NASA Awards Contract for Hardware Assurance Testing

March 30, 2007

John Yembrick
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0602

Paul Foerman
Stennis Space Center, Bay St. Louis, Miss.
228-688-3333

CONTRACT RELEASE: C07-17

NASA AWARDS CONTRACT FOR HARDWARE ASSURANCE TESTING

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. - On Friday, NASA announced the selection of
Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc., of Canoga Park, Calif., to
provide hardware assurance testing at NASA's Stennis Space Center.
The estimated total value of the contract is $80 million.

The cost-plus-award-fee contract is for a one-year period with four
one-year option periods.

Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne will perform space shuttle main engine
testing and testing of Constellation Program engines and propulsion
systems. The contractor also will perform engine and propulsion
systems testing as needed for other NASA programs, as well as provide
hardware assurance and engineering support, including design work.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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NASA Announces First Lichten Internship Award Winner

March 30, 2007

J.D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-5241

RELEASE: 07-79

NASA ANNOUNCES FIRST LICHTEN INTERNSHIP AWARD WINNER

WASHINGTON - NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, in
cooperation with the American Helicopter Society International (AHS),
selected Eric Greenwood II from the University of Maryland,
University Park, as its first NASA AHS Lichten Internship Award
winner.

Greenwood was selected based on his paper "Helicopter External Noise
Radiation in Turning Flight: Theory and Experiment," submitted to the
AHS International 2007 Robert L. Lichten Competition.

The award supports NASA's goal to enhance the educational experiences
of highly qualified U.S. engineering students in fields of interest
to the agency's aeronautics program. These fields include fundamental
research, particularly in subsonic rotary wing technologies.

Greenwood will receive an eight-week, NASA-sponsored internship to be
split between Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., and
Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. Both centers are active in
helicopter noise research as part of NASA's Subsonic Rotary Wing
Project. Greenwood will spend the summer immersed in NASA rotary wing
science and technology projects.

Greenwood graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology,
Rochester, N.Y., with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical
engineering (aerospace option), in 2005. He has specialized in
rotorcraft acoustics for his graduate program in aerospace
engineering.

For more information about NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission
Directorate, visit:

http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov

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NASA Selects Firms for SEWP IV Contracts

March 29, 2007

Dwayne Brown/Grey Hautaluoma
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726/0668

Cynthia O'Carroll
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-4647

CONTRACT RELEASE: C07-16

NASA SELECTS FIRMS FOR SEWP IV CONTRACTS

WASHINGTON - NASA has awarded 45 commercial, fixed price, indefinite
delivery, indefinite quantity contracts to 37 vendors under the
Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement IV (SEWP IV).

The principal purpose of the SEWP IV contracts is to provide customers
with state-of-the-art computer technologies, high-end scientific and
engineering processing capabilities, network equipment and
peripherals.

These Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts are available for ordering
by all NASA centers, all federal agencies and their contractors. The
period of performance for each of the contracts is seven years. The
minimum amount of supplies or services that may be ordered is $2,500
with a maximum of $5.6 billion per contract.

The prime contractor awardees are listed at:

http://www.sewp.nasa.gov

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., procures and
manages the SEWP IV effort.

The contracting officer for this procurement is Darlene Dorsey,
301-286-5063. The SEWP IV Procurement Manager for this procurement is
E. Ann Haase, 301-286-8420.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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NASA Astronaut to Run Boston Marathon in Space

March 29, 2007

Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4769

James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

RELEASE: 07-78

NASA ASTRONAUT TO RUN BOSTON MARATHON IN SPACE

WASHINGTON - NASA astronaut Suni Williams will go faster than anyone
has ever gone in the Boston Marathon. She will run the famed race in
April as an official entrant from 210 miles above Earth aboard the
International Space Station. This will be the first time an astronaut
in space will be an official participant in a marathon.

Williams hopes her unique run will serve as an inspiration.

"I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily
lives," Williams said. "I think a big goal like a marathon will help
get this message out there."

Williams, who is an accomplished marathoner, has served aboard the
space station since December 2006 as a member of the Expedition 14
crew. She will run the race on a station treadmill, circling Earth at
least twice in the process, running as fast as eight miles per hour
but flying more than five miles each second.

And she will not be alone in her adventure. Her sister Dina Pandya and
a fellow NASA astronaut, Karen Nyberg, will run the race in Boston.
Williams and Nyberg qualified for the Boston race by finishing among
the top 100 females in the Houston Marathon in January 2006.

Exercise is essential in NASA's efforts to counteract the effects of
long-duration weightlessness on astronauts' health. For months,
Williams has been training for the marathon while aboard the station.
She runs at least four times a week, two longer runs and two shorter
runs. Station crews are required to exercise on the treadmill, a
stationary bike and a resistive exercise machine to counter loss of
bone density and muscle mass.

"In microgravity, both of these things start to go away because we
don't use our legs to walk around and don't need the bones and
muscles to hold us up under the force of gravity," Williams said.

Williams is a native of Needham, Mass., and graduated from Needham
High School in 1983. Her family resides near Falmouth, Mass.

NASA will have an exhibit in Boston during the marathon. Nyberg and
astronaut Jeff Williams will be available for interviews. Jeff
Williams, who is not related to Suni Williams, completed a six-month
stay on the station in 2006. NASA's exhibit will be at the John
Hancock Sports and Fitness Expo at the Hynes Convention Center April
13-15.

Due to the crew's sleep schedule, WIlliams' run of the marathon on the
station may not coincide exactly with the race on the ground, but
mission control is working to match the events as closely as
possible. This year's marathon is Monday, April 16.

Television and still imagery of Williams' efforts are expected to be
available. Video of her training on the International Space Station
will air on NASA TV's Video File. For streaming video, downlink and
schedule information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the Boston Marathon, visit:

http://www.bostonmarathon.org/

For more about the space station, its missions and crews, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

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NASA Extends Johnson Center Operations Support Contract

Mar. 28, 2007

David. E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600

James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

CONTRACT RELEASE: C07-15

NASA EXTENDS JOHNSON CENTER OPERATIONS SUPPORT CONTRACT

HOUSTON - NASA has awarded a $30.4 million extension of the Center
Operations Support Services (COSS) Contract for Johnson Space Center
to Computer Sciences Corp. of Fort Worth, Texas.

The contract, which begins April 1, has a base period of six months
followed by five one-month options. It is an extension of a Computer
Sciences' Applied Technology Division contract. Exercise of the five
one-month options would bring the total potential value to $55.4
million.

Computer Sciences has held the COSS Contract for five years. The
six-month extension and the options would bring the total value of
the contract to $342.8 million throughout the nearly six-year period.

The contract includes operations support activities at Johnson's Sonny
Carter Training Facility and Ellington Field. It involves support in
maintenance and operations, grounds, custodial, transportation,
logistics, property and equipment, construction, engineering and
environmental areas.

Major subcontractors include Anadarko Industries, LLC, of Houston and
Lynx, Ltd., of Las Cruces, N.M.

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NASA Announces Aeronautics Research Opportunities

Mar. 27, 2007

J.D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-5241

RELEASE: 07-76

NASA ANNOUNCES AERONAUTICS RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

WASHINGTON - NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate has
amended its NASA Research Announcement to solicit additional research
proposals. The "Research Opportunities in Aeronautics" announcement
seeks research in several new topic areas for the Next Generation Air
Transportation System Air Traffic Management Airspace Project and the
Subsonic Fixed Wing Project.

The primary goal of the Airspace Systems Program is to develop
revolutionary concepts, capabilities and technologies that will
enable significant increases in the capacity, efficiency and
flexibility of our National Airspace System. The project will explore
and develop concepts and provide research data to define and assess
the allocation of ground and air automation concepts and technologies
necessary for the Next Generation Air Transportation System.

A major focus of the Subsonic Fixed Wing project is to develop
improved prediction methods and technologies for future subsonic
aircraft with lower noise, lower emissions and higher performance.
NASA is interested in improving both conventional and unconventional
configurations to meet these goals. The long-term strategy includes
providing novel test methods and validated prediction tools that can
be used to improve system trades for advanced concepts capable of
meeting longer-term noise, emissions and performance targets. One of
the focus areas of the current announcement is the development of
research ideas that may enable revolutionary improvements such as
those promised by a wide range of hybrid wing body configurations.

