20th Meeting of the Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG)
November 7–9, 2022
Albuquerque, New Mexico/Virtual
The annual meeting of the Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG) scheduled for November 7–9, 2022, originally in Pasadena, California, has been moved to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque, New Mexico. To include as many participants as possible and consider the possible impact of COVID-19 on in-person attendance, components of the meeting will be available virtually. Election Day in the U.S. is November 8 — remember to vote early if you plan to attend the meeting in person.
The annual meeting is a forum for scientists and engineers to discuss NASA/U.S. exploration of Venus.
Meeting Format
With three-plus major Venus missions in initial stages and potentially more on the way, this VEXAG meeting departs from previous formats, focusing on science missions, updates, science-enabling technology, and policy discussions.
The agenda will include an overview of NASA programs, updates on ongoing and upcoming missions to the second planet, programmatic and policy discussions, response to the 2023–2032 Planetary Decadal Survey, early-career science presentations and networking, technology developments, and the effects of all the above on the state of the VEXAG Goals, Roadmap, and Technology plan, and the future of Venus science and exploration.
Registration
In-person attendance is limited to 100 people.
Registration fees are not being collected for this meeting, but registration is required. Registration for in-person attendance will be available through October 24, 2022, or when the in-person attendance limit of 100 is reached, whichever occurs first. Registration for virtual attendees will be available through November 9, 2022. Before the meeting, registered attendees will receive an email from Houston Meeting Info with virtual connection information.
Attention Venus early-career researchers! OVEN (Organization of Venus Early-career Networking) will host an early-career dinner on November 6. If you are interested in attending this event, please email venus.oven@gmail.com to express your interest, arrival date and time (if known), and any dietary restrictions you may have.
Program and Presenter Information
Detailed information about the program is available by viewing the program and abstracts. Authors will not receive notification letters. Please check the author index to see where presentations have been scheduled. Authors should also review their names in these products and, if updates are needed, email them to meetinginfo@hou.usra.edu.
VEXAG will discuss the implications of the 2023–2032 Decadal Survey, the impact on the future of Venus exploration, and the development of a Venus Exploration Strategy. Throughout the meeting, community participation is sought and strongly encouraged.
VEXAG seeks self-nomination by community members to join the Science Analysis Working Groups (SAWs). SAWs membership is for three years. Two members begin in January 2023, and two more start in July 2023. Early-career professionals are encouraged to participate. See the Steering Committee Selection and Rotation document on the VEXAG website for additional information: https://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag/documents/organizational-docs/steering-committee/.
Additionally, we are looking for volunteers to join our efforts in updating Venus strategic documents and creating and updating community-relevant white papers. We also seek a meeting scribe to record and distribute minutes for the Steering Committee meetings.
Oral Presentations
To facilitate a smooth transition between speakers, all presentations (in-person and remote) will be collected ahead of time and shared from the room at the venue.
- File name format: PresentationTime_LastName
- Presentation time should use a 24-hour format (e.g., 0830, 1300, or 1415).
- Accepted presentation file format: PowerPoint, 16:9 aspect ratio
- Upload slides: https://app.box.com/f/fd2db0405b8f4f0baf12e4a1cadb7a50
- Submission deadline: November 1, 2022, 11:59 p.m. CDT
Presenters will have the opportunity to test and become familiar with the virtual platform before the workshop.
An email with detailed instructions will be sent to presenters at a later time.
Poster Presentations
There will be a lightning talk session on November 7 that allows an opportunity for early-career researchers and students to give a 1–2-minute talk and submit one slide, followed by an in-person poster session.
In-person poster presenters will have the opportunity to display a poster throughout the meeting. Remote poster presenters will have an opportunity to upload an e-poster.
To facilitate a smooth transition between lightning talk speakers, all presentations (in-person and remote) will be collected ahead of time and shared from the room at the venue.
