Note: All times listed are in U.S. Central Daylight Time.
Sunday, 1 October
Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG) 28
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM No cost / Hybrid Location: Salon I
The Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG) is an open, interdisciplinary forum that provides a conduit for community input into NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) and NASA’s Astrophysics Division (APD). It also provides an environment for soliciting and coordinating community analysis and input in support of ExEP objectives and of their implications for architecture planning and activity prioritization and for future exploration. The ExoPAG 28 splinter session will include a community forum on science topics related to exoplanet and solar system synergies with the goal of strengthening the connections between the astronomy and planetary science communities. A status of the Exoplanet Program, review of urgent questions from the Planetary and Astrobiology decadal surveys, and an interactive business meeting will also be held.
JWST Cycle 3 Proposal Preparation Session
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM No cost / Hybrid Location: Salon J
After an amazing first year of science from the James Webb Space Telescope, we are now underway with Cycle 2 and preparing for the third year of science. The JWST Cycle 3 call for proposals was released on August 15, 2023 (https://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science-planning/calls-for-proposals-and-pol…) with a proposal deadline of October 27, 2023. We plan a workshop at the joint DPS-EPSC meeting, giving participants the opportunity to finalize proposals and receive one-on-one technical assistance with JWST experts. This hybrid session will start with a series of short presentations that include a brief overview of the call for proposals, followed by introductions to the proposal tools (APT and ETC). The remaining time will be open for participants to bring specific questions for their proposals, get assistance with tools, and seek advice from JWST experts on proposal optimization and strategy. Common non-confidential questions will be collected and documented for future reference. We encourage all current and future JWST proposers to attend, especially new users. Looking forward to another great year of solar system science with JWST!
Registering will give the organizers an estimated count of attendees, however, you are welcome to join without registering.
NASA Proposal Writing Workshop
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM No cost / In person Location: Conference Rooms 1-3
The success of scientists depends upon their ability to obtain funding. One of the largest challenges is to create strong proposals. Using Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) from NASA as a template, this workshop will focus on teaching the audience key points to communicating science through successful proposal writing. As a result of this session, participants will be able to understand the proposal writing, reviewing, and selection process for federally funded research. This will also help those who have previously submitted proposals improve their performance. How to understand ones values and maintain those throughout this process will also be focused on. Story tellers will add unique and important lessons learned to the session.
Registering will give the organizers an estimated count of attendees, however, you are welcome to join without registering.
Workshop on Juno and Juno-Supporting Results
9:00 AM to 6:00 PM No cost / Hybrid Location: Salon G & M
The Juno mission has promoted and coordinated a network of Earth-based observations that include both space- and ground-based facilities to extend and enhance observations made by its instrument complement. The intent of this one-day workshop is to gather members of the Juno mission and the wider Juno-supporting community to describe and inter-compare results. These can include the atmosphere, magnetosphere and satellites. The workshop is open to members of the professional and amateur communities.
Registering will give the organizers an estimated count of attendees, however, you are welcome to join without registering.
Monday, 2 October
Agency Townhall
12:15 PM to 1:15 PM No cost / Hybrid Location: Salons HKL
Representatives from NASA and ESA will present updates on their planetary science programs, and welcome questions from the audience.
Early Career Networking Reception
5:30 PM to 6:00 PM No cost / In person Location: Salon G & M
Please join us for an early career networking reception, all students and postdocs are welcome to attend and share advice and meet up with colleagues. Light refreshments will be served. No registration is necessary. Please also see the professional development workshop on mental health directly following this reception. This event is co-hosted by the DPS Professional Development Subcommittee and the Europlanet Early Career Group. A big thanks to Southwest Research Institute and the DPS Committee for sponsoring the refreshments.
Professional Development Subcommittee Workshop on Mental Health
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM No cost / Hybrid Location: Salon G & M and on zoom link provided in meeting program
The incidence of depression and anxiety in planetary science hasn’t been well studied. Efforts are underway to remedy that dearth of information, and to promote recognition of the different ways people experience their worlds. This short course will describe those efforts and some recent results. Dr. Steve Vance will also share his perspective and personal experience in planetary science in hopes of prompting discussion of how we might treat ourselves and our colleagues with greater empathy.
The event is open to all from any career stage, and no pre-registration is necessary. We will provide a link for submitting anonymous questions closer to the time of the event (and at the event itself). This event is co-hosted by the Europlanet Early Career Group and the DPS Professional Development Subcommittee. The zoom link to join this hybrid event virtually can be found in the DPS program closer to the time of the event.
