Editor: Alex Morgan
Co-Editors: Mark V. Sykes, Matthew R Perry
Email: pen_editor@psi.edu
X: @pen2tweets
Bluesky: @planetarynews.bsky.social

o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o

1. [NASA] New Deadline for Request for Information (RFI) Regarding 
   Advancement of "Science as a Service" for NASA and Commercial 
   Partners: May 7, 2026
2. [NASA] Updated Deadline for the Request for Information (RFI) for 
   Lunar Science and Technology Payloads for Expanded Lunar Landing 
   Opportunities
3. 35th Meeting of the Small Bodies Assessment Group
4. [EPSC 2026] Session MITM5: Machine Learning Applications For 
   Planetary Exploration - Democratizing An Emerging Methodology
5. [EPSC 2026] Session OPS8: Exploring the Ocean Worlds of the Solar 
   System
6. [EPSC 2026] Session SB9: From Primitive Bodies to Rocky Planets - 
   Carbon Chemistry and Chemical Evolution
7. [EPSC 2026] Session TP8: Atmospheres and Exospheres of Terrestrial 
   Bodies
8. Abstract Submission And Registration Open Soon For DPS-58
9. Reminder: Asteroids, Comets, Meteors 2029: Call for Letters of 
   Intent
10. Two Postdoctoral Positions In Planetary Geochemistry, ELSI 
    (Science Tokyo)
11. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions
12. Planetary Science Journal - New Papers
13. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets - New Papers

Commercial/Fundraising Announcements:

C1. Outer Space Lifestyle

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[NASA] NEW DEADLINE FOR REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) REGARDING 
ADVANCEMENT OF "SCIENCE AS A SERVICE" FOR NASA AND COMMERCIAL 
PARTNERS: MAY 7, 2026

NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is pleased to extend the 
deadline for the Request for Information (RFI) for the Advancement of 
"Science as a Service" for NASA and Commercial partners. The full 
announcement for NNH26ZDA006L can be found here:

https://go.nasa.gov/saasrfi

New Deadline to Submit Responses: May 7, 2026 11:59 PM Eastern 
Daylight Time

The RFI is seeking ideas for mission concepts that leverage existing 
capabilities of industry, and to identify where new technology 
investments could be mutually beneficial to government and industry.

For questions or comments, please contact:

- Michael Seablom, Associate Director for Technology, Earth Science 
  Division, Michael.S.Seablom@nasa.gov
- Shawn Domagal-Goldman, Director, Astrophysics Division, 
  shawn.goldman@nasa.gov

We look forward to engaging with interested partners to continue 
advancing NASA Science through innovative collaborations.


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[NASA] UPDATED DEADLINE FOR THE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) FOR 
LUNAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PAYLOADS FOR EXPANDED LUNAR LANDING 
OPPORTUNITIES

Number: NNH26ZDA008L

New Response Date: May 7, 2026

There is a new deadline for the Lunar Science and Technology Payloads 
for Expanded Lunar Landing Opportunities Request for Information (RFI) 
posted on the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and 
Evaluation System (NSPIRES). 

Responses to the RFI are now due 11:59 PM Eastern Time on May 7, 2026.

A Questions and Answers (Q&A) document posted earlier in April remains 
available. Please visit the website to see the Q&As and the full RFI 
text:

https://go.nasa.gov/ploadsrfi 

Additional questions may be emailed to the RFI's point of contact Dr. 
Brad Bailey at HQ-RFILunarPayloads@mail.nasa.gov. Please use "PLoads 
RFI" in the subject line of an inquiry email. Do not use this email 
address for RFI submissions because emailed submissions will not be 
considered.


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35TH MEETING OF THE SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP

The SBAG Steering Committee is pleased to invite you to register for 
the 35th meeting of the Small Bodies Assessment Group. This fully 
virtual meeting will take place in 3-hour blocks on June 9-11, 2026.

Even with the change in format, the scope of topics on the program 
will be very similar to previous meetings. We will hear from agency 
representatives (including Dr. Louise Prockter, Planetary Science 
Division Director; Dr. Kelly Fast, Acting Planetary Defense Officer; 
and Dr. Tom Statler, Lead Scientist for Solar System Small Bodies), 
along with speakers affiliated with major community programs, 
missions, and activities.

We invite you to online (at no cost) by June 2 to confirm your 
attendance at this virtual meeting.

