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Total results: 198

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Authors	Title	Summary	Panel Selection	Institution	Download/ Details
Jeffrey L. Bada Co-Authors: Andrew D. Aubrey, Frank J. Grunthaner, Michael Hecht, Richard Quinn, Richard Mathies, Aaron Zent, John H. Chalmers	Seeking Signs of Life on Mars: In Situ Investigations as Prerequisites to Sample Return Missions	We argue for deployment of increasingly sophisticated in situ techniques to definitively identify biomarkers before engaging in Mars Sample Return. We focus on “following the nitrogen,” using techniques such as micro capillary electrophoresis to identify and determine the chirality of primary amines	Mars: Not Phobos and Deimos.	Scripps Institution of Oceanography	Download File More Details
Cynthia Phillips Co-Authors: D. L. Blaney, R. T. Pappalardo, H. Hussman, G. C. Collins, R. M. Mastrapa, J. F. Cooper, R. Greeley, J. B. Dalton, T. A. Hurford, E. B. Bierhaus, F. Nimmo, D. A. Williams, D. A. Senske , D. Grinspoon, R. E. Johnson, S. Kattenhorn, P. Hayne, B. Betts, W. B. McKinnon, L. M. Prockter, A. P. Showman, J. H. Shirley, K. Khurana, S. Grasby, B. G. Bills, L. Friedman, J. Castillo, C. Sotin, G. Hansen, K. Klaus, B. J. Buratti, S. W. Asmar, M. J. S. Belton, E. Heggy, L. Sklar, A. R. Hendrix, J. R. Spear, S. Ulamec, L. Bruzzone, F. Tosi, R. Jaumann, G. Strazzulla, A. Coates, J. Emery, L. Allamandola, A. Coustenis, R. W. Carlson, W. Grundy, S. D. Vance, G. Branduardi-Raymont, M. Barmatz, P. M. Beauchamp, A. D. Anbar, C. A. Raymond, K. P. Hand, E. Shock, K. Stephan, D. L. Goldsby, D. D. Blankenship, M. Choukroun, W. Moore, E. P. Turtle, T. Pierson, S. Neuer, M. Zolotov	Exploration of Europa	Europa''s icy surface may hide an ocean of liquid water. We summarize the unanswered questions pertaining to Europa following the Galileo mission, and address how those questions will be answered by suggested missions such as EJSM and a lander, as well as new telescopic and laboratory measurements.	Satellites: Galilean satellites, Titan, and the other satellites of the giant planets.	SETI Institute	Download File More Details
Oleksandr Potashko	Atmosphere as Sign of Life	Is there a feature of presence of life on a macro-level? Could we say something about life on Neptune or on Halley’s Comet or on an exoplanet? Let’s consider that sign of life is an atmosphere. Let''s consider crustal planet. Whether planet has an atmosphere we may say that it is alive in geologi	Inner Planets: Mercury, Venus, and the Moon. Mars: Not Phobos and Deimos. Giant Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and exoplanets, including rings and magnetic fields, but not their satellites. Satellites: Galilean satellites, Titan, and the other satellites of the giant planets. Primitive Bodies: Asteroids, comets, Phobos, Deimos, Pluto/Charon and other Kuiper belt objects, meteorites, and interplanetary dust.	SF ''Fractal''	Download File More Details
Robert J. Noble Co-Authors: Rashied Amini, Patricia M. Beauchamp, Gary L. Bennett, John R. Brophy, Bonnie J. Buratti, Joan Ervin, Yan R. Fernandez, Will Grundy, Mohammed Omair Khan, David Q. King, Jared Lang, Karen J. Meech, Alan Newhouse, Steven R. Oleson, George R. Schmidt, Thomas Spilker, John L. West	New Opportunities for Outer Solar System Science using Radioisotope Electric Propulsion	This whitepaper discusses how mobility provided by radioisotope electric propulsion (REP) opens up entirely new science opportunities for robotic missions to distant primitive bodies. We also give an overview of REP technology developments and the required next steps to realize REP.	Satellites: Galilean satellites, Titan, and the other satellites of the giant planets. Primitive Bodies: Asteroids, comets, Phobos, Deimos, Pluto/Charon and other Kuiper belt objects, meteorites, and interplanetary dust.	SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory	Download File More Details
