PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 20, Number 4 (January 25, 2026) PEN Website: https://planetarynews.org 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. Assistant or Associate Professor in Analytical Geochemistry 2. Mars Exploration Science Program Newsletter for January 2026 3. Future of MEPAG - Message from the Chair 4. Reminder: Planetary Science Community Workshop 5. High Pressure Research Scientist (Open Rank) 6. NOIRLab Users Committee Invites Participation in Listening Sessions 7. Join The Planetary Society's Day of Action in Washington, D.C. on April 19-20, 2026 8. [NASA] SMD: ROSES-2026 to be Released July 2026 9. [NASA] SMD: ROSES-25 Amendment 39 - Rolling Submissions Extended through August 10. [NASA] SMD: ROSES-25 Amendment 40 - Exoplanets Research Program Step-2 Due Date Deferred to February 2, 2026 11. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions 12. Planetary Science Journal - New Papers 13. 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 ASSISTANT OR ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN ANALYTICAL GEOCHEMISTRY The Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, invites applications for a faculty position in Analytical Geochemistry. The position is for a full-time, tenure-line appointment at the Assistant or Associate Professor level that will preferably begin on 1 August 2026. The selected candidate will develop a highly published and externally funded research program in analytical geochemistry, including isotopes and trace elements, and that includes supervision of undergraduate and graduate students, and laboratory technical staff. The candidate will provide primary oversight of a newly established ICP-MS laboratory facility, which includes multi-collector and quadrupole ICP-MS instruments (ThermoFisher Neoma and iCAP TQ) and a laser ablation system (ESI NWR193). The candidate is expected to perform rank-appropriate departmental and university service and teach introductory, undergraduate and graduate courses in the candidate's specialization. We seek to hire a geoscientist whose expertise complements existing strengths of the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, including planetary geoscience, cosmochemistry, igneous petrology, structural geology, economic geology, earth history, environmental science, and hydrology. For the full description, see the application portal: https://apply.interfolio.com/180318 Review of applications will begin March 2, 2026. Questions should be directed to Dr. Molly McCanta (mmccanta@utk.edu). 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 MARS EXPLORATION SCIENCE PROGRAM NEWSLETTER FOR JANUARY 2026 The latest edition of the newsletter is available at: https://tinyurl.com/2jxmfevn We do still plan to hold our Spring MEPAG meeting in Baltimore, April 21-23, 2026, at the Johns Hopkins Mt. Washington campus. The meeting will be hybrid, but we encourage everyone to participate in person, if able. The meeting webpage is: https://www.lpi.usra.edu/mepag/meetings/mepagapril2026/ A reminder, too, that the updated MEPAG Goals document has been posted on the MEPAG website: https://www.lpi.usra.edu/mepag/goals/ The latest version contains significant changes from the 2020 version of the Goals document, reflecting the changing focus on human exploration. Lastly, applications for the MEPAG Steering Committee are currently being evaluated, and more information, including selection of new committee members will be forthcoming shortly. As always, please feel free to e-mail Vicky Hamilton if you have any questions or concerns (vicky.hamilton@swri.org). [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 FUTURE OF MEPAG - MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR Vicky Hamilton, Chair of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) sent a letter to the community addressing the future of MEPAG. The full letter is available at: https://planetarynews.org/MEPAG/MEPAG_Letter_20260122.pdf 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 REMINDER: PLANETARY SCIENCE COMMUNITY WORKSHOP There will be a community-led, grassroots-organized planetary science meeting at the Kentucky Science Center on Tuesday through Thursday, April 14-16, 2026. This workshop is for professionals working in and around the field of planetary science, including scientists, engineers, students, policy-makers, and industry partners. Although science is core to this workshop, *all* topics of interest to this community are welcome. There is no source of funding for the Workshop other than registration fees. We need 50 paid registrations by 31 January for PSCW to happen. We're almost halfway to that goal-so please register early if you can! To learn more about the workshop and to register, please visit: https://planetaryworkshop.org/ Co-organizers: Paul Byrne (paul.byrne@wustl.edu) and Chase Million (chase@millionconcepts.com) 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 HIGH PRESSURE RESEARCH SCIENTIST (OPEN RANK) Eyring Materials Center at Arizona State University is looking for a Research Scientist (Open Rank), High-Pressure Lab Manager. The candidate will be responsible for finalizing the establishment of the FORCE (Facility for Open Research in a Compressed Environment) facility and managing ASU's high-pressure facility. This position is supported by Arizona State University. Once operational, FORCE will serve as a national center that will attract high-pressure researchers from the U.S. and around the world, and it is expected to operate as a cutting-edge facility for many years. Facility management includes training users to operate the facility's equipment, maintaining the equipment's iLab schedule, and conducting