Additionally, there will be opportunities for early-career 
participants to present their research and connect with more senior 
members of the field. We invite interested early-career researchers to 
apply online by May 11 to present their work at the meeting or 
participate in the meeting mentor program.

Please keep an eye on the meeting website, which will be updated in 
the coming weeks:

https://smallbodiesassessmentgroup.github.io/SBAG-Website/meetings/

We look forward to seeing you virtually in June.

All the best,
Terik Daly
SBAG Chair


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[EPSC] SESSION MITM5: MACHINE LEARNING APPLICATIONS FOR PLANETARY 
EXPLORATION - DEMOCRATIZING AN EMERGING METHODOLOGY 

The Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2026 is being held in The Hague 
in the Netherlands from the 6-11 September 2026. We would like to draw 
your attention to the following EPSC session and invite you to submit 
an abstract.

https://www.epsc2026.eu/session/59276

Novel techniques in artificial intelligence have the potential to 
revolutionise the field of planetary and space science. Recent 
advances in computing technology have demonstrated the utility of 
Machine Learning (ML) for analysing the large-scale datasets which are 
ubiquitous in planetary and space science. These tools have the 
potential to enable larger scale and more in-depth analyses than have 
ever been possible before.

This session will bring together researchers who have applied any form 
of AI, ML or other computational tools to unravel the mysteries of the 
Solar System and beyond. We particularly encourage the discussion of 
open access and transferable models, as well as presentations which 
will help promote these techniques to others who are considering using 
them.

The Abstract submission deadline is 13 May 2026, 13:00 CEST. 
Guidelines can be found here:

https://www.epsc2026.eu/programme/how-to-submit.html

We look forward to seeing you there!

Alex Barrett and Elena Favaro


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[EPSC2026] SESSION OPS8: EXPLORING THE OCEAN WORLDS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

We invite you to share your work in session OPS8.

Submission deadline: 13 May 2026, 13:00 CEST

Full details & submission link:

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2026/session/59168 

Conveners: Axel Hagerman, Lorenz Roth, Duncan Lyster, Jessica Hogan

Since the Galileo mission found evidence for global subsurface oceans 
at Jupiter's icy moons over 30 years ago, ocean worlds have become 
central targets of planetary science and astrobiology. Cassini's 
discovery in 2005 of plumes sourced from Enceladus' global ocean 
further raised the interest. Now, with the advent of Juice, Europa 
Clipper, Dragonfly, and progressing planning for ESA L4 there is 
growing excitement about what these missions could uncover. We welcome 
abstracts relating to the targets of these missions, as well as 
studies of other candidate ocean worlds such as Callisto & Triton. 
This session covers a broad range including: 

- Transport of material from ocean to surface and how this may lead to 
  mission observables
- Geophysics comparisons between bodies
- Aqueous and prebiotic geochemistry
- Lab experiments aimed at characterising their interiors or surfaces
- Surface phenomena including geophysics, impacts, and space weathering
- Constraints on conductive heat flow, ocean composition, and other 
  global properties utilising existing observations and/or modelling


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[EPSC 2026] SESSION SB9: FROM PRIMITIVE BODIES TO ROCKY PLANETS: 
CARBON CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL EVOLUTION

Fully hybrid format from 6-11 September 2026 in The Hague (The 
Netherlands).

Carbon-bearing matter spans a remarkable diversity across the Solar 
System, from simple molecules such as carbon dioxide in planetary 
atmospheres to complex mixtures of organics on bodies like Titan and 
Mars. This raises fundamental questions: How do these compounds form, 
and how are they transformed? Is this chemical complexity inherited 
from pre-solar stages, formed within the Solar System, or both? What 
can organic molecules reveal about planetary formation histories and 
physical conditions, and how do they influence the emergence of 
habitable worlds?

We invite contributions from all disciplines investigating carbon 
chemistry and its evolution, from primitive bodies to rocky planets 
and habitable environments. Whether through laboratory studies, 
observations, in situ measurements, or modeling, all approaches are 
welcome.

You can find a more detailed 
session description here, where you can also submit your abstract to 
SB9 (co-organized with EXOA):

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2026/session/59187

Abstracts are due 13 May 2026, 13:00 CEST.