NASA expects that educational institutions, nonprofit organizations
and industry engaged in foundational research will be the primary
award recipients for this announcement. Specific evaluation criteria,
deadlines and points of contact for this and additional research
topics in other project areas are available in the announcement at:

http://nspires.nasaprs.com

For more information about NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission
Directorate, visit:

http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov

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NASA Announces Medical Review Team Members

Mar. 26, 2007

David E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1730

RELEASE: 07-75

NASA ANNOUNCES MEDICAL REVIEW TEAM MEMBERS

WASHINGTON - On Monday, NASA announced the committee members who will
conduct a comprehensive review of health services, including
behavioral health care, available to astronauts. The committee will
review current NASA healthcare systems and medical policies,
standards and certifications for astronauts. In April, they will
travel to NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, to review documents
and interview personnel involved in NASA's human spaceflight program,
including astronauts.

Air Force Col. Dr. Richard E. Bachmann chairs the group of external
experts. Bachmann is an expert in aerospace medicine with experience
in providing medical support to people who conduct operations in
extreme environments.

The other external members of the committee are: Air Force Col. Dr.
Timothy Sowin, an expert in neuropsychiatry; Dr. James R. Fraser,
M.P.H., an expert in aerospace medicine from the Federal Aviation
Administration; Retired Navy Capt. Dr. Sandra Yerkes, an expert in
clinical psychiatry; Dr. Mark Bauer, an expert in clinical psychiatry
from the Veteran's Administration; Elizabeth Holmes, Ph.D., an expert
in clinical psychology from the United States Naval Academy; Dr.
James Bagian, a former NASA astronaut physician and an expert in
aerospace medicine and patient safety from the Veteran's
Administration; and Navy Capt. Paul M. DeLaney, an expert in medical
legal matters and medical privacy legislation. Dr. Ellen Baker is a
current NASA astronaut physician and will serve as a consultant to
the team.

Dr. James M. Duncan, the NASA chief of Space Medicine at Johnson, and
Wayne Frazier, an executive from NASA's Office of Safety and Mission
Assurance at NASA Headquarters, Washington, will serve on the team in
an ex officio capacity.

In June, the committee is expected to report their findings to NASA's
Chief Health and Medical Officer, Dr. Richard S. Williams. Williams
will review and report the committee's findings to NASA Administrator
Michael Griffin.

For information about NASA's Office of the Chief Health and Medical
Officer, visit:

http://ohp.nasa.gov/ochamo/

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New Mexico voters weigh building world's first spaceport

New Mexico voters weigh building world's first spaceport from PhysOrg.com

New Mexico hopes to break ground soon on the world's first commercial spaceport, which state elders envision as a 21st-century departure point for thousands of paying space tourists.[...]

NASA Engineers Work on New Spacesuits

NASA Engineers Work on New Spacesuits from PhysOrg.com

(AP) -- In labs at Johnson Space Center, away from the buzz about NASA's new spaceship and its new missions to the moon and Mars, a group of engineers are plodding away at another piece of the puzzle: spacesuits. Astronaut apparel has evolved over the decades from Mercury's aluminum foil-looking outfits to the bulky, 275-pound whites now used on jaunts outside the space station. While it's too early in the process to know how the new suits will look, the space agency is hoping to make new suits both high-tech and low-maintenance.[...]

NASA Set To Welcome Japanese Space Station Component

Mar. 23, 2007

Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749

Tracy Young
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468

Lynnette Madison
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

MEDIA ADVISORY: 07-32

NASA SET TO WELCOME JAPANESE SPACE STATION COMPONENT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA will hold a ceremony April 17 at 9 a.m.
EDT to officially welcome a new International Space Station component
to the Kennedy Space Center. The Experiment Logistics Module
Pressurized Section for the Japanese Experiment Module arrived at
Kennedy March 12 to begin preparations for its future launch.

The Japanese Experiment Module will be carried into space on three
shuttle missions. Known as Kibo, which means "hope" in Japanese, it
is Japan's primary contribution to the station. The Experiment
Logistics Module Pressurized Section will serve as an on-orbit
storage area for materials, tools and supplies. It can hold up to
eight experiment racks and will attach to the top of another larger
pressurized module. The Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized
Section is targeted for launch aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on
mission STS-123.

Permanent media representatives with credentials should arrive at
Kennedy's press site by 8 a.m. for transportation to the Space
Station Processing Facility. Since it is an operational area, all
participants must dress in full-length pants, flat shoes that
entirely cover the feet, and shirts with sleeves. Media without
Kennedy credentials can apply for accreditation via the online media
accreditation Web site.

International media must apply by 5 p.m. on April 6 at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

For more information on Kibo and the International Space Station,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

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NASA Assigns Crew for Shuttle Mission to Install Japanese Lab

Mar. 22, 2007

John Yembrick
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0602

Kylie Clem
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

RELEASE: 07-73

NASA ASSIGNS CREW FOR SHUTTLE MISSION TO INSTALL JAPANESE LAB

WASHINGTON - NASA has assigned the crew for space shuttle mission
STS-124, targeted for launch in February 2008. The flight will
deliver the Pressurized Module and robotic arm of the Japanese
Experiment Module, known as "Kibo" (hope), to the International Space
Station.

Navy Cmdr. Mark E. Kelly will command the space shuttle Atlantis
during the mission. Navy Cmdr. Kenneth T. Ham will serve as the
pilot. Mission specialists will include NASA astronauts Karen L.
Nyberg; Air Force Col. Ronald J. Garan, Jr.; Air Force Reserve Col.
Michael E. Fossum; and Navy Cmdr. Stephen G. Bowen. Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide also will serve
as a mission specialist.

The STS-124 mission is the second of three flights that will launch
components to complete the Kibo laboratory. The mission will include
two spacewalks to install the new lab and its remote manipulator
system. The lab's logistics module, which will have been installed in
a temporary location during STS-123, will be attached to the new lab.

The mission will be the third spaceflight for Kelly, the second
spaceflight for Fossum and the first spaceflight for Ham, Garan,
Nyberg, Bowen and Hoshide.

Kelly flew as the pilot of STS-108 in 2001 and STS-121 in 2006. He
considers West Orange, N.J., to be his hometown. Kelly has a
bachelor's degree from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, King's
Point, N.Y., and a master's degree from the Naval Postgraduate
School, Monterey, Calif. He was selected as an astronaut in 1996.

Ham was born in Plainfield, N.J. He has a bachelor's degree from the
U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md., and a master's degree from the
Naval Postgraduate School. He was selected as an astronaut in 1998.

Fossum performed three spacewalks during STS-121 in 2006. He grew up
in McAllen, Texas, and has a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M
University, College Station, and master's degrees from the Air Force
Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and
the University of Houston, Clear Lake. He was selected as an
astronaut in 1998.

Garan was born in Yonkers, N.Y. He has a bachelor's degree from the
State University of New York College at Oneonta and master's degrees
from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla., and
the University of Florida, Gainesville. Garan was selected as an
astronaut in 2000.

Nyberg also was selected as an astronaut in 2000. She considers her
hometown to be Vining, Minn. She has a bachelor's degree from the
University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and a master's degree and
doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin.

Bowen was born in Cohasset, Mass. He has a bachelor's from the U.S.
Naval Academy and a master's from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge. Bowen also was selected as an astronaut in
2000.

Hoshide was born in Tokyo. He was selected by JAXA as one of three
astronaut candidates in 1999 and certified by JAXA as an astronaut in
2001. He arrived at the Johnson Space Center, Houston, for training
in 2004 and completed NASA Astronaut Candidate Training in 2006. He
has a bachelor's degree from Keio University, Tokyo, and a master's
degree from the University of Houston.

For complete astronaut biographical information, visit:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios

For more information about NASA's Space Shuttle Program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

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NASA Helps Local Student Rocket Scientists Reach for the Stars

Mar. 22, 2007

Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1761

Angela Storey
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034

RELEASE: 07-74

NASA HELPS LOCAL STUDENT ROCKET SCIENTISTS REACH FOR THE STARS

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Some of the best student scientists from across the
country are hard at work on their model rockets, set to launch this
spring as part of NASA's Student Launch Initiative. Student teams
will display and launch their vehicles at a rocket launch event April
25-28 hosted by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville,
Ala. Each vehicle must be designed to carry a tracking device and a
recoverable science payload. The rocket itself is required to be
reusable and reach an altitude of one mile during flight.

Middle and high school students from Colorado, Connecticut, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin are taking part in the program
that provides students a unique opportunity to gain practical
experience in aerospace and engineering activities.

The initiative encourages student teams to put their science,
technology, engineering and math knowledge to use in a real-world
situation by designing and building their own rockets with a science
payload. They spend the school year fine-tuning and building their
rockets.

