PAC Nominations Open – Deadline Extended

The Planetary Science Advisory Committee (PAC) supports the advisory needs of the Planetary Science Division (PSD), the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and other mission directorates as required, and the NASA Administrator. The PAC is an Advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

The scope of the PAC includes all aspects of planetary science, scientific exploration of the Moon and Mars, the robotic exploration of the solar system, astrobiology, exoplanet research, space- and ground-based research, technology development, planning, and training required to support these science areas.

In addition to scientific research, the scope encompasses considerations of the development of near-term enabling technologies, systems, and computing and information management capabilities, as well as developments with the potential to provide long-term improvements in future operational systems.

Responsibility for biological planetary protection is outside the purview of the PAC.

PAC Members

Hope Ishii, Chair, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Ryan Watkins, Executive Secretary, NASA HQ
Walter Kiefer, LPI
Lisa Danielson, LANL
D'Arcy Meyer-Dombard, U. Illinois
Ty Robinson, NAU
Brent Barbee, NASA GSFC
Shannon Curry, UC Berkeley
Kandi Jessup, SwRI
John Grant, Smithsonian
Louise Prockter, APL
David Murrow, Retired (Lockheed)
Morgan Cable, JPL
Deborah Woods, MIT Lincoln Labs

PAC 101: Welcome to the PAC

The Planetary Science Advisory Committee is a new FACA committee of NASA, replacing the NAC SC Planetary Science Subcommittee.

Storm clouds in white and pale red encircle Venus.

Modern image processing brought out the details of Venus's storm clouds, as seen from the Mariner 10 spacecraft.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

PAC Charter

The Planetary Science Advisory Committee is a new FACA committee of NASA, replacing the NAC SC Planetary Science Subcommittee.

Three-quarters of planet Jupiter is visible, with alternating swirling bands of brown and white present.

NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured this image of Jupiter's southern hemisphere on Feb. 17, 2020, during a close approach to the planet.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Image processing by Kevin M. Gill, © CC BY

PAC-Designated Federal Officer and Appointments

The Planetary Science Advisory Committee is a new FACA committee of NASA, replacing the NAC SC Planetary Science Subcommittee.

Saturn and its rings. The planet appears as though it is tilted backward, appearing to reveal the underside of its rings. Overall Saturn is yellow with bands of red, yellowish-brown, light orange, pink, and blue.

As NASA's Cassini spacecraft hurtled its way toward a July 1, 2004 rendezvous with Saturn, the Hubble Space Telescope snapped breathtaking views of the solar system's most photogenic planet. This image, taken on March 22, 2004, is so sharp that many individual ringlets are visible in Saturn's ring plane.

NASA, ESA and E. Karkoschka (University of Arizona)

Analysis Groups

The Analysis/Assessment Groups are community-organized, non-FACA-authorized groups that provide feedback to PSD, but not formal recommendations.

Neptune is a bright, deep blue in this image.

Voyager 2's captured this image of Neptune, showing the planet's Great Dark Spot and companion bright smudge.

NASA/JPL

Materials from the Predecessor Subcommittee

The Planetary Science Advisory Committee is a new FACA committee of NASA, replacing the NAC SC Planetary Science Subcommittee,

This image from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft uses spectral data to highlight various minerals, features and properties on Mercury.

NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

PAC Meeting Documents

Please direct questions regarding the Planetary Science Advisory Committee to Ryan Watkins, Executive Secretary.

March 4-5, 2024

Federal Register Notice

NASA PAC meeting Federal Register notice, March 4-5, 2024

Planetary Science Advisory Committee

PAC Members

PAC 101: Welcome to the PAC

PAC Charter

PAC-Designated Federal Officer and Appointments

Analysis Groups

Materials from the Predecessor Subcommittee

PAC Meeting Documents

March 4-5, 2024

Federal Register Notice

Agenda

Findings

Planetary Science Division (PSD) Update

PDCO Interagency Deep Space Radar Study

Mars Exploration Program (MEP) Highlights

Moon to Mars Tiger Team Report

Research Coordination Network (RCN) Update: NfoLD

Research Coordination Network (RCN) Update: PCE3

Workshop on EDIA for Leaders in Planetary Science

Lunar Update 2024

ESSIO Update 2024

PSD Research and Analysis (R&A) Update

Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Update

Astrobiology Update

AG Update: Mercury Exploration Assessment Group (MExAG)

AG Update: Small Bodies Assessment Group

AG Update: Exoplanet Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG)

AG Update: Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG)

AG Update: Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG)

AG Update: Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infratructure Team (MAPSIT)

AG Update: Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG)

AG Update: Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG)

AG Update: Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG)

AG Update: Cross-AG EDIA Working Group

AG Update: Ocean Worlds Working Group (OWWG)

November 13-14, 2023

Federal Register Notice

Agenda

Findings

Planetary Science Division (PSD) Update

SRB Process Review

Mars Exploration Program (MEP) Update

Mars Sample Return (MSR) Independent Review Response Planning and Updates

Mental Health in the Planetary Science Community

Astrobiology Update

Research Coordination Network Update (LIFE)

Research Coordination Network Update (NExSS)

PSD GPRAMA Evaluation (2023)

Deep Space Network (DSN) Update

PSD Research and Analysis (R&A) Update

Planetary Data Ecosystem (PDE) Update

AG Update: Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG)

AG Update: Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team (MAPSIT)

AG Update: Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG)

AG Update: Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG)

AG Update: Mercury Exploration Assessment Group (MExAG)

AG Update: Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG)

AG Update: Small Bodies Assessment Group

AG Update: Cross-AG EDIA Working Group (CAWG)

AG Update: Ocean Worlds Working Group

AG Update: Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG)

AG Update: Exoplanet Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG)

ESSIO / Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program (LDEP)

Integrated Lunar Science Strategy

June 21-23, 2023

Federal Register Notice

Agenda

Findings

Meeting Minutes

Planetary Science Division (PSD) Update

ESSIO / Lunar Science Update

IRTF Independent Review

Research and Analysis (R&A) Update

Mars Sample Return (MSR) Update

SSERVI Update

Mars Exploration Program (MEP) Update

Astrobiology Update

RCN Update

IDEA Cross-AG Working Group (CAWG) Update

Assessment / Analysis Group (AG) Updates