Planetary Exploration Newsletter Volume 1, Issue #34 (December 9, 2007)
PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org
Editor: Matt Balme
Co-Editors: Mark V. Sykes, Nic Richmond
Email: pen_editor at psi.edu
1. [NASA] Informational Briefing in Support of ISS Payloads for the SMEX AO
2. [NASA] Hubble Space Telescope Cycle 17 Call for Proposals 3. AAAS Policy Alert
4. Possible One-Day Extension of the IPEWG Meeting Schedule
5. Second Workshop on Mars Valley Networks
6. 11th Conference on Electromagnetic and Light Scattering
7. International Geomorphology Conference and Planetary Geomorphology Working Group Field Trip, Melbourne, Australia, July 2009
8. Planetary Dunes Workshop, New Mexico, April 29th-May 2nd 2008
9. AGU Webcast: The Importance of a Program of Mars Exploration
10. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions
[NASA] INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING IN SUPPORT OF ISS PAYLOADS FOR THE SMEX AO
On Wednesday, December 19, 2007, NASA will provide an informational telecon briefing on the International Space Station (ISS) external payload accommodation and integration capabilities. The capabilities for installing and operating payloads on the Express Logistics Carriers (ELC) mounted on the ISS truss structure, the Japanese Experiment Module (“Kibo”) Exposed Facility (EF), the European Space Agency (ESA) Columbus External Payload Facility (EPF), the U.S. Laboratory’s Window Research Observation Facility (WORF), and the Japanese HII Transfer Vehicle (HTV) (launch vehicle) will be described.
For the full announcement, go to
http://explorers.larc.nasa.gov/smexacq.html
[NASA] HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE CYCLE 17 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Proposal Deadline: March 07, 2008
NASA and The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) are pleased to announce the Cycle 17 Call for Proposals for Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Observations and funding for Archival Research and Theoretical Research programs. Participation in this program is open to all categories of organizations, both domestic and foreign, including educational institutions, profit and nonprofit organizations, NASA Centers, and other Government agencies.
This solicitation for proposals will be open through March 07, 2008, 8:00pm EST. The Astronomer’s Proposal Tools (APT), which is required for Phase I Proposal Submission will be made available/released for Cycle 17 Phase I use during the 2nd week of January 2008. Results of the selection will be announced in early June 2008.
All programmatic and technical information, as well as specific guidelines for proposal preparation, are available electronically from the STScI World-Wide Web site at the Announcement Web Page with URL: http://www.stsci.edu/hst/proposing/docs/cycle17announce
In Cycle 17, proposers should assume that HST will operate in three-gyro mode. HST has been operating in two-gyro mode since 29 August 2005.
For further details, see
http://www.stsci.edu/hst/proposing/docs/cp17-newopps
Questions can be addressed to the STScI Help Desk (email: help@stsci.edu; phone: 410-338-1082).
AAAS POLICY ALERT
US Federal Budget News
[Editor note: NASA and other programs are operating on reduced funding as a consequence of government failure to pass a budget for FY08, which began October 1. The following is an update from AAAS.]
Congress remained out of session last week, and there was no progress on FY 2008 appropriations. (The Senate has technically been in session and has been meeting in pro forma session for a few seconds every three days, a parliamentary tactic to keep the President from making recess appointments).
The current continuing resolution (CR) providing temporary funding at last year’s funding levels for all domestic programs runs out next Friday (Dec. 14). Both House and Senate resume regular business this week.
Within the next two weeks, Congress hopes to assemble an omnibus appropriations bill with $11 billion more for domestic programs than the President’s request, down from the $23 billion extra that Congress had been hoping to add.
POSSIBLE ONE-DAY EXTENSION OF THE IPEWG MEETING SCHEDULE
Dear colleagues,
Following up the final announcement of the first meeting of the International Primitive Body Exploration Working Group, we are already receiving many responses by now. Thus, we are now investigating a possibility if we could extend the meeting for one more day, i.e., to continue until January 16th.
So please plan your travel schedule carefully and let your colleagues know about this, too. Even if we eventually need to pack everything in the original two days, Okinawa still offers great tourist spots that you can visit and quite easily spend more than one day!