Bruce A. Campbell Co-Authors: John A. Grant, Ted Maxwell, Jeffrey J. Plaut, Anthony Freeman	Exploring the Shallow Subsurface of Mars with Imaging Radar: Scientific Promise and Technical Rationale	Global information on martian near-surface features and physical properties represents a great untapped aspect of the search for habitable zones and evidence of past climate. Imaging radar measurements can penetrate several meters of mantling material and 10’s of meters into ice.	Mars: Not Phobos and Deimos.	Smithsonian Institution	Download File More Details
John Grant Co-Authors: Matt Golombek, Alfred McEwen, Scott Murchie, Frank Seelos, John Mustard, David Des Marais, Ken Tanaka, Gian Ori, Nicolas Mangold, Kate Fishbaugh, Steve Ruff, Dawn Sumner, Brad Jolliff, Ralph Harvey	Future Mars Landing Site Selection Activities	A process for identifying candidate landing sites for future missions should be started and accompanied by creation of funding to support landing site characterization activities. NASA should provide resources to existing missions to enable these activities and consider including instruments for sit	Mars: Not Phobos and Deimos.	Smithsonian Institution	Download File More Details
Dana Backman	SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) and Planetary Science	This paper consists of the intro & observatory capabilities (ch. 1) plus the planetary science (ch. 5) portions of the SOFIA Science Vision doc pub. in 2009 as an update of the scientific case for SOFIA. D. Backman produced this extract; the original doc is authored by the SOFIA Science Team.	Inner Planets: Mercury, Venus, and the Moon. Giant Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and exoplanets, including rings and magnetic fields, but not their satellites. Satellites: Galilean satellites, Titan, and the other satellites of the giant planets. Primitive Bodies: Asteroids, comets, Phobos, Deimos, Pluto/Charon and other Kuiper belt objects, meteorites, and interplanetary dust.	SOFIA / SETI Institute	Download File More Details
William F. Bottke Co-Authors: Carlton Allen, Mahesh Anand, Nadine Barlow, Donald Bogard, Gwen Barnes, Clark Chapman, Barbara A. Cohen, Ian A. Crawford, Andrew Daga, Luke Dones, Dean Eppler, Vera Assis Fernandes, Bernard H. Foing, Lisa R. Gaddis, Jim N. Head, Fredrick P. Horz, Brad Jolliff, Christian Koeberl, Michelle Kirchoff, David Kring, Harold F., Levison, Simone Marchi, Charles Meyer, David A. Minton, Stephen J. Mojzsis, Clive Neal, Laurence E. Nyquist, David Nesvorny, Anne Peslier, Noah Petro, Carle Pieters, Jeff Plescia, Mark Robinson, Greg Schmidt, Sen. Harrison H. Schmitt, John Spray, Sarah Stewart-Mukhopadhyay, Timothy Swindle, Lawrence Taylor, Ross Taylor, Mark Wieczorek, Nicolle Zellner, Maria Zuber	Exploring the Bombardment History of the Moon	We discuss our priorities for exploring the Moon''s bombardment history: (1) Test the idea of a massive impactor spike 3.8-4.0 billion years ago. (2) Anchor the early Earth-Moon impact flux curve by determining the age of South Pole-Aitken Basin. (3) Establish a precise absolute chronology.	Inner Planets: Mercury, Venus, and the Moon.	Southwest Research Institute	Download File More Details
Mark A. Bullock Co-Authors: David A. Senske, Tibor. S. Balint, Alexis Benz, Bruce A. Campbell, Eric Chassefiere, Anthony Colaprete, James A. Cutts, Lori Glaze, Stephen Gorevan, David H. Grinspoon, Jeff Hall, George L. Hashimoto, James W. Head, Gary Hunter, Natasha Johnson, Viktor V. Kerzhanovich, Walter S. Kiefer, Elizabeth A. Kolawa, Tibor Kremic, Johnny Kwok, Sanjay S. Limaye, Stephen J. Mackwell, Mikhail Y. Marov, Adriana Ocampo, Gerald Schubert, Ellen R. Stofan, Hakan Svedhem, Dimitri V. Titov, Allen H. Treiman	The Venus Science and Technology Definition Team Flagship	This white paper describes the scientific goals, objectives, instruments and mission architecture and design for a Flagship class mission to Venus.	Inner Planets: Mercury, Venus, and the Moon.	Southwest Research Institute	Download File More Details