This program helps NASA to continue its tradition of investing in the
nation's education projects. The agency seeks to foster learning
environments that will inspire young people to set their sights on
venturing to the moon, Mars and destinations beyond.

After the flight, the teams will collect data from the payload,
analyze it and report the results to NASA engineers and scientists,
who will evaluate each rocket design, including propulsion systems,
materials used for construction, payload and safety features.

Participating in the project this year are twelve new teams and four
returning teams from the 2005-2006 event. The new teams receive a
$2,500 grant for their projects. Returning teams receive $1,250.

The new teams are:
- Benson High School, Omaha, Neb.
- Boy Scout Troop 39, Marlborough, Conn.
- Byron High School, Byron, Ill.
- Covenant Christian High School, Indianapolis, Ind.
- Lloyd C. Bird High School, Chesterfield, Va.
- St. Andrews Lutheran Church and School, Park Ridge, Ill.
- Statesville Christian High School, Statesville, N.C.
- Warner Robins High School, Warner Robins, Ga.
- Weare Middle School/John Stark Regional High School, Weare, N.H.
- West Point-Beemer High School, West Point, Neb.
- Yough High School, Herminie, Pa.

The returning teams are:
- Lakewood High School, Lakewood, Colo.
- Madison West High School, Madison, Wis.
- Plantation High School, Plantation, Fla.
- Southfield High School, Southfield, Mich.

Marshall manages the Student Launch Initiative in partnership with
Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, which will host this year's
launch day activities, and the Huntsville Area Rocketry Association.

The Student Launch Initiative is not a competition. NASA will
recognize teams with plaques for excellence.

For more information, visit Marshall's academic affairs Web site at:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/education/index.html

For more information on the Student Launch Initiative, visit:

http://education.msfc.nasa.gov/docs/127.htm

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National Positioning, Navigation and Timing Advisory Board Named

Mar. 22, 2007

David E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1730

Doc Mirelson
National PNT Coordination Office
202-482-1496/5809

RELEASE: 07-71

NATIONAL POSITIONING, NAVIGATION AND TIMING ADVISORY BOARD NAMED

WASHINGTON - NASA and the National Executive Committee for Space-Based
Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) announced Thursday, March 22
the members of the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and
Timing Advisory Board. James Schlesinger will chair the 24-member
board; Brad Parkinson is the vice-chair.

The U.S. Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Policy of
December 8, 2004, established a permanent National Space-Based
Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Executive Committee. The
committee is co-chaired by the Deputy Secretaries of the Departments
of Defense and Transportation with equivalent representatives from
the Departments of State, Commerce, and Homeland Security; the Joint
Chiefs of Staff and NASA.

NASA established the advisory board on behalf of the executive
committee. The board will operate in an advisory capacity as directed
by the national PNT policy and in accordance with the Federal
Advisory Committee Act.

The board will provide advice, as directed by the executive committee,
about U.S. space-based PNT policy, services, planning and program
management. The board's first meeting is in Washington March 29-30.
The public meetings will be in the Polaris Suite, Reagan
International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. For additional
board information, contact the Advisory Committee Management Officer,
Diane Rausch at 202-358-4510.

For information about U.S. national PNT policy, the executive
committee, advisory board members, charter, meeting dates and public
sessions, visit:

http://www.pnt.gov

<u>U.S. Advisory Board Members:</u>

James R. Schlesinger, Chair - Chairman, Board of Trustees, MITRE
Bradford Parkinson, Vice Chair - Professor, Stanford University
Phil Boyer - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Capt. Joseph D. Burns, U.S. Navy (Ret.) - United Airlines
Ann Ciganer - U.S. GPS Industry Council
Susan M. Cischke - Ford Motor Company
Per K. Enge - Professor, Stanford University
Martin C. Faga - Former President and CEO, MITRE
Keith R. Hall - Booz Allen Hamilton
Robert J. Hermann - Global Technology Partners, LLC
Chester A. Huber - OnStar Corporation
David Logsdon - U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Gen. Lance Lord, USAF (Ret.) - Former Commander, U.S. Air Force Space
Command
Timothy A. Murphy - The Boeing Company
Terence J. McGurn - CIA (Ret.); currently, private consultant
Gen. James P. McCarthy, USAF (Ret.) - Professor, U.S. Air Force
Academy
Ruth Neilan - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Charles R. Trimble - Chairman, U.S. GPS Industry Council

<u>International Committee:</u>

Gerhard Beutler - International Association of Geodesy, Switzerland
Arve Dimmen - Norwegian Coastal Administration
Suresh V. Kibe - Indian Space Research Organization
Keith McPherson - Airservices Australia
Hiroshi Nishiguchi - Japan GPS Council
Capt. Richard A. Smith, Royal Navy (Ret.) - International Association
of Institutes of Navigation, England

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Nasa grounds its ideas factory

Lack of funds forces closure of brainstorming institute that dreamed up space elevator and crops on Mars

Alok Jha, science correspondent
Thursday March 22, 2007
The Guardian

NASA Awards Contracts for Spacecraft Systems and Services

Mar. 21, 2007

Dwayne Brown/Grey Hautaluoma
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726/0668

Cynthia O'Carroll
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-4647

CONTRACT RELEASE: C07-12

NASA AWARDS CONTRACTS FOR SPACECRAFT SYSTEMS AND SERVICES

WASHINGTON - NASA has selected Space Systems Loral, Palo Alto, Calif.,
and MicroSat Systems, Inc., Littleton, Colo., for award of the Rapid
Spacecraft Development Office, Rapid II, contracts with a minimum
value of $50,000 each. This award is under a commercial, fixed price,
indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract. Each of the Rapid
II contracts has a potential maximum value of $1.5 billion.

Rapid II is a multiple award contract for core spacecraft systems and
non-standard services. The services may include operations,
components and studies to meet the government's space, Earth science
and technology needs.

The principal purpose of this contract is to provide core spacecraft
systems with any necessary modifications to meet specific mission
needs. The baseline scope of work includes fabrication and test of
the spacecraft with mission specific design modifications; generation
of interface control documents, instrument and full spacecraft
integration; test, shipment to launch site, launch vehicle
integration support and on-orbit checkout.

In January 2000, NASA awarded the initial Rapid II contracts. New
vendors periodically are added if qualified. This award is the result
of such an action, and the vendors are eligible to compete for future
spacecraft systems that NASA or other federal agencies may require.

The principal work will be performed at the contractors' facilities
with additional work required at the government launch site.

For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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International Spacecraft Reveals Detailed Processes on the Sun

Mar. 21, 2007

Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726

Steve Roy
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034

RELEASE: 07-72

INTERNATIONAL SPACECRAFT REVEALS DETAILED PROCESSES ON THE SUN

WASHINGTON - NASA released on Wednesday never-before-seen images that
show the sun's magnetic field is much more turbulent and dynamic than
previously known. The international spacecraft Hinode, formerly known
as Solar B, took the images.

Hinode, Japanese for "sunrise," was launched Sept. 23, 2006, to study
the sun's magnetic field and how its explosive energy propagates
through the different layers of the solar atmosphere. The
spacecraft's uninterrupted high-resolution observations of the sun
will have an impact on solar physics comparable to the Hubble Space
Telescope's impact on astronomy.

"For the first time, we are now able to make out tiny granules of hot
gas that rise and fall in the sun's magnetized atmosphere," said Dick
Fisher, director of NASA's Heliophyics Division, Science Mission
Directorate, Washington. "These images will open a new era of study
on some of the sun's processes that effect Earth, astronauts,
orbiting satellites and the solar system."

Hinode's three primary instruments, the Solar Optical Telescope, the
X-ray Telescope and the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer, are
observing the different layers of the sun. Studies focus on the solar
atmosphere from the visible surface of the sun, known as the
photosphere, to the corona, the outer atmosphere of the sun that
extends outward into the solar system.

"By coordinating the measurements of all three instruments, Hinode is
showing how changes in the structure of the magnetic field and the
release of magnetic energy in the low atmosphere spread outward
through the corona and into interplanetary space to create space
weather," said John Davis, project scientist from NASA's Marshall
Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.

Space weather involves the production of energetic particles and
emissions of electromagnetic radiation. These bursts of energy can
black out long-distance communications over entire continents and
disrupt the global navigational system.