We will update our homepage as soon as such an schedule extension is decided and we will send emails to all those who have registered by then. The homepage is as follows:
http://www.jspec.jaxa.jp/okinawa_index.html
In case that your presentation/participation must be done before January 16th, please kindly let us know upon your registration or email me.
Thank you very much for your kind attention. I look forward to meeting you all in Okinawa.
Sincerely yours,
Hajime YANO
E-MAIL: yano(at)isas.jaxa.jp
SECOND WORKSHOP ON MARS VALLEY NETWORKS
October 20-24, 2008 Moab, Utah
Focus discussions will include extraction of watershed information from digital elevation models of the martian surface, age-dating valley network systems, and other quantitative measurements of valley networks. A fieldtrip to look at sapping features in the Colorado Plateau is also planned.
Contact “workshops@si.edu” to receive updates and to pre-register, or Bob Craddock at the Smithsonian Institution (craddockb@si.edu) for more information.
Bob Craddock
Center for Earth and Planetary Studies
National Air and Space Museum
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC 20560
11TH CONFERENCE ON ELECTROMAGNETIC AND LIGHT SCATTERING
The meeting will address theoretical developments and simulations, laboratory and field experiments, measurements and applications in light scattering by particles with emphasis on cosmic dust and planetary aerosols.
The conference will be held on September 7-12, 2008 at the University de Havilland Campus in Hatfield, just 20 miles north of London.
See details at
INTERNATIONAL GEOMORPHOLOGY CONFERENCE AND PLANETARY GEOMORPHOLOGY WORKING GROUP FIELD TRIP, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, JULY 2009
International Geomorphology Conference,
Melbourne, Australia, 7 – 12 July 2009.
Preliminary information is available on the web at:
http://www.geomorphology2009.com
A special session and a field trip will be organized by the Planetary Geomorphology Working Group
PLANETARY DUNES WORKSHOP, NEW MEXICO, APRIL 29th-MAY 2nd 2008
Where: Alamogordo, New Mexico.
When: April 29th – May 2nd 2008.
1st announcement is now available online:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/dunes2008/
Sign up to receive information on the workshop.
AGU WEBCAST: THE IMPORTANCE OF A PROGRAM OF MARS EXPLORATION
The AGU Meetings Committee invites you to listen to the following lectures that will be presented at the 2007 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco. The following presentations will be made available to you in real-time (live!) presentation mode. To view a lecture, go to the Fall Meeting page at:
http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm07/
and click on the appropriate lecture.
Note: Scheduled presentation times are in the Pacific Time Zone.
Tuesday, December 11, 1130h – 1230h
H22A Langbein Lecture
Benchmarks in Hydrogeology in the 20th Century-Unexpected Payoffs
Presented by Mary P. Anderson, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Wednesday, December 12, 1440h – 1540h
P33E Whipple Lecture
The Importance of a Program of Mars Exploration
Presented by Raymond E. Arvidson, Washington University
Wednesday, December 12, 1815h – 1915h
U35A Frontiers of Geophysics Lecture
Abrupt Climate Change and Our Future
Presented by Lonnie Thompson, Ohio State University
This is our first attempt with a real-time webcast project. We look forward to your feedback after you have viewed the lecture(s). Suggestions for future enhancements, any difficulties you experience, what was good, and how long you watched the lecture are welcomed. These comments can be sent to fmviews@agu.org.
Sincerely,
Brenda Weaver
AGU, Director of Meetings
PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS
Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html
March 27, 2008
The 50th Anniversary of the International Geophysical Year and the Space Studies Board International Polar Year: Understanding the Poles of the Earth, Moon and Mars
http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ssb/IGY_Paris_event.html
Paris, France
April 20-23, 2008
AAPG 2008: Astrogeology – A Far-Sighted Look at Unconventional Resources
http://www.aapg.org/sanantonio/ San Antonio, Texas
April 21-23, 2008
Mars Water Cycle Workshop
http://www.aero.jussieu.fr/info-pratique/seminaire/MarsWC-Site
Paris, France
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