The IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society Chapter in Los Angeles Presents a Lecture, Chapter Election, and Dinner Event!

NASA’s Mission to Europa: Exploring a Potentially Habitable World

Robert Pappalardo
Project Scientist for NASA’s Europa Mission
Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Wednesday, November 4, 2015
5:30–7:30 PM

Sharp Lecture Hall
Caltech Campus
Pasadena, California

About the Election: We will conduct an election of GRSS chapter officers for the following year at this meeting. If you would like to nominate anyone including yourself, please send your nomination, including the candidate’s IEEE membership number, resume, and a brief statement of interest, to la.grss.officers@ieee.org by October 25, 2015 to be placed on the ballot. All Metro Los Angeles Section GRSS Chapter members are eligible to vote.

About the Talk: Jupiter’s moon Europa may be a habitable world. Europa may have an internal ocean of liquid water, plus the chemistry and energy life needs to exist. Europa orbits Jupiter in the cold reaches of the outer solar system, where its icy surface forms a rock-hard crust, but past spacecraft data hint at a warm interior, and a liquid water ocean. NASA plans to send a robotic mission to search for water and evaluate Europa’s potential for life, addressing one of humanity’s most fundamental questions: Are we alone in the Universe?

About the Speaker: Dr. Robert Pappalardo is Project Scientist for NASA’s Europa Mission at JPL. He has served as the Project Scientist for the Cassini Equinox (first extended) Mission at Saturn and is a recipient of NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal. He has served as a member of the National Research Council’s Space Studies Board and as Co-Chair of its Committee on the Origins and Evolution of Life. Pappalardo’s research focuses on processes that have shaped the icy satellites of the outer solar system, especially Europa and the role of its probable subsurface ocean. He earned his B.A. in Geological Sciences from Cornell University and his Ph.D. in Geology from Arizona State University.

About the Dinner: The dinner buffet at the Athenaeum is $38 plus tax per person. Chapter members and non-members would pay for their meal; please bring cash. RSVP to la.grss.officers@ieee.org by October 25 if you wish to join us for dinner.

Please see the event flier for agenda and other details.