2nd Information Circular

16^th^ MEPAG Meeting

January 9-10, 2007

[Primary Meeting Objectives]{.underline}:

1.  [Mars Program / Missions Status]{.underline}. Recent findings about
    Mars. Mars programs status and future planning. Report from the Mars
    Advanced Planning Group (MAPG) on the final status of the 2007-2016
    plan for Mars exploration.

2.  [Outbriefs from recent Mars-themed workshops and
    conferences]{.underline}. Presentations of workshop summaries and
    listings of open science questions and issues.

3.  [Mars-Moon Linkages]{.underline}. The use of the Moon as a
    feed-forward to Mars. Reports from the MEPAG Science Analysis Group
    focusing on Mars Forward Lunar Objectives (the MFLO SAG). Discussion
    results will help shape the Lunar planning meeting anticipated in
    February 2007.

4.  [MEPAG Work Plan for 2007]{.underline}. Planning for revision of the
    MEPAG Goals Document. Launching SAGs to analyze the impact of the
    Scout selection on 2013 Mars Science Orbiter and options for
    2016-2018 opportunities.

5.  [Organics Standards]{.underline}. Review of the organics calibration
    issues facing the Phoenix and MSL missions and implications for Mars
    program planning and MEPAG goals.

[Who should attend?]{.underline}

> Participation is open to all scientists/engineers involved in Mars
> exploration including international colleagues.

[Basic Logistics]{.underline}:

-   [Dates]{.underline}: January 9-10, 2007. Start at 8 AM on Tuesday,
    January 9, end at 3 PM on Wednesday, January 10.

-   [Location]{.underline}: The Crystal Gateway Marriott, 1700 Jefferson
    Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia 22202. The hotel is located one
    mile south of the Washington National/Reagan (DCA) Airport and
    offers a free courtesy shuttle service between the two (on request).
    Other airports: the hotel is located 28 miles southwest of the
    Washington/Dulles (IAD) Airport, and 55 miles southeast of the
    Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport (see
    [www.crystalgatewaymarriott.com](http://www.crystalgatewaymarriott.com/),
    and Maps section below).

# 

# Agenda:

  ---------------------- ------ -------------------------------------------- ------------
  **Agenda for MEPAG                                                         
  meeting of January                                                         
  9-10, 2007**                                                               

                                                                              

  Start                  Time   Agenda Item                                   

  *Note: Unless                                                              
  otherwise indicated,                                                       
  all time speakers                                                          
  should assume that                                                         
  30-50% of their time                                                       
  allocation is for                                                          
  discussion.*                                                               

  ***[Tuesday, January                                                        
  9,                                                                         
  2007]{.underline}***                                                       

  7:30                   0:30   Coffee                                        

                                **Mars Program Status**                       

  8:00                   0:10   Meeting Purpose, Scope, Expected Results     Arvidson

  8:10                   0:40   Mars Program Director\'s Comments (Scouts,   McCuistion
                                MOOs)                                        

  8:50                   0:20   Mars Exploration Program Update              McNamee

  9:10                   0:30   Mars Exploration Program Science Update      Meyer

  9:40                   0:20   Mars Science Strategic Planning              Beaty

  10:00                  0:30   Discussion                                    

  10:30                  0:15   Break                                         

  10:45                  0:20   DSN Future Plans and Mars                    Geldzahler

  11:05                  0:20   Astrobiology Status and Plans                Rummel

  11:25                         **Mars Missions Status**                      

  11:25                  0:20   MER Update                                   Squyres

  11:45                  0:20   MEX Update                                   Chicarro

  12:05                  1:30   Lunch                                         

  13:35                  0:20   Phoenix Status (ATLO and Landing site        Smith
                                selection)                                   

  13:55                  0:30   MRO Update                                   Zurek

  14:25                  0:15   MSL Status (Development)                     Crisp

  14:40                  0:15   MSL Status (Landing site selection)          Grant

  14:55                  0:15   ExoMars Status                               Kminek

  15:10                  0:15   Break                                         

  15:25                  0:05   **Organic Standards Programmatic             Meyer
                                Implications**                               

  15:30                  0:20   Phoenix Organic Standards Approach           Boynton