"Hinode images are revealing irrefutable evidence for the presence of
turbulence-driven processes that are bringing magnetic fields, on all
scales, to the sun's surface, resulting in an extremely dynamic
chromosphere or gaseous envelope around the sun," said Alan Title, a
corporate senior fellow at Lockheed Martin, Palo Alto, Calif., and
consulting professor of physics at Stanford University, Stanford,
Calif.

Hinode is a collaborative mission led by the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency and includes the European Space Agency and
Britain's Particle Physics Astronomy Research Council. The National
Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Tokyo, developed the Solar Optical
Telescope, which provided the fine-scale structure views of the sun's
lower atmosphere, and developed the X-ray Telescope in collaboration
with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory of Cambridge, Mass.
The X-ray Telescope captured the rapid, time-sequenced images of
explosive events in the sun's outer atmosphere.

"By following the evolution of the solar structures that outline the
magnetic field before, during and after these explosive events, we
hope to find clear evidence to establish that magnetic reconnection
is the underlying cause for this explosive activity," said Leon Golub
of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

The Marshall Space Flight Center manages the development of the
scientific instrumentation provided for the mission by NASA, industry
and other federal agencies.

For more information about Hinode, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/hinode

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Engineers create SpaceNet -- the supply chain

Engineers create SpaceNet -- the supply chain from PhysOrg.com

If you think shipping freight from Cincinnati to El Paso is challenging, imagine trying to deliver an oxygen generation unit from the Earth to a remote location on the moon.[...]

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Awards Human Capital Contract

Mar. 20, 2007

David E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1730

Angela Storey
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034

CONTRACT RELEASE: 07-11

NASA MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER AWARDS HUMAN CAPITAL CONTRACT

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has awarded
Will Technology, Inc., Huntsville, Ala., a contract to provide
administrative and technical support services at the center.

The contract begins April 1, 2007, with a one-year base period
followed by four one-year options that may be exercised at NASA's
discretion. The contract type is a cost plus incentive fee mission
services type, with an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ)
portion. The value of the mission services is approximately $25
million, and the potential IDIQ value is $10 million. The maximum
potential contract value if all options are exercised and all IDIQs
are issued is approximately $35 million.

Will Technology, Inc., will perform support services for the office of
human capital in the areas of organization and leadership
development, workforce strategy and planning, academic affairs,
training, and employee services and operations.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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NASA Scientists and Teachers to Study Mars in the Mojave Desert

March 20, 2007

Beth Dickey/J.D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2087/5241

Jonas Dino
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
650-604-5612

RELEASE: 07-70

NASA SCIENTISTS AND TEACHERS TO STUDY MARS IN THE MOJAVE DESERT

Moffett Field, Calif. - A passionate teacher can make any subject come
alive for students, and NASA is helping fuel that passion.

On March 25-30, 2007, NASA's Spaceward Bound project at the agency's
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., will take a team of NASA
scientists and 40 teachers from throughout the country to study the
unique geologic formations of California's Mojave Desert and the
supremely adapted microbes that call it home. The Mojave's
inhospitable, sun-scorched environment presents scientists with
opportunities to study environments similar to what explorers will
find on the moon and Mars. Leading the team is Chris McKay, an Ames
planetary scientist with extensive experience in field work in
extreme environments.

"We have been doing field expeditions to Mars-like environments for
years," said McKay. "Now we're bringing along the teachers, so they
can see and participate in the exploration of these extreme
environments. The teachers become part of the research team."

Based out of the California State University Desert Research Station
at Zzyzx, Calif., 60 miles east of Barstow, Calif., teachers and
scientists will perform scientific fieldwork. The team will study the
similarities of the desert's geologic formations to those of the moon
and Mars, how microbes and chemical oxidants affect desert soil
formation, and the desert's hypolithic algae, cyanobacteria and
stromatolites. Teams also will use a hot air balloon to test new
remote-sensing equipment to detect subterranean formations such as
lava tubes, caves and paleolakes.

As part of the training for the expedition, teachers participated in
four webcast training sessions that included presentations by the
scientists explaining the research they will conduct during the
expedition, training for field work in an extreme environment and
discussions about how to bring their experiences into their
classrooms.

During the expedition, teachers and students around the world can
follow the action on the Spaceward Bound Web site via daily mission
logs and image captures. On March 28, the team will hold two one-hour
webcasts. The first webcast, in English, will begin at 9 a.m. PDT,
followed by a Spanish webcast at 10 a.m. PDT.

"Beginning with the training webcasts and continuing through the
expedition, 'Spaceward Bound: Mojave,' enables teachers to immerse
themselves in authentic moon and Mars analog field research," said
Liza Coe, co-principal investigator for the Spaceward Bound project.
"Teachers will very naturally inject these experiences into their
teaching, which is critical because their students are the ones who
will actually go to the moon and prepare for the first human missions
to Mars."

The Education Division at Ames developed the Spaceward Bound: Mojave
educational program in partnership with the Desert Research
Institute, Las Vegas, Nev., and San Jose State University, Calif., to
train the next generation of space explorers. Previous Spaceward
Bound expeditions include the exploration of the Mars-like soils in
the Atacama desert in northern Chile and two week-long, immersive,
full-scale simulations of living and working on the moon and Mars at
the Mars Desert Research Station in the Utah desert.

The Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters,
Washington, funds the Spaceward Bound project, which continues the
agency's tradition of investing in the nation's education programs.
The project is tied directly to the agency's major education goal of
engaging Americans in NASA's mission. NASA is committed to building
strategic partnerships and linkages between formal and informal
education providers of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (also known as STEM). Through hands-on, interactive
educational activities, NASA is engaging students, educators,
families, the general public, and all agency stakeholders to increase
Americans' science and technology literacy.

For more information about the NASA Spaceward Bound Project, visit:

http://quest.nasa.gov/projects/spacewardbound

For more information about the Exploration Systems Mission
Directorate, visit:

http://exploration.nasa.gov

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NASA Sets Briefings on Station Crew Change, Soyuz Move

Mar. 20, 2007

Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749

James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-31

NASA SETS BRIEFINGS ON STATION CREW CHANGE, SOYUZ MOVE

HOUSTON - NASA will hold a pair of media briefings on Tuesday, March
27, to preview the upcoming exchange of crews aboard the
International Space Station.

At 1 p.m. CDT, NASA will preview the upcoming Expedition 15 mission. A
second briefing, set to begin at 2 p.m., will review the work done
during the current Expedition 14 mission aboard the station. The
briefings will originate from NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston,
and will be broadcast live on NASA Television. Questions will be
taken from media at participating NASA sites. Reporters should call
their preferred field center to confirm participation availability.

On March 29, the station's current residents will take a short ride in
the Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft now docked at the complex. Soyuz Commander
Mikhail Tyurin, Expedition 15 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and
Flight Engineer Suni Williams will move the Soyuz from an
Earth-facing docking port on the Zarya module to a docking port at
the aft of the Zvezda module. The half-hour flight will be broadcast
live on NASA TV, beginning at 5 p.m.

The Soyuz move frees the Zarya docking port for the arrival of the
Expedition 15 crew, set to launch April 7 in a Soyuz from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor
Yurchikhin, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov and
Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi will dock to the station
April 9. Lopez-Alegria, Tyurin and Simonyi will return to Earth April
20 in a Soyuz.

Williams, who has been aboard the station since December, will remain
with Yurchikhin and Kotov as a member of the Expedition 15 mission.

Participants in the March 27 briefings include:

1 p.m. - Expedition 15 Preview Briefing
-- Kirk Shireman, International Space Station Program deputy manager
-- Susan Brand, Expedition 15 increment manager
-- Bob Dempsey, Expedition 15 lead flight director

2 p.m. - Expedition 14 Recap Briefing
-- Ginger Kerrick, Expedition 14 lead flight director
-- Julie Robinson, International Space Station Program scientist
-- Dr. Dave Alexander, Expedition 14 lead flight surgeon

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information on the station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

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NASA Announces Teleconference on Shuttle Repair Work

Mar. 19, 2007

Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749

Kyle Herring
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-30

NASA ANNOUNCES TELECONFERENCE ON SHUTTLE REPAIR WORK

WASHINGTON - NASA will host a media teleconference no earlier than 5
p.m. EDT Wednesday, March 21 to discuss the status of space shuttle
Atlantis' upcoming mission, STS-117. The teleconference follows a
meeting to review options to repair the shuttle's external fuel tank,
which was damaged Feb. 26 during a hail storm at NASA's Kennedy Space
Center, Fla.