Tuesday, 3 October
Women in Planetary Science Discussion Hour
12:15 PM to 1:15 PM No cost / Hybrid Location: Salon I
Open to all! Join us for networking and an informal discussion on professional development topics over the lunch hour. This year’s theme is resilience. We will provide some food for thought but much of the meeting will be reserved for discussion.
Thanks to generous sponsorship from AURA and the DPS Committee! To learn more about AURA please visit https://www.aura-astronomy.org/. Registration for the WiPS event is separate from the main DPS-EPSC meeting. The registration form and more details can be found at: http://bit.ly/DPS_WiPS_2023
EPEC General Assembly
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM No cost / Hybrid Location: Conference Rooms 1-2
The Europlanet Early Career (EPEC) network is the official entity representing early careers in the Europlanet Society. Early careers from all over the world are encouraged to participate in the EPEC assembly organized during DPS-EPSC! At this assembly, there will be an introduction on how EPEC is organized, an update on the past year’s activities, and the latest news. You can also meet the team and ask your questions. By joining our community, you’ll get opportunities to be involved in a variety of activities in a friendly, welcoming, and inclusive environment. EPEC is the place where your ideas matter and your voice is heard!
Wednesday, 4 October
A European Generic Entry Probe Program for UOP and other NASA-led Missions
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM No cost / In person Location: Conference Room 16-17
We are pleased to announce a splinter meeting relevant to the in-situ exploration of Uranus in the framework of the envisaged UOP mission. In the spirit of the Cassini-Huygens mission legacy, the workshop will focus on a potential entry probe contributed by ESA, or by a consortium of European countries, to a potential NASA-led UOP mission.
The setting of a European Generic Entry Probe Program (GEPP) is currently under discussion, with the aim of proposing a probe element that could be supplied to any mission towards Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune. In this context, the splinter meeting will promote discussions of what components of the system, including descent vehicle, aeroshell, and science payload, Europe could provide, as well as potential US contributions. The meeting will also include science discussions oriented towards setting instrument requirements.
Europa Clipper Observers Support Team
12:15 PM to 1:15 PM No cost / Hybrid Location: Conference Rooms 1-2
Europa Clipper is NASA’s next flagship mission to the outer Solar System, launching in October 2024 and arriving in April 2030 for a for a four-year orbital tour. Its main scientific goals are to characterize the moon’s ice shell and any subsurface water; understand the habitability of Europa's ocean through composition and chemistry; understand the formation of surface features, including sites of recent or current activity, and characterize high science interest localities.
Even with a dedicated mission that lasts for years, spacecraft observations are substantially improved by placing them within the context of ground-based and Earth-orbital observations. These complementary data sets provide greater temporal and spatial context, additional viewing geometries, expanded wavelength coverage, and precise measurements for improved instrument calibrations. For a study of Europa, which has exhibited possible activity, follow-up observations of active events including plumes and cryovolcanism would provide valuable context and temporal coverage. With all these points in mind, the Europa Clipper Project has convened a group of observers to provide support and follow-up observations to the mission. The focus is on providing synergistic observations of active events, if they are detected.
The purpose of this first meeting of the group is to provide an overview of its purpose and charge, and to invite additional members of the DPS community to join the group. In addition, members can make short presentations on their planned observations.
JWST Townhall: Planetary Science and New Discoveries with JWST
12:15 PM to 1:15 PM No cost / In person Location: Salons HKL
The James Webb Space Telescope has now been gathering transformational science data for over a year impressing scientist, students, and the public around the world with the breathtaking images and spectra. JWST has gone above and beyond its launch capabilities for solar system science by tripling the tracking rate for moving targets and demonstrating incredible dynamic range and capability for our nearest neighbors. With new science results appearing at a rapid rate, the community is now fully engaged with realizing the scientific potential of the observatory for planets in and beyond our solar system. In this town hall, we will review submission and selection statistics from Cycle 2, discuss the on-orbit capabilities demonstrated with innovative science programs, and look forward to the upcoming Cycle 3 proposal deadline (October 25, 2023). We will also include some of science highlights from Cycle 1 program teams. There will be time for questions from the community.
Planetary Scientists of Color Networking Meeting
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM No cost / In person Location: Conference Room 3
This gathering will be an opportunity for Planetary Scientists of Color to come together and network. We will plan for a brief talk and time for discussion.
