Welcome to the NAI Newsletter! The Newsletter is a compendium of announcements, events, updates, and news items related to the NAI and its research. If you have news items or suggestions you can send them to the editor, Marco Boldt at: Marco.Boldt@nasa.gov.
Newsletter for May 22, 2008
- Reminder: NAI Director's Discretionary Fund Submissions Due June 1, 2008
- 6/2 NAI Director’s Seminar: “Observing Extrasolar Worlds: From Gas Giant to Terrestrial Planets”
- Draft Announcement of Opportunity for the Third New Frontiers Mission to be Released in September, 2008
- Jim Kasting Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and of the Geochemical Society
- Chris Impey Receives ASP Richard H. Emmons Award
- Wandering Poles on Europa
- Organic Haze, Glaciations and Multiple Sulfur Isotopes in the Mid-Archean Era
- NSBRI Announcement Soliciting Postdoctoral Fellowship Applications
- Last Chance for NAI Scholarships to the Summer School on Life in Extreme Conditions
Reminder: NAI Director's Discretionary Fund Submissions Due June 1, 2008
The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) is accepting proposals to the 2008 NAI Director’s Discretionary Fund (DDF). The Lead Investigator for all proposals must be an NAI member, but proposals may include participation by non-members. All proposals must be accompanied by a letter of endorsement from the Principal Investigator of each NAI team involved.
Proposals will be accepted at any time through June 1, 2008
For more information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/funding/ddf-2008
6/2 NAI Director’s Seminar: “Observing Extrasolar Worlds: From Gas Giant to Terrestrial Planets”
Presenter: Giovanna Tinetti, University College, London
Date/Time: June 2, 2008 11:00 AM Pacific
Abstract:
In the past decade, over 280 planets orbiting other stars (extrasolar planets) have been discovered. For a growing sample of giant extrasolar planets orbiting very close to their parent star (hot-Jupiters), we can already probe their atmospheric constituents using transit techniques. With this method, we can indirectly observe the thin atmospheric ring surrounding the optically thick disc of the planet -the limb- while the planet is transiting in front of its parent star. This method was traditionally used to probe the atmospheres of planets in our Solar System and most recently, thanks to the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes, was successfully applied to exoplanets. In our seminar, we will focus in the most recent detections of water vapour and other carbon-molecules in the atmosphere of hot-Jupiters using photometry and spectroscopy. A new generation of space telescopes is expected to be launched in the next decade: the James Webb Space Telescope. The improved sensitivity of the instruments on board JWST will allow us to probe the atmospheres of transiting Earth-size planets, down to the habitable zone.
For more information and participation instructions:
http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/126
Draft Announcement of Opportunity for the Third New Frontiers Mission to be Released in September, 2008
NEW FRONTIERS PROGRAM
Community announcement, May 12, 2008
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science
Mission Directorate (SMD) plans to release for community comment a
draft Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for the third New Frontiers
mission (NF-3) in September 2008. Approximately two weeks after the
draft is released, SMD will hold a community workshop in the
Washington, D.C., area. The final AO will be released in December
2008 with proposals due approximately 90 days later. In August 2009,
up to three missions will be selected for a 9 to 11 month Phase A
that will be funded up to $2.5M each. Downselection to a single
mission for flight will occur in fall (September to November) 2010.
Launch is to occur no earlier than 2015 and no later than 2018. This
NF-3 AO will solicit only missions that do not require nuclear
sources for power generation or propulsion, although Radioisotope
Heating Units (RHUs) and calibration sources will be allowed. The
Principal Investigator (PI) Mission Cost for all phases of the
mission will not include the launch vehicle and will be capped at
$650M in FY09 dollars.
An Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) in the Intermediate Class
with any of the fairing sizes available will be provided by NASA as
Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) at no charge against the capped
PI Mission Cost. The Intermediate Class EELV that NASA will provide
can deliver up to 5,300 kg to an orbit with a launch energy of C3=10
km2/sec2. Standard launch services will also be provided as GFE.