The briefing participants are:
-- Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator, Space Operations
-- Wayne Hale, manager, Space Shuttle Program
-- John Honeycutt, deputy manager, External Tank Project
-- Mike Leinbach, NASA launch director

To participate, reporters must R.S.V.P. to Katherine Trinidad at
202-358-3749 by 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday. Live audio of the event will be
streamed at:

http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio

For STS-117 crew and mission information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

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NASA Glenn to Test Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle

Mar. 19, 2007

Beth Dickey/J.D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2087/5241

Sallie A. Keith
Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
216-433-5795

Kelly O. Humphries
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-244-5111

RELEASE: 07-69

NASA GLENN TO TEST ORION CREW EXPLORATION VEHICLE

CLEVELAND - NASA's Glenn Research Center will conduct integrated
environmental testing of the Orion crew exploration vehicle in the
Space Power Facility at the center's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky,
Ohio.

The environmental tests are designed to demonstrate the ability of
Orion hardware to meet specified performance requirements in
simulated environmental conditions such as those experienced during
launch, in-orbit operations and re-entry. Thermal, acoustic and
mechanical vibration and electromagnetic compatibility testing will
be conducted on Orion's full assembly. The launch abort system, crew
module, service module and spacecraft adapter will be tested.

The work is valued at approximately $63 million during a five-year
period from 2007 to 2011. During this period, the Space Power
Facility will be augmented with a number of capabilities, including a
new acoustic chamber and a mechanical vibration test stand.
Specialized equipment that will enable electromagnetic test
capabilities also will be added to the thermal vacuum chamber.

"We are pleased to play this essential role in the agency's quest to
develop the next generation of space vehicles," said Glenn Director
Dr. Woodrow Whitlow, Jr. "The Space Power Facility is the world's
largest thermal vacuum chamber. The modifications will enhance this
world-class facility and allow us to make significant contributions
to the development of future space systems."

The Space Power Facility measures 100 feet in diameter by 122 feet in
height. The facility currently can simulate in-space conditions such
as low vacuum environments and temperature extremes. The facility's
wide-ranging capabilities have been used extensively to test rocket
payload fairings; orbital hardware, including International Space
Station systems; and planetary landing and surface systems such as
the Mars Exploration Rover landing systems.

The testing will be performed in support of NASA's Constellation
Program, which is developing spacecraft and other systems to support
NASA's exploration mission to the moon, Mars and other destinations
in the solar system, and its Orion Project Office. Both are located
at NASA's Johnson Space Center in, Houston. Glenn is leading
development of the Orion service module for the Orion Project Office.

For more information about Orion, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/orion

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NASA Extends Contract To Support Science And Mission Operations

March 15, 2007

Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726

Steve Roy
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034

CONTRACT RELEASE: 07-010

NASA EXTENDS CONTRACT TO SUPPORT SCIENCE AND MISSION OPERATIONS

WASHINGTON - NASA has decided to exercise a five-year option with
Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc., Huntsville, Ala., for continued
systems development and operations support for the Science and
Mission Systems Office at the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center,
Huntsville.

The maximum potential value of the cost plus award fee contract,
including the option and incentive fees, is $568 million.

The company will continue to provide NASA payload development,
operations and science technology research. The contract also
provides science, technical and engineering support to investigators
in addition to management and administrative support. The research
will further NASA's science goals by developing, operating and
maintaining facilities and payloads on the International Space
Station and other space vehicles and carriers.

The contract was awarded in 2002 and contained a five-year option
period that NASA could choose to exercise if support was still
required and performance warranted. NASA determined the contract
effort is still required and Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc.,
exhibited outstanding performance.

For more information about NASA programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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First science from the Large Binocular Telescope

First science from the Large Binocular Telescope from PhysOrg.com

An international team headed by University of Notre Dame astrophysicist Peter M. Garnavich has reported the first scientific result from the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). The team imaged a distant “afterglow” of gamma ray burst “070125.”[...]

NASA Recognized for Water Purification and Clean Up Technologies

Mar. 15, 2007

Stephanie Schierholz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4997

Kendra Horn
Space Foundation, Colorado Springs, Colo.
719-576-8000
RELEASE: 07-67

NASA RECOGNIZED FOR WATER PURIFICATION AND CLEAN UP TECHNOLOGIES

WASHINGTON - On April 12, two technologies developed at NASA for
America's space program will be inducted into the Space Foundation's
Space Technology Hall of Fame. NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston,
receives the honor for its development of the Microbial Check Valve
used in water purification. NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Cape
Canaveral, Fla., is recognized for the development of Emulsified
Zero-Valent Iron technology used to clean contaminated ground water.

Michele Brekke, director, Innovative Partnerships Program, Johnson
Space Center, and Dr. David Bartine, director of Applied Technology
at Kennedy Space Center, will accept the awards on behalf of NASA at
the Space Technology Hall of Fame dinner, the closing event of the
Space Foundation's four-day National Space Symposium held in Colorado
Springs, Colo. This is the 19th year the Space Foundation has given
the awards; 54 technologies have been recognized.

The Microbial Check Valve is an integral component for maintaining
safe drinking water in water purification systems now deployed in
rural areas and developing countries around the world. Engineers at
Johnson developed the system to provide microbial control for
drinking water systems for the space shuttle and the International
Space Station. Johnson will join the Water Security Corporation,
Sparks, Nev., and Umpqua Research, Myrtle Creek, Ore., as inductees
for developing the technology.

Retired NASA employee Richard Sauer will receive an individual award
for his work on the Microbial Check Valve while he was the manager of
Shuttle Water Quality at Johnson.

Emulsified Zero-Valent Iron technology is a cost-effective,
environmentally-friendly technology used to clean ground water
contaminated by dense chemical compounds. Engineers at the Kennedy
Space Center developed the technology to clean up pollution caused by
chlorinated solvents used to clean Apollo rocket parts. This
technology is now used at both government and private industry
cleanup sites.

Weston Solutions, West Chester, Pa.; GeoSyntec, Guelph, Ontario,
Canada; and the University of Central Florida, Orlando; also will be
inductees for developing the technology. The Emulsified Zero-Valent
Iron technology also was recognized as NASA's Government Invention of
the Year and Commercial Invention of the Year in 2005.

Dr. Jacqueline W. Quinn, environmental engineer, and Kathleen B.
Brooks, materials scientist, will receive individual awards for their
work at Kennedy on the Emulsified Zero-Valent Iron technology.

The transfer of NASA technology to the private sector is managed
through NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program. To learn more about
the program, visit:

http://www.ipp.nasa.gov

To learn more about NASA and agency programs, visit

www.nasa.gov

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'Software glasses' clarify view of lunar thorium

'Software glasses' clarify view of lunar thorium from PhysOrg.com

Using a novel approach to data analysis, a sharper pair of “software glasses,” scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory are taking a closer look at spectroscopic Moon images to better understand how that body was formed. By perfecting their view of a naturally occurring radioactive element, thorium, Moon researchers can now distinguish details of lunar features that were just “blobs” in the earlier imagery.[...]

Ice on Mars' South Pole Is Deep and Wide

Mar. 15, 2007

Dwayne Brown/Tabatha Thompson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726/3895

Guy Webster
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-6278

ESA Media Relations Office
European Space Agency, Paris
+33-1-53-69-7155

RELEASE: 07-68

ICE ON MARS' SOUTH POLE IS DEEP AND WIDE

Pasadena, Calif. - New measurements of Mars' south polar region
indicate extensive frozen water. The polar region contains enough
frozen water to cover the whole planet in a liquid layer
approximately 36 feet deep. A joint NASA-Italian Space Agency
instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft
provided these data.

This new estimate comes from mapping the thickness of the ice. The
Mars Express orbiter's radar instrument has made more than 300
virtual slices through layered deposits covering the pole to map the
ice. The radar sees through icy layers to the lower boundary, which
is as deep as 2.3 miles below the surface.

"The south polar layered deposits of Mars cover an area bigger than
Texas. The amount of water they contain has been estimated before,
but never with the level of confidence this radar makes possible,"
said Jeffrey Plaut of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL),
Pasadena Calif. Plaut is co-principal investigator for the radar and
lead author of a new report on these findings published in the March
15 online edition of the journal Science.

The instrument, named the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and
Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS), also is mapping the thickness of
similar layered deposits at the north pole of Mars.

"Our radar is doing its job extremely well," said Giovanni Picardi, a
professor at the University of Rome "La Sapienza," and principal
investigator for the instrument.

