earthandspace/ *********************************************************************** * The Planetary Exploration Newsletter is issued approximately weekly. * Current and back issues are available at https://planetarynews.org * * To subscribe, go to https://planetarynews.org and click on Subscribe. * * An unsubscribe option is available at the end of every PEN email. Or * 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. Alternatively, the editorial staff will * create one for you. 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