NASA/HQ is hereby soliciting information about potential sources to provide support for study and report on radiation standards for lunar sortie missions. This will consist of an Ad Hoc committee to perform an independent assessment of the program's technical quality, relevance to exploration objectives, and effectiveness in maturing and infusing technologies. This work will assist the Government in overseeing the Constellation, human research, exploration technology development and lunar precursor robotic programs as well as the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Project.

Continue reading "NASA Solicitation: Exploration Systems Mission: Radiation Standards for Lunar Sortie Missions" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NAI and the American Philosophical Society (APS) jointly sponsor graduate students, postdocs, and junior scientists for field studies through the Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology. For more information see http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/funding/lewis-and-clark

We are very pleased to present the young investigators selected for 2009:

Continue reading "2009 Selections Announced for the NAI/APS Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Comments are being solicited from members of the astrobiology community on the following paper(s) that will be submitted to the 2009-2011 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. Papers will be revised based on community feedback. Additonal papers will be posted here as they become available.

• Astrobiology Research Priorities for Exoplanets (Last Updated: May 28, 2009)
• Astrobiology Research Priorities for Mercury, Venus, and the Moon (Added: June 8, 2009)
• Astrobiology Research Priorities for Mars (Added: June 10, 2009)
• Astrobiology Research Priorities for the Outer Solar System (Added June 15, 2009)

Please sent comments to ps_decadal@nx.arc.nasa.gov no later than July 31, 2009.
For more information on the decadal survey, visit: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ssb/SSEdecadal2011.html

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) intends to release a Draft Announcement of Opportunity (AO) in June 2009 for Discovery Program missions. The Discovery Program conducts Principal Investigator (PI)-led space science investigations in SMD's planetary programs under a not-to-exceed cost cap. It is anticipated that approximately two to three Discovery investigations will be selected for 9-month Phase A concept studies through this AO. At the conclusion of these concept studies, it is planned that one Discovery investigation will be selected to continue into Phase B and subsequent mission phases. There will be no Missions of Opportunity (MO) solicited as part of this AO. All MO are now solicited through the Stand Alone Mission of Opportunity Notice (SALMON) AO.

Full notice below

Continue reading "DRAFT Discovery Community Announcement NNH09ZDA009J" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology, a partnership between NAI and the American Philosophical Society (APS), is now accepting applications for astrobiological field studies for 2009. Graduate students, postdoctoral students, and junior scientists and scholars are eligible to apply for travel and related expenses, up to $5000. For more information, please see http://www.amphilsoc.org/grants/astrobiology.htm

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Application Deadline - February 15, 2008

The Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology, a partnership between NAI and the American Philosophical Society (APS), is now accepting applications for astrobiological field studies for 2008. Graduate students, postdoctoral students, and junior scientists and scholars are eligible to apply for travel and related expenses, up to $5000. For more information, please see http://www.amphilsoc.org/grants/astrobiology.htm

[Source: NAI newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NAI and the American Philosophical Society (APS), the oldest learned society in North America and the sponsor of Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery in 1804, are partners in the Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology. This program provides opportunities for the continued exploration of the world around us through research grants in support of astrobiological field studies–encouraging the best young scientists to engage in the exploration vision of NASA. This year, six Lewis and Clark Field Scholars were jointly selected by the NAI and APS. Their projects span the breadth of astrobiology research – and the globe – taking them this summer to locales such as Iceland, Greenland, Utah, and the Andes. For more information on the program, go to: http://nai.nasa.gov/funding/LewisandClarklist.cfm [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The National Research Council's Space Studies Board will host a colloquium on astrobiology and Mars exploration at the Hilton Pasadena Hotel. Participants will hear briefings from the chairs of three recent Academies studies on different aspects of exploration for life on Mars and other potential organic environments in the universe. There will also be a status report on NASA's plans for Mars exploration. This Research Council colloquium precedes the 7th International Conference on Mars at California Institute of Technology.

Continue reading "National Academies Advisory: July 8 Mars Colloquium in Pasadena, CA" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The European Space Agency (ESA) has issued a Call for Proposals for the First Planning Cycle of the New Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 (http://sci.esa.int/cv2015). It is anticipated that some U.S. investigators may wish to participate in the flight programs that will result from the advanced studies being solicited by the Call, and NASA is interested in the possibility of supporting U.S. investigator participation in future flight projects.

Continue reading "ESA Call for Proposals for "New Cosmic Vision"" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Presentations from the "Workshop on Science Associated with the Lunar Exploration Architecture" held in Tempe, Arizona, February 27-March 2, 2007 are available at: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/LEA. Presentations are still being uploaded to the website, so please continue to check the website as needed. Any questions regarding this announcement may be directed to Ms. Marian R. Norris, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, mnorris@nasa.gov. [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Community input is solicited in the form of white papers on key lunar science goals/opportunities suitable for implementation during the period 2006-2023. This includes international cooperation opportunities, and lunar as well as non-lunar science which could be done on/from the Moon.
The National Research Council (NRC) of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences has been asked to evaluate the scientific opportunities presented by robotic and human exploration of the Moon during the initial phases of implementation of NASA's Vision for Space Exploration.

Continue reading "NRC Study Seeks Community Input on the Scientific Context for the Exploration of the Moon" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Aerial Photo of the Haughton-Mars Project Research Station (HMP RS) on Devon Island, High Arctic, taken from a helicopter on July 20, 2006.

[Larger panorama]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Haughton-Mars Project Expedition 2005: Interplanetary Supply Chain Management & Logistics Architectures: Final NASA/MIT Report

"From an exploration perspective we found that HMP– despite the identified differences with a Lunar or Martian base – is an ideal research environment for interplanetary logistics, because it: ..."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Research Activities in the Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse - July 2006 Update

"Our autonomous greenhouse in the Arctic produces and manages its own power, has its own communications system for command and telemetry, and a robust data acquisition and control system for making measurements and maintaining the environment in the greenhouse. This project began in 2002 and every year we improve the systems and make them more reliable and more robust."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bigelow Spacecraft Carries NASA 'GeneBox' for Tests in Orbit, NASA ARC

"On July 12, a Russian rocket lofted 'GeneBox' into Earth orbit within Bigelow Corporation's Genesis I test spacecraft. Attached to the large inflatable spacecraft's internal structure, GeneBox contains a miniature laboratory. In future flights, it will analyze how the near weightlessness of space affects genes in microscopic cells and other small life forms."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

During our trip north in April, we installed another Campbell Scientific met station (automated weather station) to replace the one that has been at the McGill Arctic Research Station (M.A.R.S.) since 1992.

The new station sports all new sensors and the latest datalogger from Campbell, the CR1000 as well as their enclosed digital camera (CC640).

Continue reading "Arctic Met Station, Expedition Fiord, Axel Heiberg Island" »

Posted by Dale Andersen at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Undersea Vehicles to Study Formation of Gold and Other Precious Metals On the Pacific Ocean Floor, WHOI

"The joint expedition includes a 32-day WHOI research program funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation to the Pacmanus vent sites in the Eastern Manus Basin. The remotely operated vehicle Jason will be used to survey and map the vent areas around an Ocean Drilling Program hole drilled in 2000."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Descent Into the Ice, NOVA, PBS

"A team of "glacionauts" ventures into a labyrinth of unexplored and hazardous glacier caves on France's Mt. Blanc."

Editor's note: Highly recommended.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)