"MARSIS is showing itself to be a very powerful tool to probe
underneath the Martian surface, and it's showing how our team's
goals,such as probing the polar layered deposits, are being
successfully achieved," Picardi said. "Not only is MARSIS providing
us with the first-ever views of Mars subsurface at those depths, but
the details we are seeing are truly amazing. We expect even greater
results when we have concluded an ongoing, sophisticated fine-tuning
of our data processing methods. These should enable us to understand
even better the surface and subsurface composition."

Polar layered deposits hold most of the known water on modern Mars,
though other areas of the planet appear to have been very wet at
times in the past. Understanding the history and fate of water on
Mars is a key to studying whether Mars has ever supported life, since
all known life depends on liquid water.

The polar layered deposits extend beyond and beneath a polar cap of
bright-white frozen carbon dioxide and water at Mars' south pole.
Dust darkens many of the layers. However, the strength of the echo
that the radar receives from the rocky surface underneath the layered
deposits suggests the composition of the layered deposits is at least
90 percent frozen water. One area with an especially bright
reflection from the base of the deposits puzzles researchers. It
resembles what a thin layer of liquid water might look like to the
radar instrument, but the conditions are so cold that the presence of
melted water is deemed highly unlikely.

Detecting the shape of the ground surface beneath the ice deposits
provides information about even deeper structures of Mars. "We didn't
really know where the bottom of the deposit was," Plaut said. "Now we
can see that the crust has not been depressed by the weight of the
ice as it would be on the Earth. The crust and upper mantle of Mars
are stiffer than the Earth's, probably because the interior of Mars
is so much colder."

The MARSIS instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express
orbiter was developed jointly by the Italian Space Agency and NASA,
under the scientific supervision of the University of Rome "La
Sapienza," in partnership with JPL and the University of Iowa, Iowa
City. JPL, Pasadena, Calif., manages NASA's roles in Mars Express for
the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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Mars Express radar gauges water quantity around Mars south pole

Mars Express radar gauges water quantity around Mars south pole from PhysOrg.com

The amount of water trapped in frozen layers over Mars' south polar region is equivalent to a liquid layer about 11 metres deep covering the planet.[...]

NASA Space Station Module in Perfect "Harmony" With New Name

Mar. 15, 2007

Allard Beutel/Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4769/1761

Tracy Young
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468

Lynnette Madison
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

RELEASE: 07-65

NASA SPACE STATION MODULE IN PERFECT "HARMONY" WITH NEW NAME

Ever since it was designed for the International Space Station, it has
been known as the Node 2 module. Now thanks to students from across
the United States, Node 2 also will be known as "Harmony."

At an event Thursday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., NASA
announced the new name. Harmony is being prepared at Kennedy for its
space shuttle Atlantis flight, designated STS-120, targeted for
launch in 2007. Members of the STS-120 crew and managers who are
preparing Harmony for launch took part in the naming event.

The name was chosen from an academic competition involving more than
2,200 kindergarten through high school students from 32 states. The
Node 2 Challenge required students to learn about the space station,
build a scale model and write an essay explaining their proposed name
for the module that will serve as a central hub for science labs.

"With this competition and similar ones, NASA continues its tradition
of investing and engaging in the nation's education programs. These
types of academic competitions involve students, educators, families
and the general public and help them participate in our nation's
space exploration program," said Joyce Winterton, assistant
administrator for Education.

Six different schools submitted "Harmony." A panel of NASA educators,
engineers, scientists and senior agency management selected "Harmony"
because the name symbolizes the spirit of international cooperation
embodied by the space station, as well as the module's specific role
in connecting the international partner modules.

The winning schools are:
-- Paul Cummins' 8th Grade class at Browne Academy, Alexandria, Va.
-- Sue Wilson's 3rd grade class at Buchanan Elementary School, Baton
Rouge, La.
-- Brigette Berry's 8th grade class at League City Intermediate
School, League City, Texas
-- Bradley Neu's 9th grade science class at Lubbock High School,
Lubbock, Texas
-- Yocum Russell's 3rd Grade class at West Navarre Intermediate
School, Navarre, Fla.
-- David Dexheimer's students at the World Group Home School, Monona,
Wis.

Harmony was built for NASA in Europe. It is approximately 21 feet long
and 14 feet in diameter. The pressurized module will act as an
internal connecting port and passageway to additional international
science labs and cargo spacecraft. In addition to increasing the
living and working space inside the station, it also will serve as a
work platform outside for the station's robotic arm.

"This module will allow all international partner pieces of the
station to connect together, so it's really wonderful that kids
recognize that harmony is necessary for space cooperation," said Bill
Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations.

Harmony joins three other named U.S. modules on the station: the
Destiny laboratory, the Quest airlock and the Unity node. This is the
first U.S. piece of the space station named by people outside of
NASA.

Using space shuttles to finish construction of the International Space
Station is a key step in America's long-term exploration strategy,
which includes plans to venture beyond Earth orbit for purposes of
human exploration and scientific discovery. The space station is a
crucial test bed for those future exploration missions.

Video of the name announcement event will air on NASA Television's
Video File. For NASA TV downlink, streaming video and scheduling
information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the Node 2 Challenge, visit the NASA
Exploring Space Challenges Web site:

http://esc.nasa.gov/

For more information on the station and the Harmony module, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

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NASA, AOL, Mad Science Host the Space Pennant Design Challenge

Mar. 14, 2007

Sonja Alexander/Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1761/3749

Sandra Correa
AOL, LLC, New York
212-652-6366
RELEASE: 07-66

NASA, AOL, MAD SCIENCE HOST THE SPACE PENNANT DESIGN CHALLENGE

WASHINGTON - For some scientists and engineers, designing something
that flies in space might be the pinnacle of a career. NASA now is
offering that opportunity to grade school students. NASA, AOL's Kids
Service KOL and Mad Science are teaming up for the NASA Space Pennant
Design Challenge, which begins Thursday, March 15. Students will
design pennants based on either the upcoming STS-118 shuttle flight
or America's long-term exploration strategy, known as the Vision for
Space Exploration. The winning design will fly on the shuttle
Endeavour during the STS-118 mission, targeted for launch in summer
2007.

Students need more than just a creative design for their pennants.
They must research their topic, apply what they learn, and write an
explanation of their design and how the pennant incorporates their
knowledge about STS-118 or the Vision for Space Exploration.

Entries may be submitted online or through the mail. The deadline for
entries is Tuesday, April 10. Ten semifinalists will be chosen in
each of three age groups: 6-8, 9-10 and 11-12. Judges from NASA, KOL
and Mad Science will then select two finalists from each group. On
May 3, those six finalists will be announced, and one overall winner
will be selected through online voting.

The STS-118 mission will be the first flight of an educator astronaut
and an important step in the ongoing assembly of the International
Space Station. The Vision for Space Exploration is the program that
will see humans return to the moon then travel to Mars and beyond.
Through the process of designing a pennant, students have the
opportunity to learn about the requirements of spaceflight and the
science surrounding NASA's programs while gaining a lasting
understanding about the importance of space exploration.

The grand prize will include a trip to the STS-118 launch for the
student and a parent or guardian. Each of the six finalists will
receive an autographed picture of the STS-118 shuttle crew, and an
online NASA game will use their pennant design. A NASA Space Day,
featuring a speaker from the agency, will be held at the finalists'
schools. The schools also will receive NASA education resources,
including seeds that have flown in space. All students who submit
entries will receive certificates of participation.

Through the NASA Space Pennant Design Challenge, NASA continues its
tradition of investing in the nation's education. To compete
effectively for the minds, imaginations and career ambitions of
America's young people, NASA is focused on engaging and retaining
students in education efforts that encourage their pursuit of
disciplines critical to NASA's future engineering, scientific and
technical missions.

For more information about the challenge, visit:

http://www.kolexpeditions.com

For details on the STS-118 mission and its crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/sts118

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NASA Science Update to Discuss New Phenomena on the Sun

Mar. 14, 2007

Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726

Steve Roy
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034

MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-29

NASA SCIENCE UPDATE TO DISCUSS NEW PHENOMENA ON THE SUN

WASHINGTON - A NASA Science Update at 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday, March 21
will be held to discuss never-before-seen observations from an
international mission studying the sun. The briefing will take place
in the NASA Headquarters auditorium, 300 E Street, S.W., Washington.
It will air live on NASA Television and www.nasa.gov.

The Hinode spacecraft, Japanese for "sunrise," launched in September
2006 to study the sun's magnetic field and how its explosive energy
propagates through the different layers of the solar atmosphere. The
spacecraft was known previously as Solar B.

