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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red;letter-spacing:.7pt;background:white">We are closely monitoring the details of the COVID-19 pandemic and will adjust our plans accordingly per CDC and IEEE recommendations.
Keeping all participants and planners safe is our top priority.</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="st"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">CALL FOR PAPERS</span></b></span><span class="st"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
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<span class="st">SMC-IT 2021</span><br>
<span class="st">8th International Conference on Space Mission Challenges for Information Technology</span><br>
<span class="st">Pasadena, California, USA</span><br>
<span class="st">July, 2021</span><br>
<span class="st">Venue: Caltech</span><br>
<span class="st">Sponsored by: IEEE Computer Society and the Technical Committee on Software Engineering</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Every two years, the International Conference on Space Mission Challenges for Information Technology (</span><a href="http://smc-it.org"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">SMC-IT</span></a><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">)
gathers system designers, engineers, scientists, practitioners, and space explorers with the objective of advancing information technology for space missions. The forum will provide an excellent opportunity for fostering technical interchange on all hardware
and software aspects of IT applications in space missions.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The conference will focus on current information systems practice and challenges as well as emerging information technologies with applicability for future space missions. Information systems
in all aspects of the space mission will be explored, including flight systems, ground systems, science data processing, engineering and development tools, operations, and telecommunications. The entire information systems lifecycle of the mission development
will also be covered, such as conceptual design, engineering tools development, integration and test, operations, science analysis, and quality control.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The conference will be held July 27-29 at California Institute of Technology, located in Pasadena, California.
<b>If restrictions on travel or people congregating are in effect, we are planning to conduct the event virtually.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after:avoid"><b><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">TECHNICAL TOPICS</span></u></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after:avoid"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">* <b>Data Analytics and Big Data: </b>knowledge extraction and management; data mining and analysis; data science life cycle; cloud computing in space; quantum computing;
neuromorphic computing</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">* <b>Advanced Computing for Novel Instruments and Improved Operations:</b> novel exploitation techniques, algorithms, and data analytics; machine learning and artificial
intelligence; sensor networks </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">* <b>Intelligent and Autonomous Spacecraft:</b> intelligent systems; computational intelligence; artificial intelligence; explainable AI; autonomy and autonomous
systems; UAV/UAS in space; cooperative systems / swarming </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">* <b>Robotics for Exotic Mission Destinations:</b> novel space exploration concepts enabled by robotic advancements; humans working with robots in space
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">* <b>Robotic Manufacturing and Assembly of Large Space Structures:</b> 3D printing in space; in-space manufacturing; robotics cooperation and interaction; tele-robotics;
construction of structures on other planets/moons using <i>in situ</i> materials; CAD tools for in-space assembly</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-9.0pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">* Space Networking:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> resilient communications; space-terrestrial internetworking and interoperability;
standardization </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-9.0pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">* Cybersecurity:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> securing federal networks; protecting critical infrastructure; cyber policies; international
law; multi-level security; defensive cyber operations</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-9.0pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">* Fault Tolerant Space Processing, Memory, and Storage:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> innovative resilient architectures; fault and
power management approaches; architectures for embedded artificial intelligence, big data, robotic vision, intelligent systems applications, and resource constrained environments</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">* <b>Software Reliability for Mission-Critical Applications and Safety of Life:</b> verification and validation approaches; design for test; re-usable software architectures;
verification of complex systems; DevSecOps</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">* <b>Advanced Ground Control:</b> mission planning and scheduling; distributed and collaborative mission planning; human-machine interactions; design for change;
impact of agile development and continuous integration / continuous deployment; increasing velocity of ground system development
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:-9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">* <b>Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Applications:</b> AR/VR applications to tele-robotics, data processing, mission operations, space science analysis; video game
technology advancing space capabilities; training astronauts</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The SMC-IT 2021 Technical Committee is seeking three kinds of submissions at this time: full papers, posters, and mini-workshop proposals.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">FULL PAPER & POSTER SUBMISSIONS</span></u></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">SMC-IT 2021 solicits novel papers from all sectors of the space and aerospace community, including: earth orbiting systems, deep space missions, ground support systems, instruments, scientific
data exploitation, landers, rovers, and probes. The conference will address civil, military, and commercial application areas for human and robotic missions.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">SMC-IT 2021 will again use a single-pass, full-paper review process. Full papers can be up to 8 pages in length and require a verbal presentation. Authors of full papers must submit a final
version of their paper of up to 8 pages at the outset. Proposals for posters can be up to 2 pages in length. Poster authors or teams will be given multiple opportunities to discuss their work with interested attendees in poster sessions. Successful poster
proposals will receive further guidance on the exact size and format for their posters.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">All papers accepted for SMC-IT 2021 will be published in the IEEE conference proceedings, indexed in the IEEE Xplore data base. Note that IEEE has a “Podium and Publish” policy for conferences,
which means that no manuscript will be published in IEEE Xplore without first being presented at the conference. Some selected papers may be invited to appear in a special issue of a reputable journal in the field. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after:avoid"><b><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">MINI-WORKSHOP SUBMISSIONS</span></u></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">SMC-IT 2021 will continue the highly successful mini-workshop session format to explore specific emerging technology themes in greater depth. Each mini-workshop typically runs as one track
for one day or one half day and may incorporate invited and/or contributed papers.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">To propose a mini-workshop topic, please submit a 1-2 page abstract including the theme, scope, and goals of your workshop idea, as well as any potential speakers already identified. Please
also indicate whether you prefer a full-day or half-day time-slot. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Manuscripts (up to 8 pages) for full papers as well as posters and mini-workshop proposals (1-2 pages) must be received by
</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext">December 18, 2020</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">. Acceptance notification will be emailed by
</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext">January 29, 2021</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">. The template for each can be found at the SMC-IT 2021 web site: http://smc-it.org</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after:avoid"><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">SCHEDULE</span></u><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after:avoid"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext">July 20th, 2020 Call for Full Papers, Posters, and Mini-Workshop Proposals</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext">October 5th, 2020 Author Submission Website Open</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext">December 18th, 2020 Final Submission Date for Papers, Posters, and Mini-Workshop Proposals</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext">January 29th, 2021 Authors Acceptance Notification</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext">April 23rd, 2021 Final Manuscripts Due (incorporating reviewer comments)</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext">May 3rd, 2021 Early-bird Registration opens</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">July 27-29, 2021 Conference</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) campus is located in Pasadena, California. Caltech is located 12 miles northeast of Downtown Los Angeles and about 25 miles from the Los Angeles
International Airport.</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:red">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">We look forward to seeing you in Pasadena in July 2021!
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">To be placed on the SMC-IT mailing list, please send a blank email to smc-it-info-join@</span>baylor.edu<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">To be removed from the list, please send a blank email to smc-it-info-leave@</span>baylor.edu
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