Highlighted Events
The following events are open to all interested members of the community.
NASA YSS Undergraduate Research Conference —
Sunday, March 17, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Waterway Ballroom 1
For more information on this and other Education/Public Outreach Events, please see the LPSC Education page.
Moving FORWARD in Space —
Sunday, March 17, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Grogan’s Mill
A workshop geared toward providing young female scientists with information and skills necessary to attain a tenured professorship in the planetary sciences. Meeting activities will focus on developing networking connections, techniques for more successful writing, acquiring grant funding, sharing of classroom ideas and materials, maintaining work-life balance, and challenges for dual career couples. Attendance will be limited; please visit Moving FORWARD in SPACE for applications and more information. Although this conference is aimed specifically at female scientists, we encourage all underrepresented minorities in the planetary sciences to apply.
Early Career Proposal Writing Practicum — THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED
Sunday, March 17, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Montgomery Ballroom A
Sponsored by the Division of Planetary Science and NASA Headquarters, the NASA Proposal Writing Practicum is based on the cumulative experience of current and former Discipline Scientists who have managed a variety of Research and Announcement (R&A) programs at NASA Headquarters. The specific focus of this intense, educational session is to provide a greater understanding of NASA’s research programs and review process and offer constructive insight into writing an effective research proposal. The event is open to all at no charge. All interested planetary scientists, from graduate students through emeritus professors, are warmly encouraged to attend. To register, send an e-mail with your name, affiliation, and current position to [email protected].
Planning Your Solar System Observations with JWST —
Sunday, March 17, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Alden Bridge
All solar system observers are encouraged to participate in this workshop on planning your solar system observations with JWST to provide community input on potential science with this upcoming mission. Through this workshop, we hope to maximize the scientific merit for planetary science and establish preliminary case studies to verify the capabilities of the observatory and instruments. We will provide the current specs and observing modes as well as the observatory capabilities such as brightness limits, moving targets, tracking, and others. Our goal is to fully consider all targets and key science that can/should be addressed by JWST for solar system studies and provide objectives for the JWST team to consider for pre-launch studies.
Planetary Undergraduate Faculty Workshop —
Sunday, March 17, 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., Panther Creek
For more information on this and other Education/Public Outreach Events, please see the LPSC Education page.
MESSENGER Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) Data Users’ Workshop 2013 —
Sunday, March 17, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., Montgomery Ballrooms B/C
Since entering orbit in 2011, MESSENGER’s Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) has acquired >100,000 images of Mercury’s surface and created the first global maps of the solar system’s innermost planet. This workshop will introduce the available MDIS products, the calibrations applied, and tools for finding and using MDIS data, and is intended for anyone interested in using this data. To learn more about this workshop and to register, visit the MDIS Data Users' Workshop website.
Analogs Town Hall —
Sunday, March 17, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., Waterway Ballrooms 7/8
The Analogs Town Hall is intended for members of the analogs community — principal investigators, scientists, engineers, and mission managers — to discuss the evolution of analog research and missions over the past five years on a global scale, and to discuss new concepts for analog activities in support of future solar system exploration.
Diviner Data Users Forum —
Sunday, March 17, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., College Park
The LRO Diviner Science Team will host a public Diviner Data Users Forum at LPSC. The purpose of the forum will be to acquaint the community with Diviner’s latest high-level mapped data products. These products include global maps of brightness temperature, solar reflectance, composition, rock abundance, and thermophysical properties. The forum will also provide an opportunity for potential users to ask questions and provide feedback to the team. Attendance is open to the public.
44th LPSC Registration and Welcome —
Sunday, March 17, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., Waterway Ballrooms 4/5
Let LPI welcome you to The Woodlands and greet all your colleagues after you check in. Registration will open at 4:00 p.m. with a welcome networking event beginning at 5:00 p.m. in Waterway Ballrooms 4 and 5.
Golden Spike Human Lunar Expeditions: Overview and Science Input Forum —
Monday, March 18, 12:00 to 1:15 p.m., The Woodlands Room
Golden Spike’s Dr. Alan Stern and Dr. Bill McKinnon will present an overview of Golden Spike’s planned international lunar exploration program of human expeditions to the Moon in the 2020s. This will include an overview of Golden Spike’s expedition architecture and capabilities for science, as well as Golden Spike’s planned human lunar expedition development program. This will be followed by an opportunity for a lengthy community question and answer period.
Game-Changing Venus Technology Forum — THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED
Monday, March 18, 12:00 to 1:15 p.m., Panther Creek
Discussion of technologies for upcoming Discovery and New Frontiers missions to Venus.
Plenary Session Featuring Masursky Lecture —
Monday, March 18, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Waterway Ballrooms 4/5
This year’s lecture, “On Building an Earth-Like Planet,” will be presented by Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the director of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, DC. The winners of the 2012 Dwornik Awards and the 2013 LPI Career Development Awards will also be recognized. This event will be broadcast via Livestream.
