PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 19, Number 17 (April 27, 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. [Editorial] "E.T., Phone the White House" Opinion Essay by Casey Dreier in the New York Times 2. [NASA] SMDP: Opportunity for an Interdisciplinary Scientist and Guest Investigators in the BepiColombo Mission 3. NASA Postdoctoral Program 4. Binaries in the Solar System VI - Call for Abstracts 5. [EPSC-DPS] Session MITM11: Synergies between Space Missions and Ground-based Observations 6. [EPSC-DPS] Session ODAA6: Open Planetary Science for Effective Knowledge, Co-creation, and Dissemination 7. [EPSC-DPS] Session SB1: Interstellar Objects - From Theory to Observations 8. [EPSC-DPS] Session TP2: Atmospheres and Exospheres of Terrestrial Bodies 9. Less than Two Weeks to Apply for CHEOPS Guest Observers Time! 10. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions 11. Planetary Science Journal - New Papers 12. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets - 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 [EDITORIAL] "E.T., PHONE THE WHITE HOUSE" OPINION ESSAY BY CASEY DREIER IN THE NEW YORK TIMES Casey Dreier, Chief of Space Policy at The Planetary Society, published "E.T., Phone the White House", an opinion essay in the New York Times. "Shattering NASA's scientific capability would be an abandonment of our ideals: curiosity in the face of the unknown, relentless optimism and a practical determination to engage with the world as it is, not as we want it to be. Instead of looking up and out, we would become a country looking down and in, the national equivalent of a teenager hunched over an iPhone, oblivious to the world beyond." You can read the full essay at: https://tinyurl.com/8wstzb9a 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 [NASA] SMDP: OPPORTUNITY FOR AN INTERDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIST AND GUEST INVESTIGATORS IN THE BEPICOLOMBO MISSION Important Dates: Mandatory Letters of Intent are due to ESA by 12:00 pm CEST on May 20, 2025. Emails requesting a NASA letter of endorsement must be received by NASA no later than May 30, 2025. Full proposals are due to ESA by 12:00 pm CEST on June 10, 2025. Proposals from investigators at U.S. organizations will require letters of endorsement for full proposals. Endorsement is not required for Letters of Intent. Please see below for additional information, including the NASA Point of Contact (POC). Scope of Program: An Announcement of Opportunity for an Interdisciplinary Scientist and Guest Investigators in the BepiColombo Mission was released by ESA on April 22, 2025. The Announcement of Opportunity (AO) solicits proposals from scientists to augment the scientific return of BepiColombo. BepiColombo is an interdisciplinary mission to the planet Mercury, carried out as a joint project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), with NASA participation, executed under ESA leadership. To view the full announcement please visit: https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/bepicolombo-ids-gi-2025 Points of Contact: NASA: Shoshana Weider (shoshana.z.weider@nasa.gov) ESA: Yannis Zouganelis (annis.zouganelis@esa.int) JAXA: Yoshifumi Saito (saito.yoshifumi@jaxa.jp) [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 NASA POSTDOCTORAL PROGRAM The NASA Postdoctoral Program offers US and international scientists the opportunity to advance their research while contributing to NASA's scientific goals. The NPP supports fundamental science; explores the undiscovered; promotes intellectual growth; and encourages scientific connections. Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP Fellows complete one- to three-year Fellowship appointments that advance NASA's missions in Earth science, planetary science, heliophysics, astrophysics, biological and physical science, aeronautics and engineering, human exploration systems, space operations, space technology, and astrobiology. Search for NPP research opportunities in planetary science here: https://npp.orau.org/applicants/opportunities.html Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in hand before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing the degree requirements. Please see current eligibility requirements at: https://npp.orau.org/applicants/eligibility.html Stipends start at $70,000 per year, with supplements for higher cost-of-living areas and for certain academic specialties. Financial assistance is available for relocation and health insurance, and $10,000 per year is provided for travel and professional development. Applications are accepted three times each year: March 1, July 1, and November 1. For further information and to apply, visit: https://npp.orau.org/applicants/index.html Questions: npp@orau.org 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 BINARIES IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM VI - CALL FOR ABSTRACTS We invite the community of binary asteroids scientists to submit an abstract to the Binaries in the Solar System VI, which will take place at the Cote d'Azur Observatory in Nice, France, from 15 to 17 September 2025. We welcome abstracts on all topics related to binary systems in the Solar system, from their characterization (remote or in situ) to theories on their formation and evolution. The abstract submission is free of charge. It must be submitted on the Abstract Submission form in a simple text format containing up to 300 words by 25 May 2025. More information about the conference guidelines, registration, program and practical info about the venue can be found on the meeting website: https://bam-vi.sciencesconf.org/ Please forward this message to colleagues who may be interested. We look forward to seeing you in Nice! 