PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 20, Number 23 (June 7, 2026) PEN Website: https://planetarynews.org Editor: Alex Morgan Co-Editors: Mark V. Sykes, Matthew R Perry Email: pen_editor@psi.edu X: @pen2tweets Bluesky: @planetarynews.bsky.social o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. Resources for the Planetary Science Community to Respond to OMB's Proposed Grant-making Rule Changes 2. Research Associate Position Available at the University of Kent, UK 3. Postdoctoral Position in Computational Materials Science for Planetary Cores 4. [ACM 2026] Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) Community Workshop 5. [GSA 2026] Geological Society of America Connects Annual Meeting: Abstract Submission is Open 6. [GSA 2026] Session T188: Geomorphology and Surface Processes Across the Solar System 7. Planetary Crater Consortium: Registration and Abstracts are Open 8. [DPS-58] Abstract Submission and Registration are Open 9. [DPS-58] Splinter Meetings are Solicited 10. [DPS-58] Low-Cost Meeting Observer Option 11. [DPS-58] Travel Grant Applications 12. [DPS-58] Dependent Care Applications 13. [DPS-58] Conference Lodging 14. [DPS-58] Information for Exhibitors and Sponsors 15. [AGU 2026] The Surface and Subsurface of Mars as Seen from Orbit 16. [NASA] PDS: Aperiodic PDS Data Releases in 2026.05 17. [NASA] PDS: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Data Release 77 18. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions 19. Planetary Science Journal - New Papers 20. 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 RESOURCES FOR THE PLANETARY SCIENCE COMMUNITY TO RESPOND TO OMB'S PROPOSED GRANT-MAKING RULE CHANGES The Office of Management and Budget has proposed sweeping changes to federal grant-making rules that would impose new bureaucratic requirements on scientific research, restrict the dissemination of scientific results, and open the door to partisan control over grant awards. The proposed rule changes would all but end the use of scientific merit in the selection of grants and programs across the government. The Planetary Society has created the following resources to help the planetary science community respond to these proposed rule changes during the open comment period: (1) A tracked-changes dashboard comparing the current and proposed regulatory text, section by section: https://dashboards.planetary.org/rules-change/ (2) Our advocacy action, the quickest way for someone to submit a comment, with guidance on making it personal and effective: https://planetary.org/ombgrantrules (3) An overview article detailing the impacts these regulatory changes would have on NASA Science: https://planetary.org/articles/when-science-answers-to-politics 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 RESEARCH ASSOCIATE POSITION AVAILABLE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENT, UK We are looking for a Research Associate to join the ERC-funded PROSPER project, exploring the risks posed by space debris and helping develop technologies that support sustainable access to space. The successful candidate will work within an interdisciplinary team across physics, chemistry, engineering and computing, and will build and develop dust detectors and, using the Kent two stage light gas gun, test their performance and iterate the design. Additional information can be found at: https://jobs.kent.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?id=9856&forced=2 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 POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN COMPUTATIONAL MATERIALS SCIENCE FOR PLANETARY CORES Ghent University (Belgium) invites applications for a postdoctoral position in computational materials science, focused on ab initio phase diagram prediction for solid and liquid matter at high temperatures and high pressures. The aim is to establish a new research line on materials and mixtures relevant to planetary cores. The work will connect first-principles materials modelling with questions from planetary science, in collaboration with external planetary scientists. This is an exploratory project: there is no predefined workflow or detailed recipe. The selected candidate will help identify suitable computational strategies, design and test workflows, and build a robust research approach. Possible ingredients include density-functional theory, molecular dynamics, free-energy methods, structure prediction and machine-learning interatomic potentials. We are looking for a creative, independent and collaborative researcher with strong experience in ab initio materials modelling. Due date: June 21, 2026. Full details and application instructions are available here: https://tinyurl.com/hb392b9z 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 [ACM 2026] EMIRATES MISSION TO THE ASTEROID BELT (EMA) COMMUNITY WORKSHOP July 6, 2026 The EMA Project Science Group will hold a community workshop at the Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors (ACM) conference in Poznan, Poland, on Monday the 6 of July during the lunch hour: 13:00 - 14:30. Through this open session, the EMA team will present opportunities available to the science community to support the mission's science. They will provide a brief overview of the mission objectives, tour design, and payload. The team will also present current knowledge of the mission's seven target asteroids which include (623) Chimaera, (13294) Rockox, and (269) Justitia and current gaps in the understanding of these asteroids. Finally, the team will discuss ground-based and