Highlighted Events

The following events are open to all interested members of the community.

Microsymposium 56:  The Crust of the Moon:  Insights Into Early Planetary Processes —
Saturday, March 14, 1:00 p.m. to Sunday, March 15, 12:30 p.m., Montgomery Ballroom
Ross Taylor has described the anorthositic crust of the Moon as the type example of a “primary crust,” derived from large-scale melting associated with accretional bombardment, formation of a magma ocean, and plagioclase flotation. “Secondary crust,” the lunar mare basalts, are derived from subsequent partial melting of the lunar mantle. The formation and preservation of the lunar primary and secondary crust provide windows into the fundamental processes operating in early planetary history, including magma ocean formation and solidification, differentiation and overturn, crustal magmatic intrusion, the steps leading to core formation and the generation of mare basalts, and impact bombardment forming craters and basins. To view the program and register, please visit the Microsymposium website.

2nd Annual Workshop on Potential Mars Returned Sample Science —
Sunday, March 15, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., The Woodlands
The Second Annual Workshop on Potential Mars Returned Sample Science will be an opportunity for scientists interested in the investigation of geological samples from Mars to (1) stay up to date on current planning related to the possibility of returning samples from Mars, and (2) discuss current issues and questions for which broad, multidisciplinary input is needed.

LRO Data Users Workshop —
Sunday, March 15, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Shenandoah
This community workshop is being held to educate and inform potential users of LRO data. Over the past 5+ years, the LRO mission has delivered over 570 Tb of data to NASA’s Planetary Data System. That amazing data volume contains many higher level products, in addition to the raw and calibrated data, from each of the seven instrument teams. Attendees are strongly encouraged to RSVP by e-mail to Noah Petro. Presentation materials will also be posted on the PDS website as well as the LRO Data website.

Scientist and Science Educator Professional Development Workshop:  Communicating with Your Audience —
Sunday, March 15, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, College Park
Experts in communicating with the public and press will present techniques for successfully engaging a variety of audiences in different formats, including press releases, classroom presentations, and public talks. Following interactive presentations, participants will work with experts to apply their knowledge to their own communications products and presentations. Those wishing to attend the communications workshop in the morning as well as the Higher Education Faculty Workshop in the afternoon are welcome to do so! Registration is free and required in order to attend; please register now! A 90-minute lunch break will be provided for lunch on your own. For additional information, please contact Christine Shupla.

Restoration and Synthesis of Planetary Geochemical Data —
Sunday, March 15, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m., Spring
This event is for planetary scientists with personal archives of unpublished lunar and planetary sample data (geochemistry, mineralogy, etc.) and investigators who are interested in the development of lunar and planetary geochemical databases to discuss data recovery and learn how to compile, document, and publish their legacy data for inclusion in online databases (e.g., IEDA). We will show how these data will be synthesized and made searchable by demonstrating the PetDB data system that hosts similar data for terrestrial samples.

Higher Education Faculty Workshop —
Sunday, March 15, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Cochran’s Crossing
Higher-education faculty will engage in discussions about the use of course management systems and social media, assessment, and innovative authentic projects. Participants will be asked to choose which topics will be of most interest and the workshop will be designed to address the most popular responses (please register by February 16 so your preferences can be taken into consideration). Registration is free and required in order to attend; please register now! For more details, please contact Dr. Sanlyn Buxner.

MESSENGER Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) Data Users Workshop —
Sunday, March 15, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m, Grogan’s Mill
This workshop will introduce MESSENGER Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) images and advanced data products available in the PDS and will focus on getting users to work with MDIS data. Tools and software to navigate and analyze MDIS data will be discussed. The overall goal of the workshop is to increase the awareness and accessibility of MDIS datasets to the larger scientific community, to support ongoing scientific projects, and to enable future research proposals. To register and for additional details, please visit the MESSENGER MDIS Data Users Workshop website.

