NASA is accepting applications from science and engineering post-docs, recent PhDs, and doctoral students for its 26th Annual Planetary Science Summer School, which will be held in three separate sessions in summer 2014 (June 16-20, July 14-18, and August 11-15) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA.

During the program and pre-session webinars, student teams will carry out the equivalent of an early mission concept study, prepare a proposal authorization review presentation, present it to a review board, and receive feedback. By the end of the session, students will have a clearer understanding of the life cycle of a space mission; relationships between mission design, cost, and schedule; and the tradeoffs necessary to stay within cost and schedule while preserving the quality of science. The 2014 sessions will address planetary exploration missions needing power system trade-offs, including the use of solar electric vs. Multi-mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (MMRTG). The session in August will have a targeted focus on spacecraft power systems.

Applications are due April 1, 2014. Partial financial support is available for a limited number of individuals. Further information is available at: http://pscischool.jpl.nasa.gov