space-based observations of the asteroids and the needed models to support mission objectives. The session will also include a questions and answers portion at the end. Further information: https://acm2026.eu/ Contact: Hoor Al Mazmi (h.almazmi@space.gov.ae), Paul Hayne (paul.hayne@colorado.edu) 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 PLANETARY CRATER CONSORTIUM: REGISTRATION AND ABSTRACTS ARE OPEN It's time to save the date for the upcoming Planetary Crater Consortium (PCC) Meeting this July: 1) The dates for our 2026 meeting are July 15-17. It will be held at the USGS-Flagstaff in Flagstaff, AZ, USA; we will still support remote attendance and speakers. If you would like to consider hosting the PCC at your organization in future years, please come to the meeting with a proposal and we will vote on it. 2) Abstract submission and registration for this year's meeting are officially open! As with last year, Registration and Abstract submission for this year's meeting will be handled by Google Form: Abstracts: https://forms.gle/APaNS8G7ycJxNrQdA Registration: https://forms.gle/RpGWUMaK6qdkKWKK6 3) The deadline for abstract submission is June 17, 2026. Also keep your calendars open for a potential July 18 field trip in the Flagstaff area. 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 [GSA 2026] GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA CONNECTS ANNUAL MEETING: ABSTRACT SUBMISSION IS OPEN Abstract submission is open for the Geological Society of America Connects Annual Meeting, October 11-14 in Denver! https://connects.geosociety.org/ Planetary related sessions include: - Big Science from Small Worlds - Boxwork and Fracture Halos: Changes in mineralogy and erosion resistance around fracture features on Earth, Mars, and across the Solar System - Friends of Hoth, Rogue Moons: Icy Ocean Worlds - The G.K. Gilbert Award Session - Geomorphology and Landscape Evolution of Mars - Geomorphology and Surface Processes Across the Solar System - Hydrothermal Processes Across the Solar System - Impact Cratering: From the Earth into the Solar System - Mineralogy in the Solar System - Myths and Misrepresentations surrounding Cosmic Impact claims in Paleoclimatology, Paleontology, Paleoecology, Geoarchaeology, and Quaternary Research - Planetary Exploration and Education: How We Learn About Our Solar System and Beyond - Planetary sample science: Unlocking the history of lunar, Martian, and asteroidal materials - Shake and Bake: Volcanism and Tectonism across the Solar System - The Astro-Geoheritage of the Solar System: Past Explorations and Future Considerations - Venus and Earth: Separated at Birth Abstract deadline: August 6 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 [GSA 2026] SESSION T188: GEOMORPHOLOGY AND SURFACE PROCESSES ACROSS THE SOLAR SYSTEM If you plan on attending the 2026 Geological Society of America Connects Meeting in Denver, Colorado (October 11-14, 2025), we encourage you to consider submitting an abstract to session T188: Geomorphology and Surface Processes Across the Solar System. This session welcomes abstracts on any aspect of planetary geomorphology and surface processes, including but not restricted to: Earth analogues, laboratory experiments, numerical models, planetary comparison, mapping, in situ data, or remote sensing studies. The session brings together researchers studying Earth and other planetary bodies to compare how geomorphic processes operate across different environmental conditions. By fostering dialogue between terrestrial and planetary scientists, it promotes cross-system insight into the fundamental mechanisms that shape landscapes throughout the Solar System. We are also excited to have two excellent invited speakers: An Li (University of Washington) and Harrison Martin (Caltech). The abstract portal is open and can be accessed here: https://gsameetings.secure-platform.com/connects26 The deadline for submitting abstracts is August 6, 2025. Thanks, and we hope to see you in Denver! Session Conveners: Alex Morgan (PSI), Marisa Palucis (Dartmouth), Abdallah Zaki (UT Austin) 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 [DPS-58] ABSTRACT SUBMISSION AND REGISTRATION ARE OPEN https://submissions.mirasmart.com/DPS58/Splash.aspx https://aas.org/meetings/dps58/registration Registration and abstract submission are open for DPS-58 at the Spokane Convention Center, 25-30 October 2026. DPS will be a hybrid meeting with live-streamed in-person and recorded virtual talks and in-person posters. Three classes of registration include: full in-person, full virtual, and virtual meeting observer for a very low cost. Abstract submission will indicate a science theme plus a class of bodies pertinent to the abstract, from which the Science Organizing Committee will formulate the program. There is also an option to submit to one of five special sessions: - 5 Years of Perseverance Exploration at Jezero - Juno at 10 years - 20 years of MRO observing Mars - 30 years of asteroid rendezvous missions - Interstellar comets Regular abstract deadline: Thursday, 11 June 2026 9:00pm ET Early registration deadline: Monday, 15 June 2026 9:00pm ET Late abstract deadline: 2 July, 2026 12:00pm ET 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 [DPS-58] SPLINTER MEETINGS ARE SOLICITED DPS welcomes community groups to hold splinter sessions at DPS's 58th annual meeting at the Spokane Convention Center October 25-30, 2026, including AG groups, mission or instrument teams, or other planetary-themed groups. The venue features 4-6 rooms that seat between 30-100 and are available anytime, plus 4 large halls seating >250 which are available Saturday-Sunday October 24-25, or for 60-90 minute lunch meetings Monday-Thursday October 26-29. Rooms will be outfitted for hybrid participation with AV hardware; users must supply laptops. Zoom reservations may be arranged by users, or supplied at no cost by AAS. In-person participants are expected to register for attendance at DPS; virtual participants may attend at no cost. Apply for a splinter meeting here: https://submissions.mirasmart.com/DPS58/Splash.aspx Application deadline is Thursday June 11; selected applicants will be notified in late June. Catering is available at cost with forms sent with selection notifications. 