46th LPSC Registration and Welcome Event —
Sunday, March 15, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., Waterway Ballrooms 4/5
Check in early and avoid the lines on Monday morning! Registration will open at 4:00 p.m., and the welcome event will begin at 5:00 p.m. This event will give you a chance to network and visit with past colleagues. The speaker-ready room will also be open at this time, so Monday speakers can check in their talks in advance. Tuesday poster presenters will be able to install their posters during this time as well.

Dwornik Award Judges Meeting —
Sunday, March 15, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m, Grogan’s Mill
Training and information meeting for the Dwornik Award judges. This is your opportunity to review the judging procedure, ask questions, meet other judges, and discuss schedules or concerns. We will aim to keep it as brief as possible!

Microblogger Meet Up —
Sunday, March 15, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Waterway Ballroom 1
An opportunity for the LPSC Microbloggers to meet and greet, compare interests, strategize on session coverage, and consult with conference staff.

NextGen Lunar Scientists and Engineers Workshop on Tips for Successful Paper Writing and the Publication Process —
Monday, March 16, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m, Indian Springs
The Next Generation Lunar Scientists and Engineers will be hosting a workshop to discuss strategies and tips for writing successful scientific papers. We will be sharing tips on how to format and write papers, as well as going over strategies that have proven successful in submitting papers for publication with a variety of journals. Input from more seasoned published scientists will be included, as well as discussion time among attendees.

iSALE User Group Meeting —
Monday, March 16, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m, Grogan’s Mill
The iSALE shock physics code for simulating impact processes is a popular, free-to-use tool developed, maintained, and used by the planetary science community. The code now has >100 registered academic users at >20 institutions across the world. The developers of iSALE would like to host a meeting of the iSALE user/developer community to (1) disseminate information about new features, (2) discuss plans for future model development, (3) receive feedback from iSALE users, and (4) promote wider participation in iSALE model development for the benefit of all users.

Lunar Cubes:  Deep Space Low Cost Essential Science Mission Opportunities —
Monday, March 16, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m., Panther Creek
This event is a follow-up to the extremely productive and successful LunarCubes Workshop series held every fall in Silicon Valley and part of our SPACE SIG (Small Payloads and Advanced Concepts for Exploration Special Interest Group), which has a goal of putting a network of up to 50 nanoscale packages to do advanced multidimensional science in cislunar space (orbit or surface) before 2020, doable with current technology and extremely affordable if costs are shared by participants. The objectives of the meeting will be to (1) discuss, get suggestions for, and invite others to participate in current activities of the SIG; (2) provide “open mic” opportunities to present your views and latest work relevant to this topic; (3) disseminate information on upcoming opportunities, create collaborative teams, and strategize on how to create future opportunities to develop payloads and supporting technologies for cubesats in deep space; and (4) make attendees aware of the material on the use of cubesats for deep space exploration posted at lunarcubes.com as a “central clearing house.” We think it is especially important that everyone “be at the table,” including a broad cross-section of scientists, engineers, program/project administrators, technologists, and entrepreneurs, for these interactions to be meaningful. We’ve been talking almost exclusively among those within our disciplines or our organizations for far too long.

Plenary Session Featuring Masursky Lecture —
Monday, March 16, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Waterway Ballrooms 4/5
This year’s lecture, “Insights into the Evolution of the Solar System from Isotopic Investigations of Samples ,” will be presented by Dr. Lars Borg of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The winners of the 2014 Dwornik Awards, the 2015 Pierazzo International Student Travel Award, and the 2015 LPI Career Development Awards will also be recognized.

E/PO Help Desk for Scientists Interested in Increasing Their Impact —
Monday, March 16, 2:30 to 5:00 p.m, Sterling Ridge
Wednesday, March 18, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m., Sterling Ridge
Scientists are invited to work one-on-one with Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) professionals to (1) identify paths to get involved in E/PO that match available time and resourcesc (2) learn about ways to achieve maximum impact in E/PO undertakings, and/or (3) understand the current E/PO landscape. Recommended resources, primers for working in different learning environments, and other materials will be available.

