25 Schools Join Unique Partnership With NASA

May 11, 2007

Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1761

Debbie V. Nguyen
Jonson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

RELEASE: 07-113

25 SCHOOLS JOIN UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP WITH NASA

HOUSTON - On Friday, NASA will name 25 new NASA Explorer School teams
nationwide to begin a special three-year partnership with the agency.
The announcement is part of a program on NASA Television's digital
Education channel at 12 p.m. CDT.

The goal of the NASA Explorer School program is to use NASA's unique
missions to inspire student learning in science, technology,
engineering, mathematics, and geography.

"NASA is committed to encouraging and working closely with our schools
to foster learning opportunities that highlight innovative science
and mathematic instruction," said Joyce Winterton, NASA associate
administrator for Education, Headquarters, Washington. "Many of the
students in the program today will join us and our many partners as
the scientists, engineers, explorers and researchers of tomorrow."

Each school team will develop a strategic plan to address its
students' needs in mathematics, science and technology education.
Schools also may apply for technology grants of up to $17,500 over
the three-year period to help implement their plans.

The NASA Explorer School Program began in 2003 in collaboration with
the National Science Teachers Association, Arlington, Va. The program
targets fourth through ninth grades. Currently, 200 teams are in the
program. The teams represent all 50 states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The program supports NASA's tradition of investing in the nation's
education programs. It is directly tied to the agency's major
education goal of attracting and retaining students in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, disciplines. To
compete effectively for the minds, imaginations and career ambitions
of America's young people, NASA is focused on engaging and retaining
students in STEM education programs to encourage their pursuit of
educational disciplines critical to NASA's future engineering,
scientific and technical missions.

For television downlink and scheduling information and links to
Internet streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about NASA's education programs, visit:

www.nasa.gov/education

-end-

To subscribe to the list, send a message to:
hqnews-subscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov
To remove your address from the list, send a message to:
hqnews-unsubscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov

NASA's SOFIA to be Rededicated on Historic Lindbergh Anniversary

May 11, 2007

Grey Hautaluoma
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668

Beth Hagenauer
Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.
661-276-7960/3449

MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-52

NASA'S SOFIA TO BE REDEDICATED ON HISTORIC LINDBERGH ANNIVERSARY

WACO, Texas - On May 21, Charles Lindbergh's grandson Erik will help
NASA dedicate a special 747 astronomy aircraft to the trailblazing
aviator. May 21 is the 80th anniversary of Lindbergh's historic solo
New York-to-Paris flight. The ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. CDT,
at the Texas State Technical College Airport in Waco.

The unique Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA,
incorporates a 98.4 inch infrared telescope mounted in a highly
modified Boeing 747SP aircraft. The airborne observatory is a
partnership between NASA and the German Aerospace Center. Lindbergh's
grandson will rededicate the aircraft, called "Clipper Lindbergh,"
during the event. Lindbergh recreated his grandfather's solo
transatlantic crossing in 2002. Along with program managers and
scientists, he will be available for live video interviews at the
SOFIA aircraft.

The SOFIA 747 was originally christened by Anne Morrow Lindbergh,
widow of the famous aviator, when it began service as an airliner in
1977. The plane has a 16-foot-high door in the aft fuselage that will
open, allowing the 45,000-pound telescope to capture astronomical
data in the infrared spectrum at altitudes that could exceed 40,000
feet. By flying above 90 percent of the Earth's atmospheric water
vapor, SOFIA will significantly exceed the capabilities of infrared
observatories on Earth.

News media wishing to attend the event must request accreditation by
May 16 from the public affairs office at NASA Dryden Flight Research
Center, Edwards, Calif. Reporters should submit their full name,
media affiliation, date and place of birth, and telephone number.
Requests on company letterhead may be faxed to 661-276-3088 or
e-mailed to beth.hagenauer-1@nasa.gov. Information also may be
submitted by telephone to 661-276-7960 or 661-276-3449. For more
information about SOFIA, visit:

http://www.sofia.usra.edu/

-end-

To subscribe to the list, send a message to:
hqnews-subscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov
To remove your address from the list, send a message to:
hqnews-unsubscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov

NASA TV Broadcasts Cargo Ship Arrival to Space Station

May 11, 2007

Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749

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

MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-53

NASA TV BROADCASTS CARGO SHIP ARRIVAL TO SPACE STATION

HOUSTON - A cargo ship with more than two tons of supplies for the
International Space Station will launch Friday night from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor
Yurchikhin and flight engineers Oleg Kotov and Suni Williams will
receive the shipment of food, fuel and supplies on Tuesday, May 15.

NASA TV will not broadcast the launch of the unpiloted Progress 25
spacecraft but will broadcast its arrival at the International Space
Station. NASA TV coverage will begin at 11:30 p.m. CDT, May 14. The
Progress is scheduled to dock automatically to the Zvezda Service
Module of the station at 12:10 a.m.