high-pressure runs. Duties also include generating training materials as appropriate and developing techniques as needed. The candidate must work effectively as part of a team and have extensive experience with multi-anvil press operation. The initial application deadline is February 12, 2026. For more information, please visit: https://apply.interfolio.com/179571 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 NOIRLAB USERS COMMITTEE INVITES PARTICIPATION IN LISTENING SESSIONS The U.S. National Science Foundation has asked NOIRLab to participate in a Portfolio Prioritization Process (P3), in which NOIRLab is planning how to best serve the community in the 2030s and beyond. A key part of the planning process involves hearing from our user community, something which kicked off at the NOIRLab Open House at the AAS 247 meeting in Phoenix, AZ. Five online listening sessions will be held. Everyone is welcome to attend. Each session will begin with a brief introduction to P3 and NOIRLab, posing some discussion topics and followed by break-out sessions and discussion. The listening sessions will each be 90 minutes, and take place as follows: Exoplanets and Solar System January 28, 1:00 p.m. MST Time Domain and Multi-messenger Astronomy February 11, 1:00 p.m. MST Stars Stellar Systems, and the Milky Way February 25, 1:00 p.m. MST The Evolution of Galaxies and their Environs March 11, 12:00 p.m. MST Cosmology March 25, 12:00 p.m. MST To register for a listening session and receive the Zoom information, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/UDBdG97gwuyW1twD9 Contact: Eric Peng, eric.peng@noirlab.edu [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 JOIN THE PLANETARY SOCIETY'S DAY OF ACTION IN WASHINGTON, D.C. ON APRIL 19-20, 2026 The next NASA budget cycle is upon us, and we need you in Washington to make your voice heard. Join us April 19-20 for The Planetary Society's Day of Action. Last year, our advocacy helped stop the largest proposed cuts to NASA Science in history. This year, those cuts may be back on the table. We need to be ready to respond the moment the President's budget request drops. In-person constituent meetings remain the gold standard for congressional engagement. By being on the ground early, we can ensure NASA Science remains a priority from day one. We handle the logistics: advocacy training from our policy team, a minimum of three congressional meetings scheduled on your behalf, and networking events while you're in D.C. First-time advocates welcome. Register before March 1 for early-bird pricing. Travel and lodging are on you, with recommendations and limited discounted hotel rooms available to registrants. U.S. residents only. We win by staying united, organized, and in the room where decisions are made. Register at: https://tinyurl.com/23kjs2bf [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 [NASA] SMD: ROSES-2026 TO BE RELEASED JULY 2026 In 2025, NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) released the annual Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) solicitation in July rather than February, the traditional target release date. For simplicity, consistency, and to maintain the annual schedule, SMD plans to release ROSES-2026 in July again this year rather than February. ROSES-2025 will continue solicit until ROSES-26 is released. ROSES-25 will be amended soon to extend the close date for the "no due date" and "flexible" due date program elements. Questions about ROSES in general may be directed to Max Bernstein at SARA@nasa.gov. Technical questions about individual ROSES-25 program elements should be directed to the point of contact in the summary table of key information at the end of the program element PDF. 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 [NASA] SMD: ROSES-25 AMENDMENT 39 - ROLLING SUBMISSIONS EXTENDED THROUGH AUGUST ROSES-2025 Amendment 39 extends due dates for three program elements: 1) It extends the last date for submission to C.2 Solar System Science to August 1, 2026, see footnote [4] in Tables 2 and 3 of ROSES-25. 2) It extends the last date for proposals to A.4 Rapid Response and Novel Research in Earth Science and A.10 INNOVATE to August 31, 2026, see footnote [3] in Tables 2 and 3 of ROSES-25. However, once ROSES-26 is released (in July 2026), proposers are strongly encouraged to create new proposals vs. the new ROSES. Moreover, this amendment also makes other changes to the program elements, so please review the text. For example, the expected budget and number of new awards in Section 4 of C.2 Solar System Science have been increased. Questions about A.4 Rapid Response and Novel Research in Earth Science may be directed to kelsey.bisson@nasa.gov. Questions about A.10 INNOVATE may be directed to nima.pahlevan@nasa.gov. Questions about C.2 Solar System Science may be directed to hq-scubed@mail.nasa.gov. Questions about ROSES in general may be directed to Max Bernstein at SARA@nasa.gov. [Edited for length] 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 [NASA] SMD: ROSES-25 AMENDMENT 40 - EXOPLANETS RESEARCH PROGRAM STEP-2 DUE DATE DEFERRED TO FEBRUARY 2, 2026 The Exoplanets Research Program (XRP), element F.3 of ROSES-25, solicits basic research proposals to conduct scientific investigations that significantly improve our understanding of exoplanets and exoplanet formation. This program element is cross-divisional and jointly managed by three of the Divisions within NASA's Science Mission Directorate: Astrophysics, Planetary Science, and Heliophysics. Proposed investigations that combine multiple scientific disciplines or cross traditional Divisional science boundaries, for example, by including topics or analysis techniques from Heliophysics, are highly encouraged. ROSES-2025 Amendment 40 defers the Step-2 due date for F.3 XRP to February 2, 2026. Questions concerning F.3 XRP may be directed to the XRP program officers at hq-xrp@mail.nasa.gov. [Edited for length] 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 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 November 9-13, 2026 Missing Links in Planet Formation: From Embedded Disks to Planets https://events.