[Edited for length]


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[EPSC] SESSION TP8: ATMOSPHERES AND EXOSPHERES OF TERRESTRIAL BODIES

The EPSC-2026 abstract submission is open until the deadline of 13 
May 2026, 13:00 CEST

We kindly invite you to present your work in the session TP8: 
Atmospheres and exospheres of Terrestrial Bodies

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2026/sessionprogramme

Space missions have delivered a wealth of observations of the 
atmospheres and aeronomy of rocky planets and moons, from the lower 
atmosphere to regions interacting directly with the solar wind. With 
recent advances and forthcoming missions, planetary atmospheric 
science is entering a particularly active phase. This session invites 
contributions on the physical and chemical processes shaping the 
lower, middle, and upper atmospheres of terrestrial bodies in the 
Solar System, including atmospheric chemistry, energetics, dynamics, 
electrodynamics, atmospheric escape, surface-atmosphere interactions, 
and coupling with the space environment.

We welcome studies based on spacecrafts (e.g., Messenger, BepiColombo, 
Venus Express, Akatsuki, EnVision, Davinci, Mars Express, MRO, TGO, 
EMM, MAVEN, MMX, among others), ground-based observations, comparative 
planetology, numerical modelling, and laboratory experiments.

In view of upcoming ESA and NASA Venus missions, contributions 
addressing current understanding, open questions, and preparatory 
studies of the Venus atmosphere are particularly encouraged. The 
session will include solicited and contributed oral presentations, as 
well as posters.

[Edited for length]


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ABSTRACT SUBMISSION AND REGISTRATION OPEN SOON FOR DPS-58

Registration and abstract submission will open soon for DPS-58 at the 
Spokane Convention Center, October 25-30, 2026. DPS-58 will be a hybrid 
meeting with live-streamed in-person and recorded virtual talks and 
in-person posters. Three classes of registration include: full 
in-person, full virtual, and virtual meeting observer for a very low 
cost. Abstract submission will indicate a science theme plus a class 
of bodies pertinent to the abstract, from which the Science Organizing 
Committee will formulate the program. There is also an option to 
submit to one of five special sessions:

- 5 Years of Perseverance Exploration at Jezero
- Juno at 10 years
- 20 years of MRO observing Mars
- 30 years of asteroid rendezvous missions
- Interstellar comets

Regular Abstract Deadline, Thursday, June 11, 2026 9:00pm ET

Early Registration Deadline, Saturday, June 13, 2026 9:00pm ET


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REMINDER: ASTEROIDS, COMETS, METEORS 2029: CALL FOR LETTERS OF INTENT

This message announces that the ACM Steering Committee is calling for
Letters of Intent to host the next ACM conference after ACM 2026,
tentatively scheduled for 2029 (maintaining the triennial pace). In
particular, we encourage Letters of Intent from outside the Americas
and Europe.

The due date for letters of intent is May 8, 2026. Complete
information about this call and how to prepare your proposal can be
found here:

https://tinyurl.com/5dfpxu7x

We are looking forward to receiving outstanding proposals concerning
ACM2029, and hope to see you in Poznan in July 2026, for ACM2026!


10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10

TWO POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS IN PLANETARY GEOCHEMISTRY, ELSI (SCIENCE 
TOKYO)

We invite applications for two postdoctoral researchers in planetary 
geochemistry and thermodynamics at the Earth-Life Science Institute 
(ELSI), Institute of Science Tokyo.

Position 1 (Experimentalist): The researcher will lead calorimetric 
measurements (heat capacity, decomposition enthalpies, mass loss) on 
organic matter and mineral assemblages relevant to ocean worlds and 
other planetary bodies, using the lab's simultaneous TGA/DSC 
instrument with modulated DSC capability. 

Position 2 (Modeler): The researcher will develop thermodynamic 
databases and apply computational models (Gibbs free energy 
minimization, reactive transport) to water-rock-organic systems in 
planetary interiors, integrating experimental data from Position 1 
into modeling workflows.

Both researchers will collaborate closely. Backgrounds in 
geochemistry, planetary science, cosmochemistry, physical chemistry, 
or related fields are welcome. Positions are initially for one year 
with possibility of extension. ELSI operates in English; full support 
is provided for international researchers.

Full descriptions and application instructions: 

Experimentalist:

https://tinyurl.com/26dxmass

Modeler:

https://tinyurl.com/3sfu4ay8

Informal discussions about the positions are welcome at AbSciCon (May 
18 - 22, 2026); please reach out in advance (melwani (at) elsi.jp) to 
arrange a meeting.

