Issue 17-23, June 19, 2017
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- PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER INVITATION
- ICE GIANT MISSION STUDY RELEASED
- NEOWISE 2017 DATA RELEASE AVAILABLE JUNE 1, 2017
- NOTICE OF FUTURE CALL FOR NASA KECK KEY STRATEGIC MISSION SUPPORT PROGRAMS
- SPACE SETTLEMENT SYMPOSIUM, CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
- SUDBURY FIELD CAMP APPLICATION DEADLINE JUNE 30
- CALL FOR EXTERNAL REVIEWERS FOR NASA POSTDOCTORAL PROGRAM (NPP)
- HAYABUSA SAMPLE ANALYSIS OPPORTUNITY
- JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES
- UPCOMING MEETINGS, WORKSHOPS
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PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER INVITATION
Dear Colleagues,
You are invited to subscribe to and participate in the Planetary Exploration
Newsletter (PEN), now in its eleventh year. PEN is a free weekly electronic
newsletter, provided as a service by the Planetary Science Institute, for
planetary scientists around the world to communicate with each other. The
editors are volunteers. PEN contains meeting announcements, job announcements,
and your submissions of news regarding or impacting solar system exploration,
upcoming mission events, awards, policy issues, as well as editorials, commentary
and memorials, and planetary-related commercial announcements. PEN also
includes announcements of PDS data releases and ROSES programs and special
messages to the planetary community from NASA leadership.
The PEN Meeting Calendar (http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html) strives to
be the most exhaustive listing of planetary-related meetings, conferences and
workshops around the world. Send the title, dates, location and URL to
pen_editor at psi.edu.
Go to http://planetarynews.org to subscribe to future mailings, read current
and past newsletters, and see guidelines for submitting content. There is no charge.
Your PEN Editors,
Mark V. Sykes, Karen R. Stockstill-Cahill, Elisabeth Adams
(Planetary Science Institute)
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ICE GIANT MISSION STUDY RELEASED
A joint NASA-ESA study of potential missions to Uranus and Neptune has
been released. The study was performed as part of preparations for the next
Planetary Science Decadal Survey. It identifies the scientific questions the
next Ice Giant mission should address, and discusses various instruments,
spacecraft, flight-paths, and technologies that could be used. The full study
as well as an Executive Summary are available at
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/icegiants/mission_study.
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NEOWISE 2017 DATA RELEASE AVAILABLE JUNE 1, 2017
The Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE)
and IPAC at the California Institute of Technology announce the NEOWISE
2017 Data Release.
The 2017 Data Release includes all data acquired during the third year of
the NEOWISE Reactivation mission (Mainzer et al. 2014, ApJ, 792, 30),
13 December 2015 to 13 December 2016. These data are combined with
the Year 1 and 2 NEOWISE data into a single archive that contains
approximately 7.7 million sets of 3.4 and 4.6 micron images and a database
of over 57.7 billion source detections extracted from those images.
NEOWISE scanned the sky nearly six complete times during the first three
years of survey operations, with approximately six months between survey
passes. With twelve or more independent 3.4 and 4.6 micron exposures
made on each point of the sky during each survey epoch, the NEOWISE
archive is a time-domain resource for extracting multiple, independent
thermal flux and position measurements of solar system small bodies, as
well as background galactic and extragalactic sources.
A quick guide to the NEOWISE data release, data access instructions and
supporting documentation is available at
http://wise2.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/release/neowise/.
Access to the NEOWISE data products is available via the on-line and API
services of the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA) at
https://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu. IRSA’s new Time Series Tool enables interactive
visualization and analysis of NEOWISE light curve and image data
(https://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/irsaviewer/timeseries).
NEOWISE is a project of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute
of Technology. NEOWISE is funded by the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration Planetary Science Division.
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NOTICE OF FUTURE CALL FOR NASA KECK KEY STRATEGIC
MISSION SUPPORT PROGRAMS
NASA is a 1/6 partner in the two 10-m telescopes of the William M. Keck
Observatory. Access to NASA’s share of this time on the Keck telescopes,
approximately 90 nights per year, is available to all astronomers resident at
US institutions. Proposals are submitted twice a year to the
NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI) which runs the selection process
on behalf of all science disciplines in NASA’s Astrophysics and Planetary
Science Divisions. Observing time is awarded on the basis of scientific merit
and the degree to which the proposed program supports NASA missions and/or
NASA’s strategic goals.
Starting in 2016, NASA set aside 1/3 of its allocation for Key Strategic Mission
Support programs (KSMS). These programs were required to demonstrate a
critical need for ground-based data in direct support of an on-going or a future
space mission. In the 2016A semester, NASA selected three KSMS projects for
a 2 year duration: follow-up of transiting exoplanet candidates found by the K2
mission (Andrew Howard, PI, Hawaii/Caltech, 40 nights over 2 years); calibration
of photometric redshifts for the EUCLID mission using spectroscopic redshifts of
over 1,000 galaxies (Dan Stern, JPL, PI, 10 nights over 2 years); and a search for
evidence of water and active generation of plumes in support of the Europa Clipper
project (Lucas Paganini, U. Catholic/GSFC, PI, 10 nights over 2 years). All three
programs come to an end at the completion of the 2017B semester.