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 [DPS-58] LOW-COST MEETING OBSERVER OPTION Are you interested in planetary science, and ready to attend professional talks on topics of interest, but costs of a professional conference are not affordable? DPS is pleased to announce a virtual attendance option that can fit a tightly constrained budget, as a virtual meeting observer. This option is meant for a wide variety of planetary science amateurs and professionals: - Amateurs who want a deeper dive than what is in the popular press - Leaders of high-school science clubs who will share with a group - Students and faculty at community colleges and tribal colleges - Retired professionals who lack emeritus status in a professional society - Active professionals who don't have funding to attend *all* the conferences they would like The virtual attendance option, available for $50, allows full watching and listening to oral presentations and access to recorded sessions. For more information visit the DPS-58 registration page: https://aas.org/meetings/dps58/registration 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 [DPS-58] TRAVEL GRANT APPLICATIONS The Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) offers travel grants to support attendance at DPS-58 to be held 25-30 October 2026 in Spokane, Washington, U.S.A. At least 30 grants may be awarded at $500-$1500 each. Hartmann Student Travel Grants support student presentations at the annual DPS meeting. (Postdoctoral scholars may also be eligible, but students are prioritized.) Award of a travel grant assumes submission of a DPS abstract, to be described in the application. Underrepresented Minority (URM) Communities in Planetary Science Travel Grants support attendance by students and professionals who are members of groups that have had inadequate access to the planetary science community. Applicants for DPS travel grants do not need to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Eligible candidates are welcome to apply for both grants, but if selected would receive only one. Apply here: https://dps.aas.org/news/dps-travel-grants-application/ 12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12 [DPS-58] DEPENDENT CARE APPLICATIONS The Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) offers Susan Niebur Dependent Care grants to support attendance at DPS-58 to be held 25-30 October 2026 in Spokane, Washington, U.S.A. These grants provide financial assistance to qualifying members to facilitate their meeting attendance by offsetting costs for child care, elder care, spousal care, etc., at the meeting location or at home during the DPS conference. Apply for a dependent care grant here: https://dps.aas.org/development/dps-dependent-care-grant-application/ 13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13 [DPS-58] CONFERENCE LODGING Please consider arranging your hotel for DPS-58 at official conference lodging. There is a block of rooms at government rates, and lodging is connected to the conference venue-the Spokane Convention Center-via a covered a walkway. The hotel features an onsite restaurant and other options are located nearby. Utilizing this lodging will cut both cost to attend the conference and carbon footprint to attend the conference by eliminating the need for car rental. https://aas.org/meetings/dps58/accommodations 14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14 [DPS-58] INFORMATION FOR EXHIBITORS AND SPONSORS The Local Organizing Committee for DPS-58 is soliciting exhibitors and sponsors for the meeting. Exhibitor spaces are located in a heavily trafficked are between the poster sessions and common area in a large, shared ballroom. If you are interested, please contact Conor Sherry (conor.sherry@aas.org) at the American Astronomical Society. 15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15 [AGU 2026] THE SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE OF MARS AS SEEN FROM ORBIT Several orbiting spacecraft are celebrating their many years continuously acquiring data of the surface and subsurface of Mars. Odyssey has been in orbit 25 years, MRO and Mars Express for over 20 years, and TGO for 10 years. These orbiters, along with many others throughout time, have acquired a rich interdisciplinary dataset from which to learn about current and past processes on Mars, with the aim of unraveling its geologic, climatic, and evolutionary history in comparison to Earth and other planets. This session invites submissions on all aspects of martian surface and subsurface processes, their interactions with the environment, and their changes in time, with emphasis on interdisciplinary science. 