2nd Information Circular
34th MEPAG Meeting
July 10th, 2017 8:30-10:30am PDT
Virtual Meeting
Members of the Mars community,
I cordially invite you to participate in the 34th meeting of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG), scheduled as a 2-hour virtual meeting on July 10th, 2017, 8:30am-10:30am PDT (3:30-5:30pm UTC).
The purpose of this MEPAG virtual meeting is to report to the Mars community recent MEPAG activities, and to preview MEPAG materials to be presented to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) committee that is conducting a “Review of Progress Toward Implementing the Decadal Survey Vision and Voyages for Planetary Sciences.” This “mid-term review” includes a requirement to assess the Mars exploration architecture within the planetary science program. MEPAG perspectives and initial concerns were presented to the committee at their first meeting on May 4, 2017. The next NASEM committee meeting is July 13, at which MEPAG will also include discussion on a statement of concern regarding the state of Mars exploration in the light of the President’s FY18 budget and other considerations.
A draft agenda for the virtual meeting is now available, and key discussion topics will include:
· Past and ongoing MEPAG Activities
· Invited MEPAG Presentation to the NASEM July 13th committee meeting
· Statement of MEPAG concerns regarding future Mars exploration
· Planning for future MEPAG meetings and activities this fall
The agenda and WebEx information are included below. Further updates (including any updates to the agenda) will be posted on the MEPAG meeting website (http://mepag.nasa.gov/meetings.cfm).
The meeting is open to all members of the Mars science community including our international colleagues. I look forward to your participation.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jeffrey R. Johnson
MEPAG Chair