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 [EPSC-DPS] SESSION MITM11: SYNERGIES BETWEEN SPACE MISSIONS AND GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS Space missions to study bodies throughout the Solar System up-close have led to significant advances in understanding how our planetary system formed and evolved. A host of current and upcoming missions will further revolutionise our knowledge of the Solar System's structure and history e.g., the characterisation of numerous Jupiter Trojans by the Lucy flybys, the Hera mission to assess the Didymos-Dimorphos system following the DART impact, and the first ever up-close study of a long period comet by Comet Interceptor. In addition to these small-body missions, there are missions flying or in development to visit all the major planets from Mercury to Jupiter, and discussions about future missions to the ice giants. Each of these missions are greatly enhanced by the support of ground-based facilities to provide necessary context through remote sensing and target characterisation. This session invites contributions from researchers undertaking telescopic observations related to mission targets, including pre-encounter characterisation, parallel ground and space observations, or follow up studies. Submit abstracts (deadline May 7): https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2025/session/55125 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 [EPSC-DPS] SESSION ODAA6: OPEN PLANETARY SCIENCE FOR EFFECTIVE KNOWLEDGE CO-CREATION AND DISSEMINATION With yet another call for abstracts in the EPSC-DPS joint meeting in Helsinki September 7-12 in this newsletter, we would like to draw your attention to a session about Open Science. Planetary scientists, astronomers, researchers, citizen science practitioners, and other stakeholders are encouraged to present new projects and the developments of previous ones, in the context of promoting open, participatory, and public science. Science education initiatives are also welcome. We are looking forward to seeing presentations on efforts related to open space/planetary science from any aspect! The deadline is on Wednesday, May 7. https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2025/session/55163 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 [EPSC-DPS] SESSION SB1: INTERSTELLAR OBJECTS - FROM THEORY TO OBSERVATIONS Interstellar objects (ISOs) have become a novel field of Galactic small body studies, connecting the formation history of our Solar System to the processes of planetesimal creation and evolution that play out in planetary systems across the Milky Way. The known population of ISOs is expected to increase soon, following 1I/`Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019, as the planetary science community reaps the benefits of a new generation of survey telescopes. At the given epoch, the intrinsic ISO population remains observationally unconstrained; theoretical predictions are equally influential as observed physical characteristics on our understanding. This session explores the past, present, and future research on interstellar objects, and is therefore open to contributions from a wide range of topics, including (but not limited to): - Planetesimal formation and ejection mechanisms - ISO dynamics in the Galaxy - Evolutionary processing of small bodies e.g. in the interstellar medium or tidal disruption - The relationships of Solar System populations to ISOs - Observational characterisation of the known ISO population - Population modelling & predictions for future ISO discoveries - Mission concepts for in-situ ISO observation Submit abstracts (deadline May 7): https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2025/session/55013 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 [EPSC-DPS] SESSION TP2: ATMOSPHERES AND EXOSPHERES OF TERRESTRIAL BODIES EPSC-DPS 2025 abstract submissions are open until the deadline of 7 May 2025, 13:00 CEST! We invite you to present your work in the session TP2: Atmospheres and exospheres of Terrestrial Bodies https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2025/session/55206 Space missions have provided a wealth of data on the atmospheres and aeronomy of rocky planets and moons, from the lower layers up to the external envelopes in direct contact