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: APERIODIC PDS DATA RELEASES IN 2026.05 In May 2026, PDS ingested and made available the following data, none of which were regularly released with an ongoing mission: - 2026.05.29 Voyager 2 Jupiter Planetary Radio Astronomy Data - 2026.05.27 MEX SPICE Release 16 - 2026.05.20 Multi-Parameter LIBS Reference Database of Geological Materials - 2026.05.14 Pioneer 11 Cosmic Ray Telescope Calibrated - 2026.05.14 Pioneer 10 Mission Bundle - 2026.05.14 Color/geometry cubes of asteroid 951 Gaspra based on Galileo SSI images - 2026.05.13 New Horizons Mission Documents v3.0 - 2026.05.01 Galileo Jupiter Plasma Wave Science Electron Density Derived Data To access those data https://pds.nasa.gov/datasearch/subscription-service/SS-20260531.shtml To access all data archived in PDS: 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: MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER DATA RELEASE 77 The NASA Planetary Data System announces Release 77 of data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). This release contains raw, calibrated, and derived data products nominally covering the time period August 9 through November 8, 2025. Some instrument teams are delivering more recent data. The data are archived at various PDS nodes. - CRISM, SHARAD, and Radio Science data at the Geosciences Node - HiRISE, CTX, and MARCI data at the Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node - MCS data at the Atmospheres Node - SPICE data at the NAIF Node The data may be accessed at https://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/mro/ Or for a view centered on this release https://pds.nasa.gov/datasearch/subscription-service/SS-20260601.shtml 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/ MRO data releases occur every three months. The next release is scheduled for September 1, 2026. 18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18 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 July 15-17, 2026 Planetary Crater Consortium (PCC) Meeting https://forms.gle/APaNS8G7ycJxNrQdA Flagstaff, AZ September 29-October 2, 2026 MATISSE Science Days https://vlti-ec.konkoly.hu/matisse2026/ Budapest, Hungary 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 SCIENCE JOURNAL - NEW PAPERS Direct Links to Open Access Papers Editor, Brian Jackson https://psj.aas.org Erratum: "Atomic Iron and Nickel in the Coma of C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake): Production Rates, Emission Mechanisms, and Possible Parents"(2021, PSJ, 2, 228) S. J. Bromley et al. 2026 PSJ 7:131 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae706d Modeling Carbon Outgassing from Chondritic Planetesimals Bo Peng and Diana Valencia 2026 PSJ 7:132 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae6c21 Dust On, Dust Off: HST Observations of the Newly Dormant Jupiter Co- orbital Comet P/2023 V6 (PANSTARRS) John W. Noonan and Theodore Kareta 2026 PSJ 7:133 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae6c1d Spitzer Observations of the Koronis Asteroid Family: Probing Size- dependent Surface Evolution Annika Gustafsson et al. 2026 PSJ 7:134 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae578b Constructing the Earth's Formation History Using Deep Mantle Noble Gas Reservoirs Vincent Savignac and Eve J. Lee 2026 PSJ 7:135 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae64f7 Methods for Analysing Low Signal-to-noise-ratio Emission Observations: The Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph Pipeline and Application to Titan Airglow Observations Nathan Le Guennic et al. 2026 PSJ 7:136 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae6c24 JWST and Gemini Observations of the Active Centaur 450P/LONEOS: Nucleus and Coma Characterizations Charles A. Schambeau et al. 2026 PSJ 7:137 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae685c Impact-generated Porosity Gradients Controlled Fluid Flow and Aqueous Alteration on the CM Parent Body Romy D. Hanna et al. 2026 PSJ 7:138 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae63c9 Improving Lunar Topography with Deep Learning Schrodinger Bridges Matthew Repasky et al. 2026 PSJ 7:139 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae6244 Smaller Than Earth Habitability Model (STEHM): The Lower Size Limit for Atmosphere Retention in the Habitable Zone Michelle L. Hill et al. 2026 PSJ 7:140 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae6804 Potential Cryovolcanic Regions on Ganymede: A Priority Target for JUICE Anezina Solomonidou et al. 2026 PSJ 7:141 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae69cd Bulk Thermal Conductivity of Granular Aggregates: Decoupling Coordination Number and Porosity Bhuvan Agrawal et al. 2026 PSJ 7:142 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae6fa9 Uranus Orbiter and Probe: Mission Challenges and Concept Updates Since the Origins, Worlds, and Life Decadal Survey Amy A. Simon et al. 2026 PSJ 7:143 https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae680c 20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-20 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 Time and Tide From Utopia to Kraken: Stirring Results in Extraterrestrial Oceanography Ralph D. Lorenz https://doi.org/10.1029/2026JE009849 Thermal Escape of Atomic Hydrogen on Mars: A Comprehensive View With a General Circulation Model Alexander S. Medvedev & Ngan H. D. Trinh https://doi.org/10.1029/2026JE009747 Martian Proton Albedo as Signature of Near-Surface Water Jan Leo Lowe et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2026JE009697 *********************************************************************** * 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. 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