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw/workshop/20261109/ Taipei, Taiwan 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 PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL - NEW PAPERS Direct Links to Open Access Papers Editor, Brian Jackson https://psj.aas.org Revealing Callisto's Near-subsurface Thermophysical Properties with ALMA Calibration Data Cole Meyer et al. 2026 PSJ 7:10 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae2eb0 Surface Modifications of a Space-weathered Ryugu Sample and the Reflectance Spectral Response Hotaka Onuma et al. 2026 PSJ 7:11 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae2b68 Inferring and Interpreting the Visual Geometric Albedo and Phase Function of Earth Tyler D. Robinson 2026 PSJ 7:12 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae2ec6 Dripping to Destruction: Exploring Salt-driven Viscous Surface Convergence in Europa's Icy Shell A. P. Green and C. M. Cooper 2026 PSJ 7:13 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae2b6f Effect of a Surficial Porous Brittle Layer on the Dynamics and Equilibrium Thickness of Europa's Ice Shell Rawad Himo et al. 2026 PSJ 7:14 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae2ec5 Spin Parameters and Shape Models of Near-Earth Asteroids (4660) Nereus, (21088) Chelyabinsk, (66146) 1998 TU3, and (297418) 2000 SP43 Javier Rodriguez Rodriguez et al. 2026 PSJ 7:15 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae2d11 The Sesquinary Catastrophe on Deimos Can Reconcile Its Excited Past with Its Dynamically Cool Present Kaustub P. Anand et al. 2026 PSJ 7:16 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae2fba Penetration Law in Loose Granular Medium for the Chang'E 5 and Chang'E 6 Footpad Diwen Duan et al. 2026 PSJ 7:17 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae2d4d Remote Compositional Analyses of Space-weathered Lunar Maria Ji-In Jung et al. 2026 PSJ 7:18 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae2b57 The Prospects for Gravitational Seismology at Uranus with an Orbiting Spacecraft A. James Friedson et al. 2026 PSJ 7:19 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae29ed Model for Determining the Origin of Lunar Volatiles Based on Their Composition: Application to NASA's VIPER and Other Landed Missions Kathleen Mandt et al. 2026 PSJ 7:20 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae2fc6 Determination of Venus's Rotation State Using Radio-tracking Data from the Venus Express Spacecraft Maeva Levesque et al. 2026 PSJ 7:21 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae2dfe 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 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 Formation of Asteroid (16) Psyche by a Giant Impact Saverio Cambioni et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009317 Formation and Alteration of Olivine-Carbonate Rocks Within Jezero Crater as Constrained by In Situ Visible/Near-Infrared Multispectral Images E. Ravanis et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009151 Geophysical Impacts and Spectroscopic Identification of a Hydrous Iron Sulfate on Icy Worlds Olivia S. Pardo et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009238 Mountain Waves and Thermal Tides of the Venusian Atmosphere Analyzed Through Thermal Infrared Images and Radio Occultation Z. Guo et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009226 A Cross-Correlation Method to Evaluate Wind Retrieval Accuracy on Mars Using Simulated Microwave Limb Sounder Observations S. Jurado-Fortuna et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009227 Craters and Lunar Lua (Pits/Skylights) in Mare Tranquillitatis and Marius Hills Reveal Variations in Protolith Properties E. S. Costello et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009427 Analysis of High Frequency Marsquake Swarms Informed by Deep Learning Nikolaj L. Dahmen et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009229 "Salt Tectonics" on Titan: Radial Labyrinths as Topographic Expressions of Solid-State Flow Ashley M. Schoenfeld et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009230 Short-Term Effect of Mars-Like Radiation on Carbon and Oxygen Isotope Compositions of Carbonates Nicolas Randazzo et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009384 Dust and Cloud Transport by Traveling Waves in the Martian Atmosphere Studied With Mars Climate Sounder Nozomi Kakinuma et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009387 Mountain Degradation Mechanisms on Io Based on Geologic Mapping of the Cocytus Montes Region From JunoCam Imagery C. H. Seeger et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE008955 An Analysis of the Exposure History of Apollo 17 Soils: Exploring Relationships Between Lunar Soil Maturity Indices J. A. McFadden and M. S. Thompson https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009185 *********************************************************************** * 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. Go to * https://planetarynews.org/submission.html for complete submission * directions. * * PEN is a service provided by the Planetary Science Institute * (https://www.psi.edu) using no NASA funds. 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