IPPW: A yearly forum for presentation of planetary entry missions

For the past 13 years, we have conducted the International Planetary Probe Workshop (IPPW) at venues in the United States and Europe. Our yearly meetings are attended by engineers, technologists, scientists, mission designers, space agency leaders, and students from around the world. We review the state-of-the-art in science, mission design, engineering implementation and technologies for the in situ robotic exploration of Solar System bodies. We feature discussions on innovative methodologies and techniques for upcoming probe and surface science missions. Student participation in our workshops is emphasized by the scholarships we offer to attract early career scientists and engineers to the field of entry, descent and flight in planetary atmospheres, as well as surface science exploration of other worlds. Through their interaction with professionals, we enable students to learn from experienced researchers and practitioners. During the weekend preceding the week-long workshop, we conduct a Short Course taught by community leaders, on topics pertinent to planetary probes. Examples of past courses include Extreme Environments Technologies, Probe Science Instrument Technologies, and Planetary Protection. Beginning with our 11th workshop in 2014, we have published a summary of the findings during the various sessions. The reports, as well as the materials from all workshops, are available on our public archive, and distributed to the world's national space agencies to serve as a basis for future international collaborations. Our presentation will review the history of the yearly IPPWs as well as the findings of IPPW-11 and IPPW-12, as documented in their Science and Technology Progress Reports on Planetary Probes.