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International planetary probe meeting set

Jun 01 ,Space & Earth science


Robotic exploration of planets with atmospheres is the topic of NASA's Fourth International Planetary Probe Workshop this month in Pasadena, Calif.

Attendees will assess the use of entry probes, aerial platforms and the technologies of aero-assist involved in planetary investigations.

The June 27-30 workshop is sponsored by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology.

The meeting brings together planetary scientists, engineers and technologists with an interest in entry descent and flight in planetary and satellite atmospheres, including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune with their bottomless atmospheric oceans, and Mars, Venus and Saturn's moon Titan, all of which have solid surfaces accessible to scientific investigation.

The workshop will feature keynote addresses by leading researchers, as well as invited and contributed papers.

The event will be preceded June 25-26 by a short course "In Situ Instruments for Planetary Probes and Aerial Platforms."

NASA said students are welcome at both events.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International

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