ExoPAG Overview

1. Call for Early Career Speakers at the ExoPAG 32 Meeting (Deadline: May 2, 2025; ExoPAG 32 Virtual Meeting June 3, 2025)

NASA's Exoplanet Program Analysis Group’s Executive Committee (ExoPAG EC) and NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) Office invites eligible early career scientists to consider presenting at the next ExoPAG virtual meeting being held June 3, 2025.

ExoPAG 32 meeting website: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag32/exopag32-overview/

The agenda will be posted in the coming weeks at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag32/exopag32-program/

ExoPAG 32 Early Career Talks solicitation: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag32/exopag32-abstracts/

The EC and ExEP are particularly interested in attendance and presentations by early career scientists from diverse backgrounds.

Eligibility

The following career levels are eligible to apply:

• Undergraduate must be enrolled in school at the time of the conference or the semester immediately before the conference (if during break)
• Post Bachelor
• Graduate students must be enrolled at a university at the time of the conference or the semester immediately before the conference (if during break)
• Post Doctoral

Focus of proposed ExoPAG 32 talks

Whether you are investigating how planets form, how they evolve or how to search for and characterize them, the ExoPAG EC invites you to share your work.

Presentations should align with the priorities described in the current Exoplanet Exploration Program Science Gap List. https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/internal_resources/3193/ExEP_Science_Gap_List_2025.pdf

Interested scientists must complete the speaker application, and attach an abstract of their proposed talk prior to the posted deadline, May 2nd, 2025, 8:00pm ET = 5:00pm PT. Selections will be announced in mid-May. See additional information and application here: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag32/exopag32-abstracts/

---

2. The Roman Science Collaboration

The Roman Science Collaboration (RSC) has recently been formed with the goal of fostering science with Roman Space Telescope data by providing a communication framework and tools for supporting collaborative teams that may range from a handful of members to dozens or hundreds, depending on the scope of the investigations. These tools include dedicated Slack channels, email lists, and wiki pages for internal communications. Much of the activity of the collaboration will take place through the Science Groups, including the Exoplanets and Solar System working group. In contrast the project's technical working groups, these Science Groups are focused primarily on doing science with the data rather than providing infrastructure to produce the data, though of course these two categories overlap.

If you are potentially interested in joining the RSC, now is a great time to do so. Please take a look at the information on the RSC's public web page: https://outerspace.stsci.edu/display/RSCPUB/Roman+Science+Collaboration+(RSC)+Public+Page+Home, and follow the signup instructions there if you decide to join. It takes roughly a week to get added to the various RSC communication channels. Each Science Group will have two co-chairs, with the second selected following an open self-nomination process that will take place in May.

Scott Gaudi (Co-Chair, RSC Exoplanets and Solar System Science Group)

---

3. 2025 Penn State SETI Symposium - Call for Abstracts (August 18-21, 2025; Deadline for Breakout Sessions, Plenary Talks Proposals, Funding Requests: May 31, 2025)

The third SETI Symposium, presented by the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center, will be hosted at the Penn Stater Hotel and Convention Center on August 18–21, 2025.

Location: The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center
https://sites.psu.edu/setisymposium2025/
Call for Abstracts – 2025 Penn State SETI Symposium (Aug 18–21)

Dear SETI colleagues and friends,

We’re thrilled to invite you to the 2025 Penn State SETI Symposium, hosted by the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence (PSETI) Center, taking place August 18–21, 2025 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College, PA. Virtual attendance via Zoom will also be available.

We are now accepting abstract submissions for:

• Posters
• Plenary talks
• Breakout sessions (e.g., workshops, tutorials, or special-topic sessions)

The symposium will explore a wide range of SETI topics, including:

• New technosignature search results and upper limits
• Novel search techniques and instrumentation
• Theoretical work
• Social and historical dimensions of the field, including post-detection protocols and message construction

Interdisciplinary perspectives are especially encouraged.

Please note: This symposium does not include discussions of UAPs and focuses on technosignatures beyond medium Earth orbit.

Submit your abstract here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeqFvcTg0QYyJbujysdgbD7rdcLkZAkk-OcBCWVo29Cg0MWXw/viewform
(One abstract per form; multiple submissions welcome. Poster space may be limited to one per presenter.)

Key Submission Deadlines:

• Breakout sessions, plenary talk proposals, funding requests: May 31, 2025
• Poster abstract: August 1, 2025

Travel Support Available:

We encourage attendance from across the community—including those without a presentation. Limited travel funding is available, with priority given to early-career researchers. Requests can be submitted through the abstract form.

Register for the conference here: https://web.cvent.com/event/9374746f-916e-41af-ab30-c4f8adbe1ddd/summary

Key Registration information:

• Regular registration ends 8/3/2025 ($450)
• Late registration ends 8/11/2025 ($480)
• Virtual registration ends 8/11/2025 ($100)
• Banquet registration ($65/person)

Additional information can be found here: https://sites.psu.edu/setisymposium2025/registration/

We’re looking forward to another exciting and engaging symposium. Please reach out to the LOC with any questions: pseti.symposium@gmail.com

Warm regards,
The 2025 Penn State SETI Symposium Local Organizing Committee
Olivia Curtis (co-chair), Winter Parts (co-chair), Cayla Dedrick, Kelly Driftmier-Melendez, Pinchen Fan, Jason Wright

---

4. Future and current instruments to detect and characterise extrasolar planets and their environment: Session at EPSC-DPS 2025 (September 7-12, 2025, Helsinki; Abstract Deadline May 7, 2025)

Dear colleagues,

We would like to bring to your attention the open abstract submission of the session: “Future and current instruments to detect and characterise extrasolar planets and their environment”

It will take place during the joint meeting of the Europlanet Science Congress and the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences 2025 (EPSC-DPS 2025, https://www.epsc-dps2025.eu/), as part of the “Exoplanets, Origins of Planetary Systems and Astrobiology” programmes. The meeting will be taking place from 7–12 September 2025 in Helsinki, Finland.

Meeting and session info:
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2025/session/55184

Context and goals:
Exoplanets are being discovered in large numbers thanks to recent and ongoing surveys using state-of-the-art instrumentation from the ground and space. In the next few years, new astronomical instruments will scout ever more distant regions of our Galaxy and they will validate new technology for the ultimate direct characterisation of temperate exoplanets. Such a change in physical and technological horizon will allow us to overcome the current observational biases in the search for alien worlds, and to gain a deeper understanding of the chemical and physical properties of exoplanets and the environments that surround them. Ultimately, we will be able to unveil processes of formation and evolution of planets, together with those of their atmospheres, on a scale much larger than our Solar Neighbourhood.

The goal of this session is to bring together the instrumentation and observational communities that are underpinning the future of this field. Contributors are invited to review ongoing programmes of discovery and characterisation of both exoplanet and circumstellar discs, to update on the progress of planned instrumentation programmes, and to present innovative ideas for future instrumentation.

Abstract submission deadline: 7 May 2025, 13:00 CEST.

Best Regards,
Lorenzo Mugnai, Élodie Choquet, Andrea Bocchieri, Camilla Danielski, Iva Laginja, Jiří Žák​

1. SAVE THE DATE: ExoPAG 32 (June 3, 2025, 10am-6pm EDT, virtual)

The ExoPAG 32 meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, from 10am-6pm EDT / 7am-3pm PDT. More details about the agenda will be posted in the near future.

---

2. REMINDER: NASA-DARES Task Force 1: Call for Applications (deadline April 11, 2025)

Self-Nominations Invited for Task Force 1 (TF1): Development of NASA-DARES 2025: The 2025 NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy

Opportunity Number: NNH25ZDA002L

Application Deadline: Friday, April 11th, 2025 11:59 PM EDT

Short URL: https://go.nasa.gov/ABStrategyRFI

File Name for Detailed Instructions: How to Volunteer for DARES Task Force 1

The NASA Astrobiology Program is seeking a panel of 12-14 subject matter experts and 1 early-career executive secretary (early-career being defined as within 5 years of terminal degree) for NASA DARES (NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy) Task Force 1 (TF1). TF1 will liaise with leadership from the Science Mission Directorate’s (SMD) Astrobiology Program and the internal-to-NASA Astrobiology Federation to perform three tasks over three virtual panel review days in April-May 2025 and a two-day hybrid community workshop in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in late May 2025. Additional ad hoc virtual meetings, e.g., telecons, may be required.

A Group Lead for TF1 will be responsible for facilitating discussions, resolving conflicts that may arise over the course of the TF1, leading briefings to NASA, and coordinating inputs to draft the RFI Findings Report. The executive secretary will support the Group Lead as needed and assist with duties such as scheduling meetings, note-taking, and documentation during TF1 discussions. The Executive Secretary also may participate in discussions. NOTE: An exceptionally qualified early career candidate may apply and possibly be selected as a panel member.

Application Instructions Basics

Interested individuals are directed to read the file called How to Volunteer for DARES Task Force 1 (.pdf) and then fill out the application at https://go.nasa.gov/ABStrategyRFI no later than 11 April 2025 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. All applications to NASA-DARES TF1 must be submitted in an electronic format via the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES). The application must contain the following information:

A 2-page NASA biographical sketch that includes the respondent’s relevant professional experiences, positions, and a bibliography of publications.

A 2-page cover letter indicating interest in and qualifications for serving on NASA-DARES Task Force 1, including relevant descriptions of scientific, technical, and management experience on relevant prior efforts. Applicants who are willing to serve as Group Lead should clearly note their desire to serve in that role and include, within descriptions of expertise and skills, rationale for why they are best suited for that role.

Completion of Program Specific Questions outlined in Appendix A.

On behalf of selected eligible participants, a support contract, the NASA Research and Education Support Services (NRESS), will work directly with TF1 members regarding available support for travel and honorarium. The level of travel and honorarium will conform to the terms of the NRESS contract with NASA. Civil servants are eligible to apply; however, NRESS cannot pay for civil servant travel, etc. Please refer to “Section 2. Eligibility Requirements” for a detailed description of eligible applicants.

After reading, the file How to Volunteer for DARES Task Force 1 under “Other Documents” on the right side of the NSPIRES landing page: https://go.nasa.gov/ABStrategyRFI, please email questions concerning to hq-rfiastrobio@mail.nasa.gov to reach both organizers, Drs. Rachel L. Harris and David Grinspoon. This email address is not to be used for the submissions of applications/nominations to NASA-DARES Task Force 1.

---

3. Call for Applications: ExoPAG SIG2 Co-Chair Position (application deadline May 21, 2025)

Call for Applications: SIG2 Co-Chair Position

"The ExoPAG Science Interest Group 2 (SIG2), focused on exoplanet demographics, is seeking a new co-chair to join current co-chair Rachel Fernandes in leading the group. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the direction of exoplanet demographics research, foster collaborations, and engage with the broader ExoPAG community.

As co-chair, you will play a key role in organizing SIG2 activities, facilitating discussions, and coordinating efforts to advance our understanding of exoplanet populations. We welcome applicants with expertise in exoplanet demographics who are eager to contribute to the community.

To apply, please submit:

• A one-page statement of interest outlining your relevant experience, vision for SIG2, and goals for the role.
• A two-page CV highlighting your qualifications.

Deadline: Please submit your materials by May 21, 2025.

Applications will be reviewed in coordination with the ExoPAG Executive Committee (EC) and current SIG2 leadership to ensure a smooth transition. If you are interested in contributing to the leadership of SIG2, we encourage you to apply!

For questions or to submit your application, please contact John Wisniewski (john.p.wisniewski@nasa.gov).

Dr. Rachel B. Fernandes (She/Her)
President’s Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D., Planetary Sciences
Dept. of Astronomy & Astrophysics
Pennsylvania State University
rachelbfernandes.com"

---

4. AAS246 Special Session: From CubeSats to SmallSats – Big Science with Small Budgets in Astrophysics (Abstract deadline April 10, 2025)

"Dear Colleagues,

At this year’s summer meeting in Anchorage, AK, we are organizing a special session titled: “From CubeSats to SmallSats – Big Science with Small Budgets in Astrophysics”

The 90 minute Special Session will consist of a handful of invited talks and a panel discussion, followed by a special iPoster session. The list of invited speakers is being finalized in the next few days, and will be announced soon.

The session description is below, but we invite you to submit contributed presentations to the iPoster session by April 10 (regular deadline).

The example presentation topics are:

• Status of on-going CubeSats and SmallSats
• Enabling technologies and technology development (especially related to SmallSats, e.g. miniaturization, SWaP reductions, etc)
• Enabling science programs
• SmallSat infrastructure (ground stations, licensing, etc)

Submit An Abstract Now! https://submissions.mirasmart.com/AAS246/Splash.aspx

Please feel free to share this with whomever you think may be interested!

Thanks and we’re looking forward to seeing you in Anchorage!

Cheers,
Dmitry Vorobiev
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics"

---

5. AAS246 Workshop: Identifying and Bridging Gaps in Laboratory Astrophysics

"Dear Colleagues-
We are delighted to announce that we have successfully proposed a 2-day workshop, “Identifying and Bridging Gaps in Laboratory Astrophysics”, to be held June 7–8, 2025, ahead of the Summer AAS meeting in Anchorage, AK. This workshop directly addresses a key recommendation from the Laboratory Astrophysics Task Force (LATF) convened by the AAAC in response to the Astro2020 Decadal Survey. Please use this form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7OXpFqoDBVLhlQL-EqGacRimZRVQDIRLOaXwdfWkhDz4FKA/viewform) to express your interest in participating in this workshop (even if you’ve already registered for the AAS meeting and workshop). This workshop is not part of the AAS Laboratory Astrophysics Division Meeting, but is encouraged by the division to attend and support it. Also, you must register for the AAS meeting to participate in this workshop [Regular Registration closes April 29, 2025 https://aas.org/meetings/aas246/registration].

Workshop Webpage: https://labastro-workshop.github.io/

Best Wishes,
Workshop SOC

SOC Members:
Nikole Lewis (Co-Chair, Cornell), Stefanie Milam (Co-Chair, NASA Goddard), Clara Sousa-Silva (Bard College), Jenny Bergner (UC Berkeley), Brett McGuire (MIT), Kyle Crabtree (UC Davis), Joan Marler (Clemson University), Randall Smith (CfA/SAO), Carolyn Kuranz (University of Michigan), Mike McCarthy (ex-officio, CfA/SAO)"

LATF: https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/latf-report-r.pdf

AAS246: https://aas.org/meetings/aas246

---

6. Science and Technology for the Era of LIFE (November 10-14, 2025, Barcelona)

"Dear colleagues,

We are happy to announce the conference “Science and Technology for the Era of LIFE” which will be held at Museu de la CiènciaCosmoCaixa in Barcelona in the week November 10-14, 2025.