NASA Headquarters Briefing —
Monday, March 16, 5:30 p.m., Waterway Ballrooms 4/5
Representatives from the Planetary Sciences Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate will address the community. Current plans include speakers Jim Green, David Schurr, and Jonathan Rall.

Opening of Exhibits and Student/Scientist Event —
Monday, March 16, immediately following the NASA Headquarters Briefing, Town Center Exhibit Hall
A student/scientist reception will be held to honor the Masursky Lecturer, student award winners, and all students presenting at this year’s LPSC.

The 2016 NASA Budget:  The Planetary Community’s Response and Next Steps —
Tuesday, March 17, 12:00 to 1:15 p.m, Montgomery Ballroom
You’ve heard NASA’s official position on the 2016 budget request, now hear the response from the professional societies that represent you in Washington, DC. This lunch session will cover the details of the budget, the community response, and what to expect in the coming year. An extended Q&A session will follow to provide frank answers to your questions and concerns about the 2016 budget. Scientists at any stage in their career are strongly encouraged to attend.

Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) Town Hall —
Wednesday, March 18, 12:00 to 1:15 p.m, Waterway Ballroom 6
Attend the LEAG Town Hall for an update on lunar science activities — research, missions, new findings, and general community discussion.

Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) Townhall —
Wednesday, March 18, 12:00 to 1:15 p.m, Waterway Ballroom 1
The OPAG Town Hall will feature discussion of the science goals document currently in preparation.

Antarctic Search for Meteorites Slideshow —
Wednesday, March 18, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m, Waterway Ballroom 6
A review of the 2014–2015 Antarctic Search for Meteorites field season will be presented by the field team members.

Conducting Planetary Science from Stratospheric Balloon Platforms —
Wednesday, March 18, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Waterway Ballroom 1
We will discuss scientific ballooning for conducting planetary science to better understand how these platforms could serve the community and to help the planetary science community better understand the characteristics of this potential capability.

Women in Planetary Science Event —
Wednesday, March 18, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Montgomery Ballroom
Please join us for an informal networking and mentoring event. We will have small group discussions based around several topics of interest, including solving the two-body problem, effective use of social media, fighting impostor syndrome, negotiating a new position, choosing a graduate program, and careers outside of academia. As always, all are welcome regardless of gender. Register here.

Community Workshop for Users of ChemCam LIBS Data —
Wednesday, March 18, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., Indian Springs
This event is being held to educate potential proposers and/or other users of the planetary laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) data. Currently tens of gigabytes of ChemCam data are accessible on the PDS, providing elemental composition information on more than 5000 locations along the Curiosity rover’s traverse in the MSL’s first 700 sols. This represents a substantial dataset covering a diverse terrain in Gale Crater, Mars.

Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG) Town Hall —
Thursday, March 19, 12:00 to 1:15 p.m., Waterway Ballroom 1
This is an opportunity for VEXAG to interact with the larger Venus science community. The agenda will include a PSD update from Jim Green, updates on the Venus Express and Akatsuki missions, updates on future meetings of interest to the Venus science community, and some discussion of the schedule for Discovery selections.

Cartography Research Analysis Group Informational Meeting —
Thursday, March 19, 12:00 to 1:15 p.m., Waterway Ballroom 6
The NASA Cartography Research Analysis Group (CRAG) (provisonal name, subject to community input) is a new NASA Advisory Group being organized to provide findings concerning NASA strategic priorities for geologic mapping, geospatial software development, and cartographic programs; as well as help ensure that the highest cartographic and geologic mapping standards are developed for, and maintained in, present and future NASA flight missions and research activities. The agenda will be to introduce the CRAG leadership team to the community, discuss the CRAG mission, and begin organizing CRAG activities for the coming years.