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

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information on the space station and the expedition crews,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

To subscribe to the list, send a message to:
hqnews-subscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov
To remove your address from the list, send a message to:
hqnews-unsubscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov

NASA Completes Constellation Ground Operations Review

May 11, 2007

Beth Dickey/Melissa Mathews
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2087/1272

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

RELEASE: 07-112

NASA COMPLETES CONSTELLATION GROUND OPERATIONS REVIEW

WASHINGTON - NASA has established a requirements baseline for ground
systems to be developed in support of the Constellation Program. The
systems requirements review was conducted at NASA's Kennedy Space
Center in Florida on May 5.

"Completion of the systems requirements review marks a major milestone
in executing the development of ground systems, as well as operations
strategies to support the next generation of space vehicles," said
Tip Talone, Constellation's Ground Operations Project manager at
Kennedy. The space center will be the launch site for future missions
to low Earth orbit, the moon and other destinations in the solar
system.

The review was an in-depth look at the basic capabilities necessary to
support space vehicle integration and ground processing; launch
processing infrastructure, including the vehicle assembly building,
launch pads and launch control center; launch vehicle protection
systems; launch checkout and control; crew safety and emergency
egress; and fault tolerance requirements for the systems. Agency and
contractor engineers from across the country reviewed the
requirements. The requirements will be applied to all launch, landing
and recovery activities for the Orion crew exploration vehicle, Ares
I crew launch vehicle and Ares V cargo launch vehicle.

The ground operations team established plans for ensuring the
requirements will be clearly communicated to hardware developers so
the systems developed will comply with all relevant agency program
and project requirements.

After completion of all project-level reviews, the Constellation
Program plans an integrated review in late May to update and
synchronize all Constellation Program baseline requirements. For more
information about NASA's Constellation Program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/constellation

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

-end-

To subscribe to the list, send a message to:
hqnews-subscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov
To remove your address from the list, send a message to:
hqnews-unsubscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov

NASA Updates Plans for Hubble 'Ring Of Dark Matter' Briefing

May 10, 2007

Grey Hautaluoma
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668

Susan Hendrix
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-7745

Ray Villard
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore
410-338-4514

MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-51a

NASA UPDATES PLANS FOR HUBBLE 'RING OF DARK MATTER' BRIEFING

GREENBELT, Md. - NASA will hold a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT
on May 15 to discuss the strongest evidence to date that dark matter
exists. This evidence was found in a ghostly ring of dark matter in
the cluster CL0024+17, discovered using NASA's Hubble Space
Telescope. The ring is the first detection of dark matter with a
unique structure different from the distribution of both the galaxies
and the hot gas in the cluster. The discovery will be featured in the
June 20 issue of the Astrophysical Journal.

Briefing participants are:
-- Dr. Myungkook James Jee, associate research scientist, Johns
Hopkins University, Baltimore
-- Dr. Richard White, astronomer, Space Telescope Science Institute,
Baltimore
-- Dr. Richard Massey, postdoctoral scholar, California Institute of
Technology, Pasadena
Reporters should contact Ray Villard at the Space Telescope Science
Institute at 410-338-4514 prior to the media teleconference for the
call in number and passcode. Audio for the briefing will stream live
on the Internet at:

http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio

At the start of the briefing, images and supporting graphics will be
posted on the Web at:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/news/dark_matter_ring.html

For more information about the Hubble Space Telescope, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/hubble

-end-

To subscribe to the list, send a message to:
hqnews-subscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov
To remove your address from the list, send a message to:
hqnews-unsubscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov

Back to the Future - NASA Style

May 10, 2007

Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4769

Lindsay Crouch
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
757-864-3189

Kevin Crossett
Jamestown 2007, Wiliamsburg, Va.
757-253-4534

RELEASE: 07-111

BACK TO THE FUTURE - NASA STYLE

JAMESTOWN, Va. - What do Captain John Smith and Space Shuttle
Commander Rick Sturckow have in common? Or Pocahontas and NASA
astronaut Suni Williams? These explorers may be separated by 400
years, but they share the same spirit of adventure and discovery.

As an official partner with the Jamestown 2007 Commemoration
Commission, NASA will demonstrate this connection to the thousands of
visitors to Jamestown, Va., May 11 - 13 for America's Anniversary
Weekend.

Sunday, May 13, will be a highlight of the weekend with a visit from
President George W. Bush. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin will
introduce a special message from the crew of the International Space
Station, which includes Williams, during the president's visit.

NASA will debut an interactive exhibit that highlights the connections
between settlers in Virginia almost 400 years ago and NASA's plans to
explore space and establish a presence on other worlds. This exhibit
gives visitors the chance to make a personalized "Space Postcard;" be
photographed as an astronaut or settler; and win prizes for
participating in a NASA trivia game.