Robert Grimm	Electromagnetic Sounding of Solid Planets and Satellites	EM methods can sense subsurface structure from meters to a thousand kilometers. This white paper gives a tutorial on material sensitivities, exploration depths, sources, and particularly what measurements must be made for different target bodies, without specific mission endorsements.	Inner Planets: Mercury, Venus, and the Moon. Mars: Not Phobos and Deimos. Satellites: Galilean satellites, Titan, and the other satellites of the giant planets. Primitive Bodies: Asteroids, comets, Phobos, Deimos, Pluto/Charon and other Kuiper belt objects, meteorites, and interplanetary dust.	Southwest Research Institute	Download File More Details
Scot Rafkin Co-Authors: Robert. M. Haberle, Don Banfield, Jeff. Barnes	The Value of Landed Meteorological Investigations on Mars: The Next Advance for Climate Science	Major advances in the understanding of the present and past Mars climate system are most likely to be accomplished by in situ meteorological surface measurements operating from both a network configuration and individual stations.	Mars: Not Phobos and Deimos.	Southwest Research Institute	Download File More Details
J. Hunter, Jr. Waite Co-Authors: T. Brockwell, D.T. Young, W.S. Lewis, C.P. McKay, Francois Raulin, G. Schubert	Titan Lake Probe	This White Paper describes the concept for a Titan Lake Probe, which could be implemented either as an element of a TSSM-type mission or as a stand-alone New Frontiers mission. The Lake Probe could be configured either as a boat or, for increased science return, as a submersible.	Satellites: Galilean satellites, Titan, and the other satellites of the giant planets.	Southwest Research Institute	Download File More Details
James D. Walker Co-Authors: Walter F. Huebner, Sidney Chocron, Walt Gray, Daniel Boice	Active Seismology of Asteroids through Impact and/or Blast Loading	We have no direct data on the interior structure of primitive bodies. The interior structure of asteroids is relevant to most solar system formation and evolution theories. Seismology is the only method for determining the interior structure for a range of sizes of asteroids to address.	Primitive Bodies: Asteroids, comets, Phobos, Deimos, Pluto/Charon and other Kuiper belt objects, meteorites, and interplanetary dust.	Southwest Research Institute	Download File More Details
Eliot F. Young Co-Authors: Charles Hibbitts, Joshua Emery, Amanda Hendrix, William Merline, William Grundy, Kurt Retherford	Balloon-Borne Telescopes for Planetary Science: Imaging and Photometry	This white paper advocates the use of balloon-borne telescopes for diffraction-limited imaging in visible wavelengths by demonstrating their technical readiness and low cost relative to space- and ground-based facilities.	Inner Planets: Mercury, Venus, and the Moon. Mars: Not Phobos and Deimos. Giant Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and exoplanets, including rings and magnetic fields, but not their satellites. Satellites: Galilean satellites, Titan, and the other satellites of the giant planets. Primitive Bodies: Asteroids, comets, Phobos, Deimos, Pluto/Charon and other Kuiper belt objects, meteorites, and interplanetary dust.	Southwest Research Institute	Download File More Details
Amalie Sinclair	Lunar Light -Planetary Renewal- A Holistic Viewpoint	This paper sets out some rationales for an integrated US space development platform within the UN forums . Such a platform might include for an international lunar settlement and for a related space sciences initiative into global development	Inner Planets: Mercury, Venus, and the Moon.	Space for Progress	Download File More Details