Panelists will be:
-- Richard Fisher, director, Heliophysics Division, NASA Headquarters
-- Alan Title, senior fellow, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology
Center, Palo Alto, Calif., and consulting professor of Physics,
Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.
-- Leon Golub, senior astrophysicist, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for
Astrophysics, Cambridge, Mass.
-- Judith Karpen, research astrophysicist, Naval Research Laboratory,
Washington

Panelists will answer questions from journalists at participating NASA
locations. Reporters should call their preferred field center to
confirm participation availability.

For more information about Hinode, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/solar-b

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

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Solar Plane to Fly Continuously Around Mars

Solar Plane to Fly Continuously Around Mars from PhysOrg.com

Sky-Sailor, the working dream of a solar-powered, autonomously-controlled microairplane, has exciting implications in two areas: one on the technological advances of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs); and another on exploring the lower atmosphere of Mars. Scientists André Noth, Walter Engel and Roland Siegwart of the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems in Switzerland believe that Sky-Sailor will reach the inner orbit of Mars within a decade or two, depending on advancements in technology.[...]

Cassini Spacecraft Images Seas on Saturn's Moon Titan

Mar. 13, 2007

Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726

Carolina Martinez
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-9382

RELEASE: 07-64

CASSINI SPACECRAFT IMAGES SEAS ON SATURN'S MOON TITAN

Pasadena, Calif. - Instruments on NASA's Cassini spacecraft have found
evidence for seas, likely filled with liquid methane or ethane, in
the high northern latitudes of Saturn's moon Titan. One such feature
is larger than any of the Great Lakes of North America and is about
the same size as several seas on Earth.

Cassini's radar instrument imaged several very dark features near
Titan's north pole. Much larger than similar features seen before on
Titan, the largest dark feature measures at least 39,000 square
miles. Since the radar has caught only a portion of each of these
features, only their minimum size is known. Titan is the second
largest moon in the solar system and is about 50 percent larger than
Earth's moon.

"We've long hypothesized about oceans on Titan and now with multiple
instruments we have a first indication of seas that dwarf the lakes
seen previously," said Dr. Jonathan Lunine, Cassini interdisciplinary
scientist at the University of Arizona, Tucson.

While there is no definitive proof yet that these seas contain liquid,
their shape, their dark appearance in radar that indicates smoothness
and their other properties point to the presence of liquids. The
liquids are probably a combination of methane and ethane, given the
conditions on Titan and the abundance of methane and ethane gases and
clouds in Titan's atmosphere.

Cassini's visual and infrared mapping spectrometer also captured a
view of the region, and the team is working to determine the
composition of the material contained within these features to test
the hypothesis that they are liquid-filled.

The imaging cameras, which provide a global view of Titan, have imaged
a much larger, irregular dark feature. The northern end of their
image corresponds to one of the radar-imaged seas. The dark area
stretches for more than 620 miles in the image, down to 55 degrees
north latitude. If the entire dark area is liquid-filled, it would be
only slightly smaller than Earth's Caspian Sea. The radar data show
details at the northern end of the dark feature similar to those seen
in earlier radar observations of much smaller liquid-filled lakes.
However, to determine if the entire dark feature is a liquid-filled
basin will require investigation through additional radar flyovers
later in the mission.

The presence of these seas reinforces the current thinking that
Titan's surface must be resupplying methane to its atmosphere, the
original motivation almost a quarter century ago for the theoretical
speculation of a global ocean on Titan.

Cassini's instruments are peeling back the haze that shrouds Titan,
showing high northern latitudes dotted with seas hundreds of miles
across, and hundreds of smaller lakes that vary from several to tens
of miles.

Due to the new discoveries, team members are repointing Cassini's
radar instrument during a May flyby so it can pass directly over the
dark areas imaged by the cameras.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the
European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif., manages the
Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate,
Washington. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled
at JPL.

For images and more information visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/cassini

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Spacecraft to Study Clouds at Edge of Space Arrives at Vandenberg

Mar. 12, 2007

Dwayne Brown/Tabatha Thompson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726/3895

Cynthia O'Carroll
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-4647

George Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468

RELEASE: 07-62

SPACECRAFT TO STUDY CLOUDS AT EDGE OF SPACE ARRIVES AT VANDENBERG

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - NASA's Aeronomy of Ice in the
Mesosphere (AIM) spacecraft arrived Saturday at Vandenberg Air Force
Base, Calif., for a targeted April 25 launch aboard a Pegasus XL
rocket.

The AIM spacecraft will fly three instruments designed to study polar
mesospheric clouds located at the edge of space, 50 miles above the
Earth's surface in the coldest part of the planet's atmosphere. The
mission's primary goal is to explain why these clouds form and what
has caused them to become brighter and more numerous and appear at
lower latitudes in recent years. AIM's results will provide the basis
for the study of long-term variability in the mesospheric climate and
its relationship to global climate change.

Mating of the three stages of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL has been
underway at Vandenberg. The AIM spacecraft now joins the Pegasus
rocket at the facility. AIM will undergo a series of readiness tests
to verify its state of health, and the instruments will be cleaned
and calibrated. Technicians also will partially deploy the craft's
solar arrays for illumination testing.

AIM is scheduled to be mated to the Pegasus XL during the second week
of April, after which final inspections will be conducted.
Approximately one week later, after the test team performs a launch
countdown rehearsal and flight simulation, the payload fairing will
be installed around the spacecraft.

Two days before launch, the Pegasus rocket with the AIM spacecraft
will be transported to the Vandenberg runway where it will be
attached beneath the Orbital Sciences L-1011 carrier aircraft.

NASA's Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., is
managing the AIM launch, and Orbital Sciences Corporation is
conducting launch services.

AIM is the seventh Small Explorers mission under NASA's Explorer
Program. The program provides frequent flight opportunities for
world-class scientific investigations from space within heliophysics
and astrophysics. The Explorers Program Office at Goddard Space
Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., manages this NASA-funded mission. The
Center for Atmospheric Sciences at Hampton University, Hampton, Va.,
leads the mission. The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
at the University of Colorado, Boulder, built two of the spacecraft's
three instruments, manages the mission and will control the satellite
after launch. The Space Dynamics Laboratory of Utah State University,
Logan, built the third instrument. Orbital Sciences Corporation,
Dulles, Va., designed, manufactured and tested the AIM spacecraft.

For more information about NASA and the AIM program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/aim

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International Space Station Module From Japan Arrives at NASA

Mar. 12, 2007

John Yembrick
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0602

Tracy Young
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468

Lynnette Madison
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

RELEASE: 07-63

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION MODULE FROM JAPAN ARRIVES AT NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - After traveling thousands of miles, a major
component of the International Space Station is set to begin
preparations for launch. The Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized
Section for the Japanese Experiment Module arrived at NASA's Kennedy
Space Center in Florida early Monday, March 12. The Japanese
Experiment Module is composed of three segments and is known as Kibo,
which means "hope" in Japanese.

Kibo is Japan's first human space facility and its primary
contribution to the station. It will enhance the unique research
capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional
environment in which astronauts can conduct science experiments. The
Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section will serve as an
on-orbit storage area for materials, tools and supplies. It can hold
up to eight experiment racks and will attach to the top of another
larger pressurized module.

The ship carrying the module departed Feb. 7 from Yokohama, Japan, for
the United States. Kibo's various components will be assembled in
space during the course of three shuttle missions. The first of those
three missions, STS-123, will carry the Experiment Logistics Module
Pressurized Section aboard the space shuttle Endeavour, targeted for
launch in 2007.

For more information about the station and Kibo, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

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NASA to Announce Winner of Space Station Student Naming Contest

Mar. 8, 2007

Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4769

Tracy Young
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468

MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-12

NASA TO ANNOUNCE WINNER OF SPACE STATION STUDENT NAMING CONTEST

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's newest module for the International
Space Station is about to be given a new name. NASA's Kennedy Space
Center hosts a media event on Thursday, March 15, at noon EDT to
unveil the Node 2 module's new name.

The name was chosen from an academic competition involving thousands
of students in kindergarten through high school. The Node 2 Challenge
required students to learn about the International Space Station,
build a scale model of the module, and write an essay explaining
their proposed name. This will be the first U.S. piece of the space
station named by someone other than a NASA official.