- File name format: LastName_abstract#
- Accepted presentation file format: PowerPoint, 16:9 aspect ratio
- Slide limit: One
- Upload slides: https://app.box.com/f/d3ab47da40984564b05413c445218261
- Submission deadline: November 1, 2022, 11:59 p.m. CDT
In-Person Poster Display
| Poster Location | Education Classroom |
| Poster Setup | Posters can be hung any time before the poster session on November 7. |
| Poster Removal | Posters should be removed upon conclusion of the meeting. Posters left behind will be discarded. |
| Poster Size | 44" × 44" (110 cm × 110 cm) |
| Materials Provided | Push pins |
E-Posters
E-Posters are optional. Remote poster presenters are encouraged to upload their e-poster by November 7, 2022.
Deadline to submit e-posters: November 23, 2022
E-Poster Instructions
To submit an e-poster:
- Log in to the abstract submission page of the meeting portal: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meeting_portal/abstract_submission/.
- Next to the listing of the abstract assigned to a poster, click on the e-poster link in the action column to go to the e-poster upload page.
- All e-posters must be submitted in PDF format.
- The maximum file size allowed is 10.0 MB.
- Use the browse button to locate the e-poster file on your computer, acknowledge the copyright statement, click the “Submit” button once, and wait for the confirmation screen.
- You will receive a confirmation email with a direct link to your e-poster.
To revise e-posters (before the deadline only):
- Return to the abstract submission page of the meeting portal and click on the e-poster link that appears next to the title of the abstract you submitted.
- Upload the revised version of your e-poster.
To view submitted e-posters:
- Click on the “View E-Posters” link on the workshop website.
- Use the abstract search function to find a particular abstract. Abstracts with e-posters will have an additional link in the search result that allows you to view the associated poster.
Awards
The application has closed, and recipients have been notified.
Logistics
Meeting Location
The meeting will be held at New Mexico’s Museum of Natural History and Science, STEM Lecture Hall at 1801 Mountain Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104.
Airport
The Albuquerque area is serviced by the Albuquerque International Sunport Airport (7.8 miles from the meeting venue).
Hotel Information
Participants are responsible for making their travel arrangements and hotel reservations.
Room blocks have been reserved at the Hilton Garden Inn Albuquerque Downtown, Homewood Suites Albuquerque Downtown, and Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn.
Hilton Garden Inn Albuquerque Downtown
$121 (Standard room type, single/double occupancy)
Call: 1-800-HILTONS or (505) 808-1041 to make your reservations utilizing the Code: “LPI”
Reservation Link
Cut-off date: October 3, 2022
Homewood Suites Albuquerque Downtown
$135 (Standard room type, single/double occupancy; breakfast included)
Call: 1-800-HILTONS or (505) 808-1041 to make your reservations utilizing the Code: “LPI”
Reservation Link
Cut-off date: October 3, 2022
Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn
$119 (Standard room type)
Reservation Link
Cut-off date: October 16, 2022
List of Nearby Hotels
List of Restaurants
Things to do in Albuquerque
COVID-19 Protocols
Currently, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has no COVID-19 mandates in place. However, masks are encouraged. Check this meeting website often for updated COVID-19 protocols. Hand sanitizer, gloves, and masks will be available at the meeting.
Reporting Positive Cases
Attendees who receive a positive test result during the VEXAG 2022 meeting are not allowed to enter the meeting venue and must immediately quarantine. These attendees are encouraged to share positive test results with a USRA/LPI HR representative: lpi-covid-status@usra.edu. For contact tracing purposes, a list of close contacts without masking will be requested. All information will be considered HR confidential.
Additional Resources
World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Pandemic
U.S. State Department Requirements for Air Travelers to the U.S.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Center (CDC) Travel Guidelines
CDC COVID Data Tracker
CDC Coronavirus Self-Checker
Contacts
For further information regarding the content of the meeting:
Noam Izenberg
Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory
E-mail: noam.izenberg@jhuapl.edu
For further information regarding abstract submission, registration, and logistics:
Mayra De Leon
Meeting and Publication Services
USRA/Lunar and Planetary Institute
Phone: 281-486-2136
E-mail: mdeleon@hou.usra.edu