In the expectation that NASA’s 5-year Cooperative Agreement with William
M. Keck Observatory will be renewed for the period 2018-2022, NASA is
planning to release a new call for KSMS projects to begin with the 2018A
semester. Details of the opportunity and the proposal process will be announced
when the 2018A Call for Proposals is released early in August 2017 with non-binding
notices of intent due shortly thereafter. All proposals for the 2018A semester will be
due on September 14, 2017. A KSMS project is typically multi-semester, spanning
10-60 nights over a time period of up to three years. The KSMS opportunity will be
open for all topics/missions in astrophysics and planetary science.
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SPACE SETTLEMENT SYMPOSIUM, CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
The Call for Abstracts is open for the annual Space Settlement Symposium (S3),
Austin, TX, USA, Nov. 10-11, 2017. This is part of the New Worlds 2017 Fair
and Conference including the Space Cowboy Ball: http://newworlds2017.space/.
Topics include:
SPACE RESOURCES (Mining the Sky),
SPACE MAKERS (Manufacturing),
HOME SWEET HOME (Habitats),
SPACE HIGHWAYS (Intra-Solar-System Transportation),
BIONEERING (To Survive and Thrive in Space),
FARMERS IN THE SKY (Food and Agriculture in space).
To submit an abstract: http://newworlds2017.space/s3-2017/.
For more information contact [email protected].
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SUDBURY FIELD CAMP APPLICATION DEADLINE JUNE 30
The Short Course and Field School at the Sudbury Impact Structure is a
week-long classroom and field training program based in Sudbury, Ontario.
The goal of the program will be to introduce students to impact cratering
processes and observe, in the field, the attributes of an immense basin-size
impact structure. Sudbury is known for spectacular shatter cones, tremendously
thick melt-bearing impact breccias (the Onaping Formation), and a differentiated
impact melt sheet (the Sudbury Igneous Complex). Skills developed during the
program should better prepare students for their own thesis studies in impact
cratered terrains, whether they be on Earth, the Moon, Mars, or some other solar
system planetary surface. This field camp is being organized under the auspices
of the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, which is
designed, in part, to train a new generation of explorers for the Moon and beyond.
The activity is being led by an SSERVI international partner, the
Canadian Lunar Research Network, and coordinated with the LPI-JSC
Center for Lunar Science and Exploration.
Please pass this information on to any students who might be interested.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 30, 2017
Applications are only accepted using the online application form found at the LPI’s
Sudbury Field Camp website: www.lpi.usra.edu/exploration/sudbury/
Please contact Brittany McNeal ([email protected]) if help is needed during the application process.
Course instruction by Drs. Gordon “Oz” Osinski and David A. Kring.
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CALL FOR EXTERNAL REVIEWERS FOR NASA POSTDOCTORAL PROGRAM (NPP)
The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP), managed by USRA, provides young
and more senior scientists the opportunity to work on 1 to 3 year
assignments with NASA scientists and engineers at NASA centers and
institutes to advance NASA’s missions in earth science, heliophysics,
planetary science, astrophysics, space bioscience, aeronautics,
engineering, human exploration and space operations, astrobiology, and
science management. USRA is recruiting well-qualified reviewers for
upcoming applications.
Reviewers may be asked to review up to 5 applications (each application
is 15 pages, including figures and citations; double-spaced). Proposal
deadlines are March 1, July 1, and November 1. The reviewer evaluations
are submitted online and those who are eligible will receive an
honorarium of $50 for each review submitted.
Reviewers should have the following minimum qualifications: three (3)
years past PhD; 10 or more peer-reviewed publications; at least five
(5) peer-reviewed publications as first author; work in a field
relevant to NASA; and show national and international prominence
through awards and invitations to speak at major scientific meetings.
If you are interested in being a reviewer, and create an account,
visit:
https://npp.usra.edu/reviewer_connect/
For additional questions email [email protected].
Feel free to pass this information to colleagues.
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HAYABUSA SAMPLE ANALYSIS OPPORTUNITY
Dear Colleagues,
It’s my great pleasure to let you know that ISAS/JAXA has issued the new
international announcement of opportunity for Hayabusa-returned sample
analysis.
Everybody who intends to gain a new insight in planetary science via Hayabusa
sample analysis is welcome to submit a proposal in response to the new AO.
Please find the details of the new AO, including the guidebook for proposers,
the list of previously accepted proposals, and the sample catalog that describes t
he properties of the samples available at the following website:
http://hayabusaao.isas.jaxa.jp/5th/
Proposals are accepted any time. It will take around a month for the selection process.