with the solar wind. This session solicits contributions that investigate processes at work (chemistry, energetics, dynamics, electricity, escape, surface-atmosphere interactions, etc...) in the lower, middle and upper atmosphere of the terrestrial bodies of the Solar System. Contributions based on analysis of recent spacecraft and ground- based observations, comparative planetology studies, numerical modelling and relevant laboratory investigations are particularly welcome. In view of the three future Venus missions selected by ESA and NASA, papers discussing contemporary Venus atmospheric science in preparation for these missions are also encouraged. The session will consist of invited and contributed oral talks as well as posters. See you in Helsinki! The conveners: Anni Maattanen, Francisco Gonzalez-Galindo, Gabriella Gilli, Orkun Temel, Tanguy Bertrand 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 LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO APPLY FOR CHEOPS GUEST OBSERVERS TIME! On 8 May at 12:00 CEST, ESA's CHEOPS mission will close its 6th Announcement of Opportunity (AO-6) to the Guest Observers (GO) Programme. Collaborative Synergies: The timely overlap of several space- and ground-based missions may provide exciting opportunities for synergies with NASA/ESA/CSA JWST, NASA/ESA HST, NASA TESS, ESO ground-based facilities, and more. Simple step by step proposal submission tutorials: You can find below simple video tutorials on how to submit a CHEOPS GO proposal at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKsBT54nlVQ Explore interactively CHEOPS public level-2 light-curves: You can also explore interactively and download public undetrended CHEOPS level-2 light curves from ESASky to prepare your proposal. Remember that all public and proprietary data can only be found at the CHEOPS archive, which should be checked before submitting a proposal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obbavv7EsCE For more information, access to the call material and proposal submission website, visit the CHEOPS 6th Announcement of Opportunity website at: https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/cheops-guest-observers-programme/ao-6 Happy proposing! 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 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 August 6-8, 2025 16th Planetary Crater Consortium Meeting https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/crater2025/ Boulder, CO September 8-10, 2025 UK & Ireland Discs Meeting 2025 https://ukidiscs.github.io/discs2025/ Hatfield, United Kingdom September 15-17, 2025 Binaries in the Solar System VI https://bam-vi.sciencesconf.org/ Nice, France September 18-19, 2025 Second MEPAG/ExMAG Joint Workshop on Connecting Community Scientific Hypotheses to Mars Sample Science https://www.lpi.usra.edu/exmag/meetings/second-exmag-mepag-workshop/ Houston, TX 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL - NEW PAPERS Direct Links to Open Access Papers Editor, Faith Vilas https://psj.aas.org LiDO: Exploring the Stable Plutino Parameter Space Samantha M. Lawler et al. 2025 PSJ 6:100 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/adc10c Charged Clouds of Ionized Gas Emerge from Tribocharging Grains Patrick Hock et al. 2025 PSJ 6:99 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/adc579 12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12 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 The Isotopic Variation of K and Fe in Apollo 17 Double Drive Tube 73001/2 and Implications for Regolith History and Space Weathering M. Broussard et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JE008371 Magnetization of Iron Meteorites up to the Meter in Size as Possible Analogs for Asteroid Psyche Clara Maurel et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JE008810 Diagenetic Features Reveal the Influence of the Greenheugh Pediment on the Alteration History of Gale Crater, Mars Jordan Ando et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JE008891 Thermophysical States of MgSiO3 Liquid up to Terapascal Pressures: Implications for Magma Oceans in Super-Earths and Sub-Neptunes Haiyang Luo & Jie Deng https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JE008678 Unveiling What Makes Saturn Ring: Quantifying the Amplitudes of Saturn's Planetary Normal-Mode Oscillations and Trends in C-Ring Properties Using Kronoseismology (VII) V. M. Afigbo et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JE008710 Origin and Development of Interbedded Clays and Sulfates in Equatorial Layered Deposits of Meridiani Planum, Mars B. Baschetti et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JE008564 Revealing the Moon's Taurus-Littrow Landslide via Integrated Analysis of Pristine Apollo 17 Soil Core 73001/2 Mason Neuman et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JE008556 *********************************************************************** * 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. 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