William B.C. Crandall	A Decadal Shift: From Space Exploration Science to Space Utilization Science	We urge the Decadal Survey Committee, which is charged with developing “a comprehensive science and mission strategy for planetary science,” to temporarily shift research priorities in the United States from space exploration science to space utilization science.	Primitive Bodies: Asteroids, comets, Phobos, Deimos, Pluto/Charon and other Kuiper belt objects, meteorites, and interplanetary dust.	Space Wealth	Download File More Details
Douglas Stetson Co-Authors: Jim Bell, Lou Friedman	Mars Exploration 2016-2032: Rationale and Principles for a Strategic Program	The Mars Exploration Program, one of the most visible and dynamic elements of NASA space science, is at a crossroads. To ensure a robust future it must embrace the related goals of life and sample return, and must begin to bridge the historical gap between robotic and human exploration.	Mars: Not Phobos and Deimos.	The Planetary Society (consultant)	Download File More Details
Richard S. Miller Co-Authors: M. Bonamente, S. O’Brien, W. S. Paciesas, M. Bonamente, S. O’Brien, W. S. Paciesas, C. A. Young, D. Ebbets	Lunar Occultation Observer - A Nuclear Astrophysics Mission Concept using the Moon as a Platform for Science	The Lunar Occultation Observer (LOCO) is a gamma-ray astrophysics mission concept being developed to probe the nuclear regime. Using the Moon to occult astrophysical sources as they rise and set along the lunar limb, the encoded temporal modulation will be used to image the sky and enable science.	Inner Planets: Mercury, Venus, and the Moon. None of the above.	University of Alabama in Huntsville	Download File More Details
Dante S. Lauretta Co-Authors: Paul Abell, Carlton Allen, Ariel Anbar, Olivier Barnouin-Jha, M. Antonella Barucci, E. Beau Bierhaus, Richard P. Binzel, William F. Bottke, Steven R. Chesley, Beth E. Clark, Edward Cloutis, Harold C. Connolly, Jr., Michael J. Drake, Jason P. Dworkin, M. Darby Dyar, Jack Farmer, Rebecca Ghent, Daniel P. Glavin, Nader Haghighipour, Vicky E. Hamilton, Carl W. Hergenrother, Kip Hodges, Lindsay P. Keller, Detlef Koschny, John Marshall, Scott Messenger, Steven Mielke, Keiko Nakamura-Messenger, Joseph A. Nuth, Dennis Reuter, Frans J. M. Rietmeijer, Kevin Righter, Waddell Robey, Michal Rozyczka, Nicolaus Copernicus, Farid Salama, Scott A. Sandford, Daniel J. Scheeres, Everett Shock, Steve Vance, Brian D. Wade, Kosei E. Yamaguchi	Astrobiology Research Priorities for Primitive Asteroids	Study of primitive asteroids is fundamental to understanding the origin, distribution, and evolution of volatile and organic compounds in the early Solar System. This paper outlines six major research focus areas and recommends three mission concepts, which are listed in priority order.	Primitive Bodies: Asteroids, comets, Phobos, Deimos, Pluto/Charon and other Kuiper belt objects, meteorites, and interplanetary dust.	University of Arizona	Download File More Details
Jonathan I. Lunine	Saturn''s Titan: A strict test for life''s cosmic ubiquity	In this white paper I argue that Titan provides a strict test for the Copernican hypothesis that life is a ubiquitous cosmic phenomenon. Planets with environments like Titan may be common in the cosmos, as they correspond to a roughly 1 AU orbit around M-dwarfs.	Giant Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and exoplanets, including rings and magnetic fields, but not their satellites. Satellites: Galilean satellites, Titan, and the other satellites of the giant planets.	University of Arizona	Download File More Details

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These documents have been prepared in coordination with the National Academies of Science in support of the National Academies Planetary Science Decadal Survey. These documents are being made available for information purposes only, and any views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of NASA, JPL, or the California Institute of Technology.