Deadline: June 15, 2026.


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PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS

Note: Many face-to-face meetings going forward will have online
components. Check their websites for details.

Posted at https://planetarynews.org/meetings.html

June 9-11, 2026
Small Bodies Assessment Group
https://smallbodiesassessmentgroup.github.io/SBAG-Website/meetings/
Online


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PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL - NEW PAPERS

Direct Links to Open Access Papers

Editor, Brian Jackson
https://psj.aas.org

Quantifying Building Blocks of Life in Planetary Analog Materials: 
Implications for Prebiotic Chemistry and Biosignature Identification
Xiao'ou Luo et al. 2026 PSJ 7:82
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae593e

Short-duration Backward Integrations as Phase-space Diagnostics: A 
Sequence-based Machine Learning Approach to Near-Earth Asteroid Triage
Chetan Abhijnanam Bora and Badam Singh Kushvah 2026 PSJ 7:83
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae589e

Thin H2-dominated Atmospheres as Signposts of Magmatic Outgassing on 
Tidally Heated Terrestrial Exoplanets
Rahul Arora et al. 2026 PSJ 7:84
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae53e3

Lava Lakes on Io: Crust Age and Implications for Thermal Output 
Alessandro Mura et al. 2026 PSJ 7:85
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae52ee

Characterization of Europa's Interior through Synthesis of Europa 
Clipper Data
Flavio Petricca et al. 2026 PSJ 7:86
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae5225

Physical Analysis of Bennu Samples Reveals Regolith Production by 
Collisional Disruption on Near-Earth Asteroids
R.-L. Ballouz et al. 2026 PSJ 7:87
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae4fad

A Portrait throughout Perihelion of the NH2-rich Interstellar Comet 
2I/Borisov
Sophie E. Deam et al. 2026 PSJ 7:88
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae5244

NEO Colors from the Mission Accessible Near-Earth Object Survey 
(MANOS)
Nicholas Moskovitz et al. 2026 PSJ 7:89
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae5642

Spectral Similarity in the Thermal Infrared between Sulfide-rich
Carbonaceous Chondrite Meteorites, Jupiter Trojans, and Other D- and 
P-type Asteroids
Helena C. Bates et al. 2026 PSJ 7:90
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae5931


13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13

JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH: PLANETS - NEW PAPERS

Direct Links to Open Access (OA) Papers

Editors-in-Chief, Amanda Hendrix & Debra Buczkowski
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21699100

Thermal Evolution of the Sulfur-Rich, Small Terrestrial Planetary Core 
as Inferred From the Experimental Study of the Fe-S-O-H System
Jeongmin Lee et al.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009141

Influence of Mars Topography on Radiation Dose Detected by the Mars 
Science Laboratory and Assessment of Mars Surface Albedo Radiation
Jingnan Guo et al.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2026JE009704

In Situ Carbonation of Sedimentary and Igneous Rocks of Ultramafic 
Composition in Jezero Crater, Mars
E. Clave et al.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009107

A Planetary-Scale Hydraulic Jump Driving Venus' Cloud Front
Takeshi Imamura et al.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2026JE009672

Mars Thermospheric Polar Warming at Aphelion: Dynamical Processes 
Studied Using M-GITM
Jia-Zheng Li et al.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009386

Mars Thermospheric Variability: Disentangling the Influence of 
Irradiance, Dust, and Dynamics
E. M. B. Thiemann
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009510


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COMMERCIAL: OUTER SPACE LIFESTYLE

We planetary scientists are space nerds, but there is SO much more to 
exploring space than our day jobs! That's why I created Planex.space 
(Planetary Experience) to help us experience more cosmic amazement, 
awe, and wonder in our everyday lives:

https://planex.space

I'm sure we all got a taste of that watching Artemis II fly around the 
Moon for the first time in most of our lives, and we all lived 
vicariously through Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy. 

I hope you'll consider joining my free, monthly newsletter, The Outer 
Space Lifestyle, for monthly updates about injecting more amazement, 
awe, and wonder to fill in the gaps around your planetary science day 
job. 

Join our growing community at:

https://planex.space/join

Stay curious,
Kirby - kirby@planex.space


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