Media planning to attend the event should arrive at Kennedy's Press
Site by 11 a.m. for transportation to the Space Station Processing
Facility. Node 2 is being prepared there for its space shuttle
Atlantis flight, designated STS-120, which is targeted for launch
later this year. Media without permanent Kennedy credentials should
submit their request online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

During the event, STS-120 astronauts and NASA and Boeing managers will
be available to discuss Node 2 and answer questions. The station
processing facility is an operational area. All event participants
must dress in full-length pants, flat shoes that entirely cover the
feet and shirts with sleeves.

Video of the event will air on NASA Television's Video File segment.
For NASA TV downlink, streaming video and scheduling information,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Node 2 is a pressurized module that will act as a connecting port and
passageway to additional international science labs and supply
spacecraft. It also will be a work platform for the station's robotic
arm. For more information on the station and Node 2, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

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NASA Ames to Host International Space University Summer Session

Mar. 7, 2007

Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1761

Michael Mewhinney
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
650-604-3937/9000

Caroline Ritter
International Space University, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
+03-88-65-54-55

RELEASE: 07-61

NASA AMES TO HOST INTERNATIONAL SPACE UNIVERSITY SUMMER SESSION

MOFFET FIELD, Calif. - NASA announced on Wednesday that the
International Space University Summer Session Program in 2009 will be
held at the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

Key factors in the center's selection were Ames' location in Silicon
Valley, its world-class scientists and its ongoing collaborations
with academia and the entrepreneurial space community.

"Our Ames Research Center location will provide the International
Space University's diverse student body a rich interdisciplinary
curriculum along with the mentorship of NASA's scientists, engineers,
and researchers, as well as our academic and industry partners," said
NASA's Assistant Administrator of Education Joyce Winterton.

The International Space University was established in 1987 as an
institution founded on the vision of a peaceful, prosperous and
boundless future through the study, exploration and development of
space for the benefit of all humanity. The summer session program is
an intense nine-week course for postgraduate students and young
professionals.

"This is the first time in the program's history that this prestigious
summer session will be held at a NASA center, and I'm very proud that
we will have a key role in developing future leaders in the global
space community," said Ames Research Center Director S. Pete Worden.

"The selection of NASA Ames Research Center as the site for Summer
Session Program 2009 is all the more noteworthy since the competition
presented the largest selection of outstanding proposals in the
20-year history of the International Space University. We have no
doubt that the students who attend Summer Session Program 2009 will
be accelerated on their way to becoming leaders in the space sector,"
said Dr. Michael Simpson, president of the International Space
University.

Approximately 120 students from all over the world will participate in
the summer session. An international cadre of distinguished
professors will teach the classes. The curriculum covers the major
space-related fields, both technical and non-technical, and ranges
from engineering, physical sciences and satellite applications to
life sciences, policy, management and humanities. The summer session
runs from mid-June to August 2009.

With this program, NASA continues its investment in the nation's
education programs to strengthen the future workforce of NASA and the
nation. Through this and the agency's other college and university
programs, NASA will identify and develop the critical skills and
capabilities needed to achieve the Vision for Space Exploration.

For more information about the International Space University, visit:

http://www.isunet.edu

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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Statement Regarding the Status of Lisa Nowak

Mar. 7, 2007

David Mould/Bob Jacobs
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1898/1600

Eileen Hawley/James Rostohar
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

RELEASE: 07-26

STATEMENT REGARDING THE STATUS OF LISA NOWAK

HOUSTON - U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak's detail as a NASA astronaut has
been terminated, effective March 8, by mutual agreement between NASA
and the U.S. Navy.

Nowak, an active duty naval officer, began her detail with NASA
following selection as a member of the astronaut class of 1996. She
flew one mission, STS-121 in 2006.

NASA requested an end to the detail because the agency lacks the
administrative means to deal appropriately with the criminal charges
pending against Nowak. Because Nowak is a naval officer on assignment
to NASA, rather than a NASA civil servant, she is not subject to
administrative action by NASA.

Nowak will receive her next assignment from the U.S. Navy.

NASA's decision to terminate Nowak's detail does not reflect any
position by NASA on the criminal charges pending in Florida.

Further inquiries concerning Nowak's status and activities should be
directed to the chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs, (703)
614-2000.

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NASA to Explore Future Collaborations With State of Hawaii

Mar. 7, 2007

Michael Mewhinney
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
650-604-3937/9000

RELEASE: 07-27

NASA TO EXPLORE FUTURE COLLABORATIONS WITH STATE OF HAWAII

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. - NASA officials announced Wednesday they have
agreed to explore future collaborations with the state of Hawaii in
commercial space initiatives and programs supporting research,
education and workforce development.

Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding signed today in
Hawaii, NASA Ames Research Center will explore opportunities for
future collaborations with the state of Hawaii in support of the
Vision for Space Exploration, NASA's plan to return humans to the
moon and later travel to Mars.

"This agreement with the state of Hawaii is another exciting
opportunity for NASA to work with a partner in support of the
agency's exploration, science and aeronautics mission goals," said S.
Pete Worden, director of NASA Ames Research Center.

"We are excited to partner with NASA to collaborate on future space
exploration," said Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle, who signed the agreement
with Worden during a signing ceremony in the Executive Chambers at
the Hawaii State Capitol. "We are looking forward to future
collaborations with NASA to develop innovative opportunities in
aerospace-related fields that capitalize on Hawaii's science and
technology resources and capabilities."

The agreement with the state of Hawaii was negotiated through NASA's
Space Portal, a newly formed organization in NASA Research Park at
Ames that seeks to engage new partnerships with NASA to promote the
development of commercial space exploration.

The memorandum of understanding will be in effect for two years and
stipulates that neither NASA nor the state of Hawaii will be required
to pay any fees or provide funds to support the areas of
collaboration.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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NASA and USGS Produce Most Detailed Satellite Views of Antarctica

Mar. 7, 2007

Tabatha Thompson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3895

Lynn Chandler
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-2806

RELEASE: 07-59

NASA AND USGS PRODUCE MOST DETAILED SATELLITE VIEWS OF ANTARCTICA

GREENBELT, Md. - Researchers from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS), Golden, Colo., have woven together more than a thousand
images from the Landsat 7 satellite to create the most detailed,
high-resolution map ever produced of Antarctica. The Landsat Image
Mosaic of Antarctica (LIMA) offers views of the coldest continent on
Earth in 10 times greater detail than previously possible.

"These images give us incredibly detailed views of the Antarctic ice
sheet surface and serve as maps for many locations that have never
been mapped before," said Robert Bindschadler, chief scientist of the
Laboratory for Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences at NASA's Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Bindschadler oversaw the
selection of the scenes used to create the mosaic.

Researchers at NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the British
Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, England, have launched a Web site with
support from the National Science Foundation to offer public access
to the image mosaic. This site contains original images and close-ups
of various areas of Antarctica, all available for download. The
research group will continue to release images through this summer.

"The resolution sensitivity of the Landsat sensor is well beyond that
of even the most state-of-the-art digital camera," Bindschadler said.
"It's able to record subtle variations in the ice sheet's surface
that tell us more about ice sheet features, the flow of the ice sheet
and changes in the ice sheet's surface."

According to Bindschadler, researchers will have special interest in
the new ability to zoom in on areas like Antarctica's dry valleys
that lie between the ice sheets. To date, only aerial images of these
locations were possible. The carefully collaged images that compose
LIMA now provide clear, high-resolution images.

Through special processing of images captured by Landsat 7's Enhanced
Thematic Mapper Plus sensor, scientists were able to produce a true
color, nearly cloud-free view of Antarctica. For the process,
researchers use specialized software to stack several images of
various Antarctic locations to create one larger image. The
researchers also arranged the images on top of one another in a
sequence that allows clear views to the surface, removing the effects
of clouds contained in some images.

"Having this capability is quite exciting. Using the Web portal,
scientists as well as students, teachers and others will be able to
zoom in to a specific Antarctic region and adjust for various levels
of detail," said Bindschadler. "This will be like having a room with
a tremendous view, a detailed view from space aboard Landsat to peer
down as if you were just above the ice sheet's surface."

LIMA is one of more than 228 projects funded in conjunction with the
International Polar Year, an initiative 63 cooperating countries
launched in March to improve scientific understanding of Earth's
polar regions.

The U.S. Geological Survey manages the NASA-designed Earth-observing
satellites of the Landsat Program, first launched in 1972. During the
past three decades, Landsat sensors have captured two million
high-resolution digital photographs of Earth's continents and
surrounding coastal regions, enabling scientists to study various
aspects of the planet.

To view LIMA images on the Antarctic Portal, visit:

http://lima.usgs.gov

For more information about Landsat, visit:

http://landsat.usgs.gov

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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