America's long-term exploration policy, the Vision for Space
Exploration, is working to return humans to the moon and develop the
tools needed to further explore Earth, the moon, Mars and beyond. The
road to discovery, much like the path to Jamestown, involves
searching for water, accommodating human needs, developing new forms
of transportation and establishing a settlement or space colony.
These four themes will be demonstrated through interactive displays
and hands-on activities in the NASA exhibit.

America's Anniversary Weekend is the national observance of the 400th
anniversary of the founding of Jamestown - the first permanent
English colony in America. The weekend will feature historical
interpretations, demonstrations, musical performances and educational
displays.

In June, a little piece of history will hitch a ride on space shuttle
Atlantis during its next mission, targeted for launch on June 8. A
lead cargo tag, dating back to the 1600s, is tucked inside a box in
the shuttle's middeck. The tag is the only thing found in 13 years by
the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities
archeological digs at Jamestown Island that contains the word "Yames
Towne" on it. The tag's trip celebrates the link between explorers
past and present.

For details on America's Anniversary Weekend, visit:

http://www.Americas400thAnniversary.com

For more information on NASA, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

-end-

To subscribe to the list, send a message to:
hqnews-subscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov
To remove your address from the list, send a message to:
hqnews-unsubscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov

High School Winners Chosen in NASA Aeronautics Essay Contest

May 10, 2007

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

Kathy Barnstorff
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
757-864-9886

RELEASE: 07-110

HIGH SCHOOL WINNERS CHOSEN IN NASA AERONAUTICS ESSAY CONTEST

HAMPTON, Va. - NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate has
identified the winners of its high school contest to describe "Air
Transportation in 2057." Sarah Vaden from Roanoke Valley Governor's
School in Roanoke, Va., and Emma Peterson from Burnsview Secondary
School in Delta, British Columbia, won top prizes for their essays on
the theme.

Teens from across the United States and six foreign countries
submitted 88 essays in four categories: U.S. individual, U.S. team,
international individual and international team. In all, 14 teams and
75 individual students submitted essays to NASA's Fundamental
Aeronautics Program, which sponsored the contest. The top U.S. team
was Tyler Pennington, Morgan Harless, and Jared Hagan from Linwood
Holton Governor's School in Abingdon, Va. The top international team
was Nombuso Ndlovu, Shoki Kobe, and Lerato Mthembu from the Lotus
Hardens High School in Pretoria, South Africa.

"I wish I had been that articulate in high school," said Juan Alonso,
director of NASA's Fundamental Aeronautics Program, NASA
Headquarters, Washington. "What's particularly gratifying is that
many of the students said they were interested in working for NASA in
the future. And now we've learned that South Africa has just
designated the aeronautics contest the official international section
of their aviation science program, which will allow even more schools
to participate."

NASA will award the top scoring essays from the United States with a
trophy and a cash prize of $1,000 (to be shared, in the case of the
team). Non-U.S. students will receive a trophy but are not eligible
for cash prizes. All participants will receive a NASA certificate and
a personal letter of commendation from a NASA official.

The essays were reviewed by 24 NASA managers and engineers from four
NASA centers: Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., Dryden
Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., Glenn Research Center,
Cleveland, and Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. They based their
scores on how well students focused their essays and how well they
addressed four basic criteria: informed content, creativity and
imagination, organization and writing.

Following top individual student Vaden were two teens who tied for
second place: Michael Donelson, a junior from Flagstaff High School,
Flagstaff, Ariz., and Meghan Ferrall, a junior from Freedom High
School in Tampa, Fla. Jacob Monat, a senior from Kee High School in
Lansing, Iowa, was awarded the third place individual award.
Honorable mention awards went to Tamara Cottam, a junior from
Lexington Catholic High School in Lexington, Ky.; Sam Rochelle, a
freshman from Cary Academy, in Cary, N.C.; and Daniel Ho, a junior
from the High School of Economics and Finance in New York.

The second and third place individual international awards went to
senior level students from India. Second place went to Yashraj
Khaitan from the Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai, and
third place was awarded to Ketan Sharma from the Amity International
School in Haryana.

The second place U.S. team winners were two students from Midwood High
School in Brooklyn, N.Y. Third place went to a four-member team from
Lourdes High School, in Rochester, Minn. Honorable mention went to
another team also from Midwood High School. In the international team
contest, second place was awarded to four seniors from Pakistan, and
third place went to two 10th graders from Romania.

Most of the students who participated were high school juniors, but
entries also came in from freshmen, sophomores and seniors. Some of
the American high school students say they plan to study
aerospace-related subjects in college. One senior student wrote that
he planned to pursue aerospace at the Air Force Academy. Another
senior, a National Merit Scholar, expects to major in aerospace
engineering this fall at Iowa State University.

For a complete list of all the winners, visit:

http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/edu_fa_essay_contest_07.htm

For more information on NASA's aeronautics program, visit:

http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov

-end-

To subscribe to the list, send a message to:
hqnews-subscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov
To remove your address from the list, send a message to:
hqnews-unsubscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov