[meteorite-list] Latest Studies of Mars, Saturn, Moon Highlight Science Conference

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2007 08:50:37 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <200703061650.IAA02085_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/news/releases/2007/JO07-005.html

William Jeffs
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

Karin Hilser
Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston
281-244-2014

03.05.07

RELEASE: JO07-005

Latest Studies of Mars, Saturn, Moon Highlight Conference

Initial science data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, detailed
images of Saturn's icy moons and results from a deliberate crash on the
moon highlight the 38th annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
March 12-16 in Houston.

The conference will include presentations on the latest findings from
these missions, as well as an update on findings from NASA's Stardust
spacecraft that returned to Earth in 2006 with particles from comet Wild
2. Leading scientists from around the world will attend to discuss these
and other topics at the South Shore Harbour Resort and Conference Center.

Media may register to attend. For registration information and a
complete list of conference events, visit:

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2007/lpsc2007.3rd.shtml

Data from recent missions continues to offer space scientists worldwide
new information and imagery to study. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter,
the latest mission to arrive at Mars, began returning data last
November, providing higher-resolution imagery than has been previously
obtained from orbit. Cassini's tour of Saturn has revealed a wealth of
detail about Titan and unique insights into the planet's icy satellites,
showing them to be more geologically active than hinted at by Voyager.
And Europe's first lunar mission, SMART-1, ended with a bang last
September when the probe was directed to crash into the moon.

"This continues to be an exciting era for planetary scientists.
Information from the diversity of missions returning new data every day
complements the continuing discoveries in the planetary science research
disciplines," said Eileen Stansbery, deputy director of the
Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate at NASA???s
Johnson Space Center. ???This year???s conference provides much insight into
the way the scientific community pulls diverse research disciplines and
missions together to provide a framework for understanding our solar
system and the bodies of which it is made."

The conference schedule includes:

    * A special session on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is scheduled
      for 8:30 a.m. CDT March 13. The session will highlight initial
      science results from the mission.
    * An overview of the newest results from the European Space Agency's
      SMART-1 mission will be presented at 8:30 a.m. March 13. SMART-1
      is the first in the program of ESA's Small Missions for Advanced
      Research and Technology. It has performed science on the moon.
    * The latest views on the formation of Saturn's icy moons derived
      from Cassini's tour of the Saturn system will be presented during
      a special session, "Volcanism and Tectonics on Saturnian
      Satellites," scheduled for 1:30 p.m. March 13.
    * Two sessions will provide details on scientific analyses of the
      comet Wild 2 samples returned to Earth in January 2006 aboard
      NASA's Stardust spacecraft. "Stardust: Wild 2 Revealed" will be
      held at 8:30 a.m. March 14. "Stardust: Mainly Mineralogy" is
      scheduled for 8:30 a.m. March 15.

The conference is put on by the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), in
partnership with the Johnson Space Center, as part of a cooperative
agreement with NASA.

LPI is managed by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), a
national, nonprofit consortium of universities chartered in 1969 by the
National Academy of Sciences at the request of NASA. USRA operates
programs and institutes focused on research and education in most of the
disciplines engaged in space-related science and engineering.
Institutional membership in USRA now stands at 100 leading research
universities. More information about USRA can be found at www.usra.edu .
More information about LPI can be found at www.lpi.usra.edu .

For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:

www.nasa.gov

- end -
Received on Tue 06 Mar 2007 11:50:37 AM PST