NASA Hubble Space Telescope Detects Ring of Dark Matter

May 9, 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: M07-51

NASA HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE DETECTS RING OF DARK MATTER

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 cluster to show a dark matter
distribution that differs from the distribution of both the galaxies
and the hot gas. The discovery will be featured in the May 15 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

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

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NASA Selects New Members of Astrobiology Institute

May 9, 2007

Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726

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

RELEASE: 07-108

NASA SELECTS NEW MEMBERS OF ASTROBIOLOGY INSTITUTE

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. - NASA is awarding five-year grants to four
research teams that will become new members of the NASA Astrobiology
Institute (NAI).

The new multidisciplinary teams are led by the University of
Wisconsin, Madison; the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena;
Montana State University, Bozeman; and the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), Cambridge. For the first 18 months of research,
teams will receive $350,000 in funding. The five-year average grant
size is approximately $7 million per team.

"These teams have proposed exciting research that is complementary to
work being done by other NAI members," said NAI Director Carl
Pilcher, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. "The
selection of these teams forms an excellent foundation for entering
the institute's second decade."

Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and
future of life in the universe. In 1998, NASA founded the
Astrobiology Institute, a virtual research institution based at Ames,
to stimulate and support this multidisciplinary field of research and
education as part of NASA's overall science portfolio.

The University of Wisconsin team, headed by Clark Johnson, proposes to
study organic and mineralogical signatures and environments of life
on Earth and other planets. This team's work focuses on technologies
for the detection of microbial life from its subtle effects on rock
chemistry. These technologies will examine ancient rocks on Earth,
paving the way for eventual instruments to search for signatures of
life on Mars.

The California Institute of Technology team, led by Victoria Meadows,
will extend research done within the NAI from 2001 to 2006. This team
has developed a Virtual Planetary Laboratory to explore the
habitability and biosignatures of extrasolar, Earth-like planets.
These scientists use computer models of planets with different sizes,
temperatures and atmospheres to investigate how the presence of life
on such planets could be detected telescopically.

The Montana State University team is headed by John Peters. Its focus
is on the origin of life, investigating the role of iron-sulfide
compounds in the transition from the non-living to the living world.
This work will support the mission of NASA in the area of prebiotic
chemistry and the development of signatures for terrestrial and
extraterrestrial life.

Roger Summons leads the MIT team. The team will investigate
requirements for the development of multicellular life in Earth's
ancient past. They will concentrate on organic biosignatures
preserved in the rock record and the state of the Earth's early
atmosphere, and will investigate the critical genetic pathways that
constrained and supported early life while multicellularity
developed.

"Each of these teams brings something important to NASA's overall
portfolio in astrobiology, and to the future success of missions in
planetary science, astronomy and Earth science," said Colleen
Hartman, deputy associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission
Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington.

The addition of these new teams brings the membership of the NASA
Astrobiology Institute to 16, selected with staggered 5-year terms.
The astrobiology teams are widely distributed throughout nearly 150
universities and other research institutions, including numerous
international affiliates.

More than 500 research scientists work in these teams, and there is a
strong focus on public education and the training of the next
generation of astrobiologists. The basic research carried out in the
institute directly supports many NASA missions, such as exploration
of Mars and the search for planets around other stars, including
investigations of the habitability of other worlds.

For more information a bout the NASA Astrobiology Institute, visit:

http://nai.nasa.gov

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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NASA Finds Extremely Hot Planet, Makes First Exoplanet Weather Map

May 9, 2007

Grey Hautaluoma
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668

Whitney Clavin
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-4673

RELEASE: 07-109

NASA FINDS EXTREMELY HOT PLANET, MAKES FIRST EXOPLANET WEATHER MAP

WASHINGTON - Researchers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have
learned what the weather is like on two distant, exotic worlds. One
team of astronomers used the infrared telescope to map temperature
variations over the surface of a giant, gas planet HD 189733b,
revealing it likely is whipped by roaring winds. Another team
determined that gas planet HD 149026b is the hottest yet discovered.
Both findings appear May 9 in Nature.

"We have mapped the temperature variations with longitude across the
entire surface of a planet that is so far away, its light takes 60
years to reach us," said Heather Knutson of the Harvard-Smithsonian
Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass., lead author of the paper
describing HD 189733b.

The two planets are "hot Jupiters" - sizzling, gas giant planets that
zip closely around their stars. Roughly 50 of the more than 200 known
planets outside our solar system, called exoplanets, are hot
Jupiters. Visible-light telescopes can detect these strange worlds
and determine certain characteristics, such as their sizes and
orbits, but not much is known about their atmospheres or what they
look like.

Since 2005, Spitzer has been revolutionizing the study of exoplanets'
atmospheres by examining their infrared light, or heat. In one of the
new studies, Spitzer set its infrared eyes on HD 189733b, located 60
light-years away in the constellation Vulpecula. HD 189733b is the
closest known transiting planet, which means that it crosses in front
and behind its star when viewed from Earth. It races around its star
every 2.2 days.

Spitzer measured the infrared light coming from the planet as it
circled around its star, revealing its different faces. These
infrared measurements, comprising about a quarter of a million data
points, were then assembled into pole-to-pole strips, and,
ultimately, used to map the temperature of the entire surface of the
cloudy, giant planet.

The observations reveal that temperatures on this balmy world are
fairly even, ranging from 1,200 F on the dark side to 1,700 F on the
sunlit side. HD 189733b, and all other hot Jupiters, are believed to
be tidally locked like our moon, so one side of the planet always
faces the star. Since the planet's overall temperature variation is
mild, scientists believe winds must be spreading the heat from its
permanently sunlit side around to its dark side. Such winds might
rage across the surface at up to 6,000 mph. The jet streams on Earth
travel at 200 mph.

"These hot Jupiter exoplanets are blasted by 20,000 times more energy
per second than Jupiter," said co-author David Charbonneau, also of
the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. "Now we can see how
these planets deal with all that energy."

Also, HD 189733b has a warm spot 30 degrees east of "high noon," or
the point directly below the star. In other words, if the high-noon
point were in Seattle, the warm spot would be in Chicago. Assuming
the planet is tidally locked to its parent star, this implies that
fierce winds are blowing eastward.

In the second Spitzer study, astronomers led by Joseph Harrington of
the University of Central Florida in Orlando discovered that HD
149026b is a scorching 3,700 F, even hotter than some low-mass stars.
Spitzer was able to calculate the temperature of this transiting
planet by observing the drop in infrared light that occurs as it dips
behind its star.

"This planet is like a chunk of hot coal in space," said Harrington.
"Because this planet is so hot, we believe its heat is not being
spread around. The day side is very hot, and the night side is
probably much colder."

HD 149026b is located 279 light-years away in the constellation
Hercules. It is the smallest and densest known transiting planet,
with a size similar to Saturn's and a core suspected to be 70 to 90
times the mass of Earth. It speeds around its star every 2.9 days.
According to Harrington and his team, the oddball planet probably
reflects almost no starlight, instead absorbing all of the