ABSCICON 2015:  Habitable Worlds in Our Solar System
Session: The Habitability of Icy Worlds

This session will be a follow-on to the workshop by the same name, held in Pasadena in February 2014. The primary objective is similar and will focus on the astrobiological potential of icy worlds in the outer solar system — including Europa, Ganymede, Enceladus, Titan, and beyond — with discussion on future research directions and spacecraft missions that can best assess that potential given the unique planetary environments of the outer solar system. Comparative planetology presentations are encouraged as well as research involving terrestrial analogs.  Topics covered include (but are not necessarily limited to) water and exotic solvents, chemical energy for life, organics and their detection, ocean physics and chemistry, icy world activity and habitability over time, and continuing and future outer solar system exploration.

The AbSciCon abstract deadline is March 4.  Additional details and a list of other session topics, are available at the AbSciCon website: http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2015/

Pat Beauchamp, [email protected]
Dave Senske, [email protected]