NASA Headquarters Briefing —
Monday, March 18, 5:30 p.m., Waterway Ballrooms 4/5
Representatives from NASA’s Science Mission Directorate will address the community. Speakers to be announced later. This event will be broadcast via Livestream.
Planetary Science Division Update - Jim Green presentation
Science @NASA - John M. Grunsfeld presentation
Opening of Exhibits and Student/Scientist Networking Event —
Monday, March 18, immediately following the NASA Headquarters Briefing, Town Center Exhibit Hall
Come visit the opening night of the Exhibitor Showcase, greet the Dwornik award winners, and meet the great students presenting at this year’s LPSC.
NASA AO Town Hall Meeting — THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED
Tuesday, March 19, 12:00 to 1:15 p.m., Montgomery Ballroom
The preparation of an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) is a lengthy process involving a large group of stakeholders and interested parties. The Planetary Science Division has begun planning for the next Discovery and New Frontiers AOs. This preparation includes compiling lessons learned, evaluating the effectiveness and impact of past AO policies, and considering changes to the AO process and its policies and requirements. As part of this effort NASA is hosting a community discussion at LPSC. NASA participants will include Michael New, Lead Program Scientist for the Discovery Program; Curt Niebur, Lead Program Scientist for the New Frontiers Program; and Len Dudzinski, Program Executive for RPS. Participants will present their thoughts on past AO experiences as well as the early stages of the preparation process for the next AOs. Interested community members can share their experience and feedback as short (three-minute) presentations. Time will be reserved for a discussion with attendees led by Drs. New and Niebur. It is expected that time constraints will limit the number of community presentations, so interested presenters are encouraged to contact Curt Niebur at [email protected] prior to the meeting.
Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) Mission Concept —
Tuesday, March 19, 12:00 to 1:15 p.m., Panther Creek
The Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission is a joint effort of ESA, JHU/APL, NASA, OCA, and DLR. The mission design foresees two independent spacecraft, one impactor (DART) and one rendezvous probe (AIM). The target of this mission is the binary asteroid system Didymos. For a successful joint mission, one spacecraft, DART, would impact the secondary of the Didymos binary system while AIM would observe and measure any change in the relative orbit. Team members will provide an overview and status of U.S. and ESA AIDA studies with relevance to NASA science and exploration objectives, and discuss future opportunities for members of the planetary science community to get involved with the AIDA mission.
Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) Town Hall Meeting —
Wednesday, March 20, 12:00 to 1:15 p.m., The Woodlands Room
Annual Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) Town Hall meeting to update the community on the group’s activities and new programmatic information with respect to lunar research and missions.
Planetary Mapping and Cartography, What, When, How? —
Wednesday, March 20, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., Waterway Ballrooms 1–3
What is planetary mapping? What is it for, when do you need to do it, how is it done? Why is it important to you? Planetary mapping is literally foundational to planetary science and exploration. This town hall meeting is intended to make clear to the general planetary community the need to take planetary and lunar data and turn it into useful, registered cartographic products, at known levels of accuracy, so that science and exploration can be done. It includes a general introduction to planetary mapping, a report on the critical landing site mapping done for the Mars Science Laboratory mission, and the current state of and needs for small body mapping. If you use planetary data, this meeting is for you!
Venus Town Hall Meeting —
Wednesday, March 20, 12:00 to 1:15 p.m., Waterway Ballrooms 6–8
Discussion of latest thoughts on Venus Exploration Goals and Objectives as well as a Venus Exploration Road Map.
Fifth Annual Susan Niebur Women in Planetary Science Event —
Wednesday, March 20, 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., Montgomery Ballrooms A–C
Panel discussion on "alternative" career paths in planetary science and strategies for achieving success at work and at home. Opportunity for networking after the formal event in small-group dinners offsite. For more information, click here.
Planetary Science Summer School 25th Celebration —
Wednesday, March 20, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., The Woodlands Room
Celebrate 25 years of Ph.D./Post-Doc experiences in planetary exploration — through NASA's Planetary Science Summer School! All PSSS alumni are invited, along with students and post-docs interested in applying for our 2013 sessions at JPL. Come to hear from alumni, catch up with your cohort, and meet others who have been through this enriching summer event. There will be a short program at 6:00, followed by mixing until 8:30. Bring your dinner and beverages, and come share in the celebration! For more information, visit http://pscischool.jpl.nasa.gov.
FameLab: Exploring Earth and Beyond, Evening Event —
Wednesday, March 20, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m., Waterway Ballroom 5
Think American Idol . . . for scientists! FameLab is a panel-judged competition, supporting early career scientists to become better communicators. Started in 2005 in the UK, this event is part of “season 2” here in the U.S. and is sponsored by NASA, National Geographic, and the Lunar and Planetary Institute. Come show your support for these brave young souls as they face the judges, each taking only three minutes to spin tall-but-true tales of martian dust storms, Europan oceans, and Antarctic microbes . . . and enjoy a magical evening of science storytelling!