Special or mission unique launch services above those included in the
standard launch services must be included within the PI Mission Cost.
No minimum experience qualifications will be required of the PI, but
the experience and expertise of the proposing team will be an
evaluation factor for the evaluation of submitted NF proposals. With
the cancellation of minimum PI experience requirements, NASA has
terminated prescreening for compliance with the cancelled requirements.
NASA will follow recommendations 1 and 2 of the National Research
Council's (NRC's) New Opportunities for Solar System Exploration
(NOSSE) committee report available at:
http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12175 .
Recommendation 1: In drafting the rules for the NF-3 AO, NASA should
emphasize the science objectives and questions to be addressed, not
specify measurements or techniques for the implementation.
Recommendation 2: NASA should expand the list of potential missions
in the NF-3 AO to include the three remaining candidate missions:
South Pole-Aitken Basin Sample Return, Venus In Situ Explorer, and
the Comet Surface Sample Return, and also the five additional
medium-sized missions mentioned in the decadal survey: Network
Science; Trojan/Centaur Reconnaissance; Asteroid Rover/Sample Return;
Io Observer; and Ganymede Observer. There is no recommended priority
for these missions. NASA should select from this set of missions
based both on science priority and overall mission viability.
This NF-3 AO will not provide a funding profile. Proposals are to
propose the optimum funding profile for the mission consistent with
the cap on PI Mission Cost and are to specify the duration and budget
requirements for Phases B through F (Closeout).
The cost of using the Deep Space Network (DSN) must be included
within the PI Mission Cost. Except for emergencies and critical
events (e.g., Entry, Descent, and Landing) when continuous coverage
is required, DSN use will be limited to a single 34 m DSN antenna at
a time. Missions are encouraged to consider the use of Ka band as appropriate.
Proposers will be given the option of selecting none or one of two
specific technologies for insertion into their mission. The two
technologies are the NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) and the
Advanced Materials Bipropellant Rocket (AMBR) engine. For missions
that insert NEXT, the cap on the PI Mission Cost will be raised up to
$15M. For missions that insert AMBR, the cap on the PI Mission Cost
will be raised up to $5M. The appropriate use of these technologies
will be evaluated and could affect the risk rating of the proposals.
However, the inherent risk of these technologies has been accepted by
NASA and will not affect the evaluated risk rating of the proposals;
all proposers will receive feedback on the use of the new technology.
Once that feedback has been incorporated into the Concept Study
Reports (CSRs) of the missions selected for Phase A, both the
appropriate use and the inherent risk of these technologies will be
evaluated and could affect the risk rating of the CSRs. Any PI
considering the use of either of these technologies should contact
David J. Anderson of NASA Glenn Research Center at david.j.anderson@nasa.gov.
The cost of complying with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) for RHUs and calibration sources must be included within the
PI Mission Cost.
Proposals must not designate an Education and Public Outreach (E/PO)
lead or describe an E/PO plan. Designation of an E/PO lead and
development of an E/PO plan is to be done during Phase A. Proposals
must allocate a budget for E/PO that does not exceed 1% of the PI
Mission Cost and proposals must contain a commitment by the PI to
provide an E/PO plan if selected.
Questions may be addressed to Dr. Adriana C. Ocampo, New Frontiers
Program Executive, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, Washington, DC
20546; Tel.: (202) 358-2152; Email: aco@nasa.gov
Jim Kasting Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and of the Geochemical Society
Jim Kasting was recently elected as Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Jim is a member of the NAI’s Pennsylvania State University and Virtual Planetary Laboratory @ UW teams, and a PI in the Exobiology program. The American Academy of Arts & Sciences is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies and independent policy research centers. Jim has also been named a Fellow of the Geochemical Society. The honorary title is “bestowed upon outstanding scientists who have, over some years, made a major contribution to the field of geochemistry.