Please mark your calendars accordingly and share with your networks.

More info about the conference and important dates can be found below and on the conference webpage, where you can also sign-up to receive regular updates and reminders.

We are very much looking forward to seeing you in Barcelona!

Best wishes
Ignasi Ribas & Sascha Quanz
(SOC Co-Chairs)

PS: We thank the Museu de la Ciència CosmoCaixa in Barcelona for their support which allows us to waive all registration fees."

Motivation and Scope

Humanity is on the cusp of addressing one of the most fundamental questions ever conceived – the ancient question about the existence of life beyond Earth. Within the Solar System, we are preparing to bring back soil samples from Mars and to send probes to the clouds of Venus and to potentially habitable moons of the giant planets. But – maybe even more profoundly – we are also reaching beyond the Solar System. We are the first generation that has not only the scientific vision and aspiration, but also the technological means, to investigate distant worlds orbiting other stars and find out if they are habitable or even inhabited. Embedded in a global community, the Large Interferometer for Exoplanets (LIFE) is a European-led space mission project that addresses this grand goal. As a space-based mid-infrared nulling interferometer, LIFE will analyze the atmospheric properties of hundreds of exoplanets including – for the first time – dozens of exoplanets similar to Earth in size and temperature. As such, LIFE has the potential to carry out the worldwide most comprehensive program to search for life on planets beyond the Solar System.

In this first edition of a LIFE-centered conference, we aim to bring together scientists and engineers from both academia and industry to discuss the status of LIFE-related research and technologies. Our goal is to foster intellectual exchange and new collaborations, continue building a strong international community for LIFE, and provide a platform for early career researchers to network and present their work.

We happily welcome professional researchers at all career stages (undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, staff scientists) who work on scientific topics relevant for the LIFE mission including:

• Precursor science with ground- or space-based observatories, simulations, and models (e.g., exoplanet demographics, planet formation and evolution, the nearby stellar census)
• Terrestrial exoplanets (e.g., atmospheric properties and processes, habitability, biosignatures, technosignatures, statistical frameworks to quantify scientific return)
• Scientific synergies with ongoing and future missions and instruments (e.g., JWST, Roman, Ariel, Plato, ELTs, HWO)

In the current project phase, a particular focus lies on bringing together the science and technology required for LIFE. We therefore strongly encourage presentations on topics of technology to create awareness about current challenges and identify synergies between ongoing activities. Topics can include:

• Infrared instrument components and subsystems (e.g., detector technologies, photonics, cryogenic optics, nulling test-benches)
• Infrared space telescope technologies (e.g., formation flying, mirrors, structures and mechanisms, thermal control)
• Mission design (e.g., instrument models, yield calculations, mission operations, data analysis)
• Precursor and technology demonstration missions
• Synergies with ongoing and future missions and instruments

Timeline

Mid-March: First announcement

Week April 14: Second announcement

Week May 12: Registration and abstract submission open

Week July 1: Third announcement

Week August 1: Final announcement

August 31: Abstract submission closes

Sept 1 – Sept 15: Selection of Abstracts & Posters

Week September 15: Final program available

Week October 13: Registration closes

Week November 10: Conference

---

7. How to Submit Guest Observer proposals for CHEOPS Step by Step (AO-6 Call closes May 8, 2025)

The European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Characterising Exoplanet Satellite (CHEOPS) mission opened its 6th Announcement of Opportunity (AO-6) on the 18th of March of 2025. This Call invites the submission of research proposals to the Guest Observers (GO) Programme.

Key Dates: The AO-6 Call is foreseen to close on the 8 May 2025 (12:00 CEST).

Observing Cycle: The selected proposals will be part of the observing cycle from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026. This period marks the last year of the first mission extension of CHEOPS.

Scientific Opportunities: CHEOPS provides observers with access to space-based pointed ultra-high precision photometry. Research areas include the observations of exoplanet transits, eclipses, occultations, and phase curves. Furthermore, the scientific scope may extend to phenomena such as exomoons, ring structures, stellar activity, trans-Neptunian objects or more.

Collaborative Synergies: The timely overlap of several space- and ground-based missions may provide exciting opportunities for synergies with NASA/ESA/CSA JWST, NASA/ESA HST, NASA TESS, ESO ground-based facilities, and more.

Novelties in cycle 6:

More targets: only 50 GTO reserved targets, with all the rest being open to the entire community

More time: up to 30% science observing time (around 1500 orbits) dedicated to the GO Programme

Double-anonymous peer-review of proposals

Zero-installation tools: cloud-based visibility, feasibility and ETC web tools

Step by step tutorial: Check our easy-to-follow tutorial of seven steps to submit a CHEOPS GO proposal without having to install anything: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKsBT54nlVQ

Find out more about the CHEOPS mission via https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/cheops, stay up-to-date about this opportunity via https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/cheops-guest-observers-programme, and feel free to email us with any questions. We look forward to receiving your observing proposals and advancing our understanding of exoplanetary and stellar systems.

Happy proposing!

Contact: cheops-support@cosmos.esa.int

---

8. Exoplanets by the Lake III: Atmospheres and Beyond - Summer School (July 27-August 1, 2025, Herrsching am Ammersee; Registration deadline April 15, 2025)

We are pleased to announce the “Exoplanets by the Lake III: Atmospheres and Beyond” summer school in Herrsching am Ammersee, from 27th July to 1st August 2025.

The invited lecturers are Nestor Espinoza (STScI), Luis Welbanks (ASU), Sara Seager (MIT), and Jean-Michel Desert (University of Amsterdam). We are continuing the tradition of a cosy but interactive intellectual environment over 5.5 days by a beautiful Bavarian lake.

• Registration extended to April 15th.
• Link: https://exoplanetslake.github.io/

Background: In its wake, the pandemic has dramatically transformed the way that academia conducts its conferences, workshops and summer schools. Most academic events now offer hybrid formats, allowing for the possibility of remote participation. Exoplanets by the Lake is intended to be a signature summer school series that aims to reinstate an interactive, in-person summer school format among participants that is not easily achievable online. In 2025, our focus is on the study of the atmospheres of exoplanets using the James Webb Space Telescope, and the lessons we may learn from analyzing and interpreting the measured spectra. We also wish to look ahead and think about the astrobiological implications of these spectral analyses on future efforts to identify life in rocky exoplanets.

The distinctive features of the summer school include: Emphasis on in-person interaction at an attractive, self-contained venue with at most 20 participants. The number of participants is kept small in order to encourage unrestricted, interactive discussions among exoplanet scientists of all sub-disciplines and seniority. The event will be held for 5.5 days (5 nights). The first 3 weekdays involve pedagogical lectures during the day. There is an optional half-day excursion, via ship on the lake. The last 2 days feature a mini-conference format, where a small number of invited experts share their views and interact with the participants. Participants have the chance to contribute short talks, if desired.
 The intended audience of this summer school ranges from Master students to junior postdocs. Both experts and curious newcomers to the topic are welcome to attend. Senior scientists who are intending to switch research directions and/or attending as active listeners are also welcome.

---

9. Atmospheric Escape and Replenishment in Planetary Systems: The Fall 2025 STScI Science Workshop (November 4-7, 2025)

Save the Date:
Atmospheric Escape and Replenishment in Planetary Systems
The Fall 2025 STScI Science Workshop
November 4-7, 2025

We are pleased to announce the Fall 2025 STScI Science Workshop, entitled Atmospheric Escape and Replenishment in Planetary Systems. It will take place at the Steven Muller building of the Space Telescope Science Institute, in Baltimore, MD, United States, from November 4 to 7, 2025.

The competition between atmospheric mass-loss through escape versus replenishment by outgassing determines the formation, evolution, and ultimate fate of planetary atmospheres inside and outside the Solar System. New discoveries have been possible through space-based spectroscopy from HST and JWST, high-resolution ground-based spectroscopy in the optical and near-infrared, and in situ Solar System exploration. The future is promising with the public data coming out of STScI’s Rocky Worlds DDT program and the development of the Habitable Worlds Observatory. In this workshop, we will discuss the theoretical aspects involved in atmospheric escape and replenishment through outgassing, as well as study the best strategies to observe these fundamental processes. We selected six key outstanding questions related to this topic and invite the community of planetary and exoplanetary scientists to work together in exploring their answers.

Here are the main open questions of this workshop:

• What observational strategies maximize information content about the physics of atmospheric escape in exoplanets and in the Solar System?
• What observational strategies maximize information content about the presence and/or properties of secondary atmospheres?
• What are the conditions necessary for outgassing a secondary atmosphere?
• Can rocky planets around M dwarfs retain detectable secondary atmospheres?
• What is the role of atmospheric chemical makeup in regulating hydrodynamic escape?
• How can we accurately describe the physics that shape exospheres?

If your research helps us answer these questions or if you are interested in learning more about them, please come join us at this exciting event, share your insights, and help shape the future of this science topic. On the last day of the workshop, we plan on holding a collaboration session to write a white paper reporting on our findings and suggestions for future observational and theoretical research.

Additional information about abstract submission, registration, and more will be available on our website shortly. You can also contact the Science Organizing Committee at AER2025@stsci.edu.

Website: https://www.stsci.edu/contents/events/stsci/2025/november/atmospheric-escape-and-replenishment-in-planetary-systems-workshop?timeframe=upcoming&itemsPerPage=15&page=2

1. Update to NASA Science Advisory Committees

On February 19, 2025, the President issued Executive Order 14217, Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy, which sets forth the Administration’s policy of reducing the size of the Federal government in order to minimize waste and abuse, reduce inflation and promote American freedom and innovation. This Executive Order directed the termination of several Federal advisory committees across the government and ordered the identification of additional unnecessary Federal advisory committees for termination.

NASA maintains an advisory committee for each of the five science divisions within the Science Mission Directorate: Astrophysics, Biological and Physical Sciences, Earth Science, Heliophysics, and Planetary Science. These committees, which are discretionary and not required by statute, have supported NASA’s achievement of its science goals.

In response to Executive Order 14217, NASA’s acting administrator, Janet Petro, has directed NASA to merge these five committees into a single advisory committee with broad representation from across the NASA science community. This restructuring will provide the opportunity to retain one non-statutory science committee and ensure continued support of NASA science goals -- improving efficiency, while ensuring NASA maintains the important process of engaging with the science community.

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is in the process of determining the best structure, scale, and scope for the merged committee. The directorate is committed to ensuring representation from all areas of expertise relevant to the Science Mission Directorate’s objectives.

The Science Mission Directorate is committed to continuing to engage with the science community in a variety of ways -- both formal and informal.

For more information contact:
Michael New
Deputy Associate Administrator for Research
Science Mission Directorate
SARA@nasa.gov

---

2. REMINDER: 2025A NN-EXPLORE Observing Time Available for Exoplanet Research Through NSF NOIRLab Proposal Call (Proposal deadline – March 31, 2025)

From Dr. David Ardila (NN-EXPLORE Program Manager & NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program Deputy Program Manager):

"NN-EXPLORE observing time available for exoplanet research

The NASA-NSF Exoplanet Observational Research (NN-EXPLORE) program seeks to advance the understanding of exoplanets and exoplanetary systems in areas of mutual interest to NASA and NSF. Every semester, this program makes 40 nights of telescope time available on the WIYN telescope and 300 hours (equivalent to 30 nights) on the CTIO SMARTS 1.5m telescope. No MINERVA-Australis time will be offered via NN-EXPLORE for 2025B.

NN-EXPLORE solicits observing proposals targeted to general exoplanet-related research, with emphasis on supporting observations for NASA missions, including but not limited to Kepler, K2, TESS, HST, and JWST. Programs that seek to advance precursor science for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) are particularly welcomed. The scope of the NN-EXPLORE Program includes observations to:

• Confirm or validate exoplanet candidates
• Characterize known exoplanets and exoplanetary systems
• Characterize the (exozodiacal) dust environments of exoplanet-hosting or potentially-exoplanet-hosting stars
• Explore the formation, evolution, and diversity of exoplanetary systems

Stellar observations to characterize stellar properties and search for background eclipsing binaries fall within the scope of the NN-EXPLORE Program, provided that the relevance of the proposed work to the exoplanet-research focus of the Program is clearly established.

The proposals will be managed via the NOIRLab time allocation process and be evaluated by a special Time Allocation Committee (TAC). The same TAC will evaluate WIYN and CHIRON proposals. All researchers associated with US institutions are encouraged to apply.

Unless specifically identified as long-term, programs are awarded time only for a single semester. For both long-term and single-semester programs, if a program is incomplete due to weather, instrument, observatory technical or programmatic issues, or natural events (e.g., fire, flood, etc.) the observing time will not roll over to future semesters. Observers will need to re-apply to make up for lost time.

NSF's NOIRLab Call for Standard and Survey Proposals: Semester 2025B: https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/call-for-proposals

This Call for Proposals 2025A (CfP25A) covers the observing time period from 1 August 2025 – 31 January 2026.

Proposal Deadline: 31 March 2025 at 11:59 pm Mountain Standard Time (MST)

Proposals for standard observing programs at all ground-based facilities coordinated by the NSF NOIRLab, which include US time on the telescopes of Gemini, CTIO (including SOAR), and KPNO (WIYN), as well as community-access time with other observatories (which for 2025B include Magellan, CHARA, Milankovic, and NOT telescopes), can be submitted twice per year. Survey proposals will be accepted for this call if they have submitted a LoI for the available telescopes (SOAR and Blanco).

More details about the process of submitting observing proposals to NOIRLab can be found at: https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/preparing-standard-proposal-instructions.pdf

NN-EXPLORE: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/NNExplore/overview/ “

---

3. Space Science Week 2025 (March 31-April 4, 2025), including Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (CAA) Meeting (April 1-3, 2025), and NASA Astrophysics Update by Dr. Shawn Domagal-Goldman (April 3, 2025, 9:15am-10:30am EDT)

Space Science Week will be held March 31 to April 4, 2025 in hybrid format at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, DC. Space Science Week is the joint meeting of the Space Studies Board of the U.S. National Academies discipline committees in collaboration with the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board and Board on Physics and Astronomy. During this meeting, seven of the oversight committees from the three boards meet in individual and joint sessions, with meetings to discuss advances and challenges in space and Earth science and exploration. Members of the SSB, ASEB, BPA and seven committees will attend the plenary session and keynote lecture, as well as members of the public. In addition, the event will be live-streamed on the National Academies website.

Connection information and the current agenda can be viewed at: https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/03-24-2025/space-science-week-2025

The agenda for the Committee on Astronomy & Astrophysics meeting can be viewed at: https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/committee-on-astronomy-and-astrophysics

On Thursday, April 3rd, 9:15am-10:30am EDT, Acting Astrophysics Division Director Dr. Shawn Domagal-Goldman will be giving an update on NASA Astrophysics (30 min) and a Q&A/discussion period (45 min).

Livestream link: https://vimeo.com/event/4984153

---

4. Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Seminar Series (April 2, 2025, 1:00pm-2:00pm EDT/10:00am-11:00am PDT)

Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Seminar Series
April 2nd, 2025 @ 1:00pm-2:00pm EDT/10:00am-11:00am PDT

The NASA Cosmic Origins (COR), Physics of the Cosmos (PhysCOS), and Exoplanet Exploration (ExEP) Program Offices invite you to the seminar series presenting the science and technology of the Habitable Worlds Observatory!

For meeting information see the link: https://cor.gsfc.nasa.gov/studies/habitable-worlds/events/seminars/03-02-Apr-2025/02-Apr-2025.php

"You Were Here: Telling the Story of Cosmic Origins with the Habitable Worlds Observatory"
Jason Tumlinson, STScI/JHU

HWO is envisioned as humanity’s life-finding super-Hubble, with the capacity to find and characterize dozens of Earth-like planets, searching for life. HWO will also possess the tools to revolutionize every aspect of frontier general astrophysics, from transient phenomena to the baryon cycle. This talk will highlight the astrophysics themes of HWO science, including key community contributed science cases. I will give my own perspective on how general astrophysics integrates with exoplanet science, concluding that astronomy has a unique role in answering some of humankind’s most profound questions about the Universe and our place in it.

"UV Instrumentation: The Path to HWO"
Sarah Tuttle, University of Washington

What will it take to have a UV spectrograph on HWO? What technologies will be needed - and what do we already have? This talk will cover the current state of UV technology, some of our key science drivers, and introduce challenges and next steps to motivate instrument development. This talk is accessible for all career stages and expertise levels - you don't have to be an UV instrumentalist to come hear what we're up to!

NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory website: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/habitable-worlds-observatory/

Current and past HWO seminar recordings can be found here: https://cor.gsfc.nasa.gov/studies/habitable-worlds/hwo-events.php

---

5. The 2025 PI Launchpad: From Science Idea to NASA Mission In-Person Workshop (Office Hours for Potential Applicants; March 31, 2025, 12:30pm EDT/9:30am PDT; Workshop Dates: August 11-14, 2025, NASA Ames Research Center)

The 2025 PI Launchpad: From Science Idea to NASA Mission In-Person Workshop

March 31, 2025 Office Hours for Potential Applicants starting 12:30 PM Eastern Time, 9:30 AM Pacific Time

Other Important Dates:
Applications due: April 7, 2025 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Application Number: NNH25ZDA009L
Workshop Dates: August 11-14, 2025
Workshop Location: Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA

In August, the Ames Research Center, in collaboration with the University of Arizona, the University of Michigan, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC and the Heising-Simons Foundation, will host the PI Launchpad to guide participants through ways to turn their science and technology questions into a mission concept. Application Instructions and Submission URL: https://go.nasa.gov/ApplyPILP25

The PI Launchpad organizers are hosting a virtual office hour on March 31st, 2025 at 12:30 PM Eastern Time, 11:30 AM Central, 9:30 AM Pacific Time. Prof. Erika Hamden (University of Arizona, a PI Launchpad organizer) will be available on WebEx for an hour to answer any questions you might have about the PI Launchpad, the application, and related topics. Email: hamden@arizona.edu

WebEx Office Hours Connection/Attendee Information

Join link: https://nasaenterprise.webex.com/nasaenterprise/j.php?MTID=mafc717cda700af4a6e4827ea578cbbc9

Webinar number: 2820 095 1573
Webinar password: pxFwBGK@267
Webinar password from a phone or video system: 79392451

Join by Phone
+1-929-251-9612 United States Toll (New York City)
+1-415-527-5035 United States Toll
Access code: 282 009 51573

You also may email the other 2025 NASA PI Launch Pad Organizers at this shared address hq-smd-piworkshop@mail.nasa.gov. Do NOT submit ANY applications or other attachments to this email address or to Dr. Hamden. Emails with attachments will be deleted.

---

6. NASA SPHEREx Mission Launches

NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) and PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) missions launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base’s Space Launch Complex 4 East on March 11, 2025. SPHERx successfully separated from its rocket, the PUNCH satellites were deployed, and SPHEREx's signal was acquired, indicating that hte spacecraft was functionally nominally and power positive. SPHEREx will provide an all-sky infrared spectral survey over a two-year planned mission, collecting data on more than 450 million galaxies and more than 100 million stars in the Milky Way.

For more updates and information, see the SPHEREx Mission Blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/spherex/

and SPHEREx Press Kit: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/press-kits/spherex/

---

7. NASA-DARES Task Force 1: Call for Applications (deadline April 11, 2025)

Self-Nominations Invited for Task Force 1 (TF1):
Development of NASA-DARES 2025: The 2025 NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy

Opportunity Number: NNH25ZDA002L
Application Deadline: Friday, April 11th, 2025 11:59 PM EDT
Short URL: https://go.nasa.gov/ABStrategyRFI
File Name for Detailed Instructions: How to Volunteer for DARES Task Force 1 (.pdf)

The NASA Astrobiology Program is seeking a panel of 12-14 subject matter experts and 1 early-career executive secretary (early-career being defined as within 5 years of terminal degree) for NASA DARES (NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy) Task Force 1 (TF1). TF1 will liaise with leadership from the Science Mission Directorate’s (SMD) Astrobiology Program and the internal-to-NASA Astrobiology Federation to perform three tasks over three virtual panel review days in April-May 2025 and a two-day hybrid community workshop in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in late May 2025. Additional ad hoc virtual meetings, e.g., telecons, may be required.

A Group Lead for TF1 will be responsible for facilitating discussions, resolving conflicts that may arise over the course of the TF1, leading briefings to NASA, and coordinating inputs to draft the RFI Findings Report. The executive secretary will support the Group Lead as needed and assist with duties such as scheduling meetings, note-taking, and documentation during TF1 discussions. The Executive Secretary also may participate in discussions. NOTE: An exceptionally qualified early career candidate may apply and possibly be selected as a panel member.

Application Instructions Basics

Interested individuals are directed to read the file called How to Volunteer for DARES Task Force 1 (.pdf) and then fill out the application at https://go.nasa.gov/ABStrategyRFI no later than 11 April 2025 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. All applications to NASA-DARES TF1 must be submitted in an electronic format via the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES). The application must contain the following information:

• A 2-page NASA biographical sketch that includes the respondent’s relevant professional experiences, positions, and a bibliography of publications.
• A 2-page cover letter indicating interest in and qualifications for serving on NASA-DARES Task Force 1, including relevant descriptions of scientific, technical, and management experience on relevant prior efforts. Applicants who are willing to serve as Group Lead should clearly note their desire to serve in that role and include, within descriptions of expertise and skills, rationale for why they are best suited for that role.
• Completion of Program Specific Questions outlined in Appendix A.

On behalf of selected eligible participants, a support contract, the NASA Research and Education Support Services (NRESS), will work directly with TF1 members regarding available support for travel and honorarium. The level of travel and honorarium will conform to the terms of the NRESS contract with NASA. Civil servants are eligible to apply; however, NRESS cannot pay for civil servant travel, etc. Please refer to “Section 2. Eligibility Requirements” for a detailed description of eligible applicants.

After reading, the file How to Volunteer for DARES Task Force 1 (.pdf) under “Other Documents” on the right side of the NSPIRES landing page: https://go.nasa.gov/ABStrategyRFI, please email questions concerning to hq-rfiastrobio@mail.nasa.gov to reach both organizers, Drs. Rachel L. Harris and David Grinspoon. This email address is not to be used for the submissions of applications/nominations to NASA-DARES Task Force 1.

---

8. High-Resolution Spectroscopy for Exoplanet Atmospheres Workshop (December 15-19, 2025, Tempe, AZ; Application deadline August 31, 2025)

High-Resolution Spectroscopy for Exoplanet Atmospheres Workshop
https://sites.google.com/asu.edu/hi-res-in-the-desert
December 15 - 19, 2025
ASU campus, Tempe, AZ USA

This week-long workshop is aimed at graduate students and postdocs who would like to learn about the high-resolution technique for probing exoplanet atmospheres and who want to connect with other researchers working on this topic. The workshop will be structured like the Sagan Summer Workshops, with a mix of pedagogical lectures and hands-on activities. An application is required to attend. Applications submitted by August 31 will receive full consideration.

---

9. Abstract submission is open for "From Transits to Trends: The Next Decade of Long-Period Exoplanets” workshop (August 5-8, 2025; Albuquerque, NM)

This workshop will be held August 5 - 8, 2025, at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM. The discovery of a growing number of long-period transiting exoplanets accessible to detailed characterization in recent years has enabled the community to expand the parameter space within which exoplanet properties can be investigated and begin drawing more direct comparisons with Solar System planets. But as studies of these exoplanets often require a larger telescope time investment than their closer-in counterparts, the time is ripe for considering the most pressing questions the community has about this population and how to best address them.

Abstract submission is now open at https://forms.gle/GZbrASrF14LyKbaW8. The abstract deadline is April 25, 2025.

Registration will open within the coming weeks.
For additional information, see the workshop website.

—SOC Chair: Diana Dragomir (UNM) dragomir@unm.edu

---

10. ESA Gaia Mission Spacecraft Operations End

"The European Space Agency (ESA) has powered down its Gaia spacecraft after more than a decade spent gathering data that are now being used to unravel the secrets of our home galaxy. On 27 March 2025, Gaia’s control team at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre carefully switched off the spacecraft’s subsystems and sent it into a ‘retirement orbit’ around the Sun. Though the spacecraft’s operations are now over, the scientific exploitation of Gaia’s data has just begun."

https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Operations/Farewell_Gaia!_Spacecraft_operations_come_to_an_end