Thursday, 5 October
Off-the-ground, controlled mobility on the Moon for Science and Exploration – Options and Way Forward
8:30 AM to 2:00 PM No cost / Hybrid Location: Conference Room 10
We are currently witnessing a renaissance of lunar surface exploration through uncrewed and crewed missions. Whereas small, targeted landed missions such as under the NASA CLPS program are providing flight opportunities for government-funded and commercial payloads that address specific themes and science questions at selected points of interest on the Moon, crewed missions to the surface are planned to be supported by the use of local resources for making consumables (initially rocket propellants) via ISRU to offload the Earth-Moon transportation chain. For understanding the nature, potential, and economic viability of lunar resources such as volatiles, critical observational data today are still missing.
The objective of this splinter meeting is to garner support for lunar exploration of pits, lava tubes, PSRs and other features via free flying, thruster propelled platforms (lunar drones) towards a mission proposal, and to perform an inventory of stakeholders. The meeting format will be a mix of invited and open presentations and discussion rounds.
Federal Relations Subcommittee Meeting
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM No cost / Hybrid Location: Conference Rooms 20-21
The Deputy Director of the Mars Exploration Program will be describing their efforts to develop a Mars Future Plan for our robotic exploration at Mars. You can see more information about the draft Mars Future Plan here: https://mars.nasa.gov/files/mep/Mars_Exploration_Program_Future_Plan.pdf. A box lunch will be provided for the first 30 participants.
OPAG Townhall
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM No cost / Hybrid Location: Salon G & M
The Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) steering committee will host a townhall during the DPS/EPSC meeting. The purpose of the townhall is to update the community on OPAG-related activities and items of interest, and to provide a forum to gather feedback from the community on such topics. Topics may include support for the Uranus Orbiter and Probe and Dragonfly missions, New Frontiers, R&A and workforce, among others.
Small Bodies Assessment Group Townhall
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM No cost / Hybrid Location: Conference Room 3
The Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG) is NASA’s community-based forum designed to provide science input for planning and prioritizing the exploration of small bodies throughout the Solar System and to prioritize and support planetary defense endeavors for the next several decades. The SBAG is open to all interested members of the small bodies community. The SBAG regularly evaluates the goals, objectives, investigations, and required measurements for the exploration of small bodies on the basis of the widest possible community outreach. In order to uphold this charter from NASA, SBAG holds multi-day community meetings as well as an annual Townhall at a targeted professional conference. Due to the COVID pandemic, SBAG has not held a Townhall at a conference in several years and is proposing to hold a public hour-long Townhall at the 55th joint DPS-EPSC in San Antonio to reach and gather community feedback from the domestic and international small bodies community in the interim between our biannual meetings. The SBAG Chair will provide a brief status report and then moderate a community discussion.
Writing Scientific Papers – How to Get Published
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM No cost / Hybrid Location: Conference Rooms 1-2
Ever wonder what editors look for when considering which papers are ready to be published. In this session editors from the journal, Icarus, will provide information and answer questions on how to successfully publish your research, and how to handle the review process from both the reviewer and author perspective. Box lunch provided.
Early Career Social Get-Together
Start Time 7:00 PM No cost / In person Location: To be announced closer to the event
Informal networking event for early career conference goers. Spend a fun evening and expand your network! (must pay for yourself but we will get tables together so people can chat). More details will be announced here closer to the event date (registration NOT required). This event is co-hosted by the Europlanet Early Career Group (contact [email protected]).
Saturday, 7 October & Sunday, 8 October
Juno Open Team Meeting Workshop Galilean Satellites and Radiation Environment
No cost / In person Location: The workshop will be held in person at SwRI or at a hotel location in downtown San Antonio (to be announced later).
The purpose of the workshop is to encourage and help non-Juno scientists to work with Juno data, and to facilitate collaborations with those not on Juno. The agenda includes invited talks with the purpose of providing background and reviews of outstanding topics relevant to Juno, Clipper and JUICE. The plan is for the workshop to be interactive with the majority of time dedicated to discussions and spontaneous presentations. In addition to the invited topic talks, attendees may submit abstracts to be considered for posters. Time will be allocated to poster discussions as well. This workshop is intended to be conference-like with attendees listening to a series of short talks. Scientists interested in working with Juno data and/or collaborating with the Juno team are encouraged to attend.
To learn more and register, go to https://junoworkshop.space.swri.edu/saoct2023workshop/#agenda