Dear Colleague:
The 4th Landing Site Workshop for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers will be
held January 8-10, 2003, at the Embassy Suites Hotel on Huntington Avenue
in Arcadia, CA. A block of rooms have been reserved at the Embassy Suites
at the government rate of $99 under the name of "JPL MER Landing".
Additional information is available at the hotel website:
http://www.embassysuites.com/en/es/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=LAXHDES.
We are soliciting talks for the workshop that are relevant to the four sites remaining under consideration: Hematite, Gusev Crater, Isidis Basin, and the Elysium "Wind Safe" Site. More specifically, presentations must deal with scientific hypotheses that can be tested at a site using the Athena Science Payload or focus on issues related to landing safety and/or rover mobility or instrument operability. Therefore, talks related to the general geologic setting of the proposed landing sites should emphasize how to distinguish between various testable hypotheses using the Athena Science Package.
If you wish to make a presentation at the workshop, please send a brief (no more than three to five sentences) description of the talk to both John Grant (grantj@nasm.si.edu) and Matt Golombek (mgolombek@jpl.nasa.gov) by the close of business on December 3rd, 2002. The distribution of a preliminary program in mid December will serve as notification of acceptance.
A complete description of the mission/science objectives of the Mars Exploration Rovers, all related engineering constraints, and all activities related to the landing site selection process to date can be reviewed at: NASA AMES and USGS websites. You are encouraged to review this material prior to submitting a request for a presentation at the workshop.
This will be the final community workshop related to selection of the landing sites for the Mars Exploration Rovers. The expected outcomes include specific evaluations related to the science, safety, and public engagement potential of the sites that will form the basis of the community input into the process of site selection. Following the workshop, the Project and Science Team will formulate a recommendation to NASA Headquarters for final landing site selection and approval.
We hope that you will be able to attend and participate in this meeting and look forward to seeing you in January!
Sincerely,
John Grant and Matt Golombek
Co-Chairs, Landing Site Steering Committee
John Grant
Center for Earth and Planetary Studies
National Air and Space Museum
Smithsonian Institution
Independence Avenue at 6th Street SW
Washington, DC 20560-0315
202-357-1494 (Voice)
202-786-2566 (Fax)