For more information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/articles/jim-kasting-elected-fellow-of-the-american-academy-of-arts-and-sciences-and-of-the-geochemical-society/
Chris Impey Receives ASP Richard H. Emmons Award
University of Arizona researcher and educator Chris Impey has received the 2008 ASP Richard H. Emmons award, which recognizes and celebrates outstanding achievement in the teaching of college-level introductory astronomy for non-science majors. The award citation states that “Innovation is certainly a hallmark of Chris’s approach to teaching astronomy. He is ever thought provoking and engaging; students benefit from his refreshing methods that use interactive techniques and a blend of online and classroom teaching.”
For more information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/articles/chris-impey-receives-asp-richard-h-emmons-award/
Recently Published Research from the NAI
Wandering Poles on Europa
A new study in the May 15th issue of Nature from NAI’s Carnegie Institution of Washington Team reveals that Europa’s poles may not have always been located in the same place. Using images from three NASA spacecraft, Voyager, Galileo, and New Horizons, the study mapped surface features on Europa and matched them with a pattern predicted if Europa had experienced an episode of ~80 degree true polar wander. This movement of the pole and subsequent change in rotation axis is only possible if Europa’s outer shell is decoupled from the core by a liquid layer, so the study also reinforces evidence for the presence of an ocean on Europa.
Organic Haze, Glaciations and Multiple Sulfur Isotopes in the Mid-Archean Era
Shawn D. Domagal-Goldman (NAI PSU team), J.F. Kasting (NAI PSU team), D. T. Johnson (NAI CIW team), and J. Farquhar (NAI CIW and UCLA teams) have just published an article Organic haze, glaciations and multiple sulfur isotopes in the Mid-Archean era in Earth and Planetary Science Letters. The team used sulfur isotope signatures within ancient sediments and a photochemical model of sulfur dioxide photolysis to interpret the evolution of the atmosphere over the first half of Earth’s history.
Astrobiology EPO, Undergrads, Grads, Postdocs
NSBRI Announcement Soliciting Postdoctoral Fellowship Applications
The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) is soliciting applications for its Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. Two-year fellowships are available in any U.S. laboratory carrying out space-related biomedical or biotechnological research that supports the NSBRI's goals. NSBRI research addresses and seeks solutions to the various health concerns associated with long-duration human space exploration.
Applicants must submit proposals with the support of a mentor and institution, and all proposals will be evaluated by a peer-review panel. The program is open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or persons with pre-existing visas obtained through their sponsoring institutions that permit postdoctoral training for the project's duration.
Detailed program and application submission information is available on the NSBRI Web site at www.nsbri.org/Announcements/rfa08-03.html. Notices of intent and applications must be submitted through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES). Notices of intent are due June 19, 2008, and the application deadline is July 31, 2008.
Questions may be directed to Sonia Rahmati Clayton, Ph.D., Program Coordinator, NSBRI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, email:
postdoc@www.nsbri.org, or phone: 713-798-7412.
Last Chance for NAI Scholarships to the Summer School on Life in Extreme Conditions
The application deadline has been extended to Tuesday May 27 for 3 NAI scholarships to graduate students or postdocs, studying in the US, to attend the 2008 MedILS Summer School on Life in Extreme Conditions. This session, held from August 3 - 9 in Split, Croatia, will provide a venue to share current knowledge and develop new ideas and research projects around the topic of life in extreme conditions. The main focus of the school is on the evolution and maintenance of life in habitats such as eternal ice, hydrothermal vents, the bottom of the ocean, salt lakes, or other planets. Leading international lecturers will inform the participants about the latest developments and theories.
This summer school is open to PhD and Master students as well as postdoctoral fellows working in the fields of biology, ecology, astrobiology, chemistry, or physics (or any discipline combined from or related to these). Application documents should include a 1 page letter of motivation (highlighting your interest and prior knowledge in the school topic), a CV, and a letter of recommendation from your advisor to: Andrew Pohorille, pohorill@raphael.arc.nasa.gov.
For more information see: http://www.medils.hr/index.php/archives/2008/03/03/summer-schools-2008/