We are looking forward to accepting exciting proposals from you!
Sincerely,
Toru Yada
Astromaterial Science Research Group (ASRG), ISAS, JAXA
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JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES
A) SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMMER, PLANETARY DATA SYSTEM
SMALL BODIES NODE
The Small Bodies Node (SBN) of NASA’s Planetary Data System, based in
the Department of Astronomy at the University of Maryland, College
Park, is seeking a programmer with analytic experience who would work
with a larger group of planetary scientists and programmers. The ideal
candidate will also work closely with programmers at the Minor Planet
Center at the Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, concerned with
small body astronomy and orbital calculation. Five years experience is
required, including some system administration experience or training,
and with some experience either designing or implementing IT security
measures in a Linux network environment. A familiarity with relational
database management is also desired. A Bachelor’s or Master’s level
degree in computer science or a related field is prefered, but previous
work experience will also be considered. Near-term tasks include
developing a cross-identification database for all bodies represented
in the archive, overseeing the security plan for the SBN, back-end
development and user interface development, and reporting to NASA.
For more details and to apply, visit:
https://jobs.physicstoday.org/jobs/9151374
To receive full consideration, applications must be submitted by
August 25, 2017.
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UPCOMING MEETINGS, WORKSHOPS
A) ACCRETION: BUILDING NEW WORLDS
August 15-18, 2017
Houston, Texas
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/accretion2017/
The Accretion Conference will focus on processes that lead to planetary systems,
like our own, with silicate-rich and volatile-rich planetary bodies. These bodies
and their subsequent evolutions provide the bases for habitable environments and
for the origin of life as we know it. The goal of this topical conference is to integrate
the disparate stories of planetary accretion, both physical and chemical, into a
consistent (although understandably incomplete) whole.
The Accretion conference will encompass the formation and aggregation of
dust and gas to embryos to planets, and include astronomical observations of
circumstellar disks, chemical and physical data from the solar system materials
(meteorites, etc.), and simulations of physical and chemical processes of accretion.
All relevant data and ideas are welcome.
B) ASTROBIOLOGY 2017
November 26-December 1, 2017
Coyhaique, Chile
Find below exciting news for Astrobiology 2017. This conference will take
place in the beautiful Chilean Patagonia in Coyhaique (November 26-December
1, 2017).
http://www.astrobiology2017.org
EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED
To allow for students applying for grants to still make the early registration
deadline, the deadline has been extended until June 19, 2017. Please note that
other key dates have not changed.
ORAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Oral contributions will be received until July 28, 2017. Please note that a link
to the abstract submission form is sent to you after the registration process is
completed. The SOC will select oral papers after their review. The notification
of acceptance will be sent by August 25, 2017.
TRAINING SCHOOL
A two day training school with lectures on basics of Astrobiology will take
place in Santiago during the Friday-Saturday preceding the conference
(November 24-25), and it is open to early-career participants. There is no extra
cost for participants of the conference but only a maximum of 80 participants
can be accommodated. Interested participants of the TS should reserve a seat
during registration, Reservations for the training school are on a first come-first
served basis, so we urge you to register as soon as possible to secure a place.
For more information on the training school, including the program, please click
http://astrobiology2017.org/training-school/.
HOTEL RESERVATIONS
The registration platform also allows you to reserve your hotel room at the
discounted rates for Astrobiology 2017. While some hotels are more flexible,
the discounted rates for others are guaranteed only until May 30th, 2017,
so please, plan accordingly.
INVITED SPEAKERS
We have 26 superb confirmed invited speakers. The updated list can be found
at: http://astrobiology2017.org/speakers/
FOLLOW US
Pre-register at the bottom of http://astrobiology2017.org to receive updated
information and follow us in Twitter and Facebook
http://twitter.com/astrobio2017
http://facebook.com/astrobio2017
With best regards,
Patricio Rojo (LOC’s chair)
C) NEAR-EARTH OBJECTS: PROPERTIES, DETECTION, RESOURCES,
IMPACTS, AND DEFENDING EARTH
14 May – 8 June 2018
Munich, Germany
Dear asteroid aficionado,
From 14 May to 8 June 2018 we will hold a workshop titled “Near-Earth objects:
Properties, detection, resources, impacts and defending Earth” within the
framework of the Munich Institute for Astro- and Particle Physics (MIAPP),
funded by the Munich/Garching Excellence Cluster “Origins and Structure of the
Universe. The primary goal is to identify the remaining uncertainties in determining
the Earth’s impact hazard and how to reduce them.
More information is available at http://tinyurl.com/MIAPP-2018-NEO-Workshop.
The deadline for expressing your interest in attending is 14 August 2017.
(The website ‘Registration’ does not require any payment.)
The organising committee:
Andreas Burkert, Camilla Colombo, Robert Jedicke, Detlef Koschny, Richard Wainscoat
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