  15:50                  0:20   MSL Organic Standards Approach               Conrad

  16:10                  0:20   ExoMars Organics Standards Approach          Kminek

  16:30                  1:00   Discussion                                    

  17:30                         Adjourn                                       
  ---------------------- ------ -------------------------------------------- ------------

  ---------------------- ------- -------------------------------------------- ------------
  ***[Wednesday, January                                                       
  10,                                                                         
  2007]{.underline}***                                                        

  7:30                   0:30    Coffee                                        

  8:00                           **Mars-themed Workshops & Conference          
                                 Outbriefs**                                  

  8:00                   0:20    Surface Ages and Histories: Issues in        Barlow
                                 Planetary Chronology                         

  8:20                   0:20    4th Int\'l Conf. on Mars Polar Science and   Clifford
                                 Exploration                                  

  8:40                   0:20    Martian Sulfates as Recorders of             Treiman
                                 Atmos.-Fluid-Rock Interactions               

  9:00                   0:20    Early Planetary Differentiation              Shearer

  9:20                   0:20    Upcoming Meetings: Schedule and Needs        Haldemann
                                 Discussion                                   

  9:40                   0:15    Break                                         

  9:55                           **Mars-Moon Linkages**                        

  9:55                   0:15    ESMD Needs and Understanding of Mars-Moon    Volosin
                                 Linkages                                     

  10:10                  0:20    Science Linkages                             Shearer

  10:30                  0:30    NRC Interim Report                           Hinners

  11:00                  0:30    MEPAG MFLO-SAG: General Linkages and         Heldmann
                                 Priorities                                   

  11:30                  0:20    NAC Workshop on Science Associated with      Jolliff
                                 Lunar Expl. Architecture                     

  11:50                  0:30    Discussion                                   Beaty

  12:20                  1:30    Lunch                                         

  13:50                  0:20    MEPAG Planning for 2007 - SAG opportunities  Arvidson

  14:10                  0:50    Discussion                                    

  **15:00**                      **ADJOURN**                                  
  ---------------------- ------- -------------------------------------------- ------------

[RSVP needed]{.underline}: So that we can plan the meeting logistics
(e.g., seating, coffee/tea, name badges), we request that all
participants **RSVP by** **January 4, 2007** to Debbie Calderón at
<Debbie.Calderon@jpl.nasa.gov>; or (818) 354-9470.

[Posters]{.underline}: For this meeting, we have not made arrangements
for volunteered poster displays.

[Hotel]{.underline}: The Crystal Gateway Marriott (703-920-3230) is
making 120 rooms available to us (single/double rate of \$188/night).
Rooms have high-speed Internet service. To secure a reservation, please
contact the hotel directly and specify that you will be attending the
MEPAG meeting. The keyword "Mars" may also work. The deadline when the
hotel will release any unreserved rooms from our block for general sale
is **January 5, 2007**; however it is best to make your reservation
early before the approaching holiday season.

[Logistics]{.underline}: The Venus Exploration Analysis Group has
scheduled a meeting immediately after this MEPAG meeting (on
Thursday-Friday, January 11-12), at the same hotel. A special invitation
is extended to meeting participants of MEPAG and VEXAG to attend both
meetings. The hotel is offering "shoulder days" around each meeting, so
one hotel reservation can be made to stay through two meetings, but make
sure to specify that you are primarily attending one meeting or the
other. Additional days at the same rates, preceeding MEPAG or following
VEXAG are subject to availability.

If you need additional logistical information, please contact either
Albert Haldemann, (albert.f.haldemann@jpl.nasa.gov, tel. (818) 354-1723,
fax (818) 393-4445) or Debbie Calderón, (<Debbie.Calderon@jpl.nasa.gov>,
tel. (818) 354-9470).

If you have updates to the master MEPAG e-mail list (either correction
of faulty e-mail addresses, addition of Mars science colleagues who have
been inadvertently omitted), or deletions, please contact Debbie
Calderón.

[Maps]{.underline}:

![](media/image2.pct){width="5.816666666666666in"
height="5.011111111111111in"}

![](media/image1.pct){width="3.6284722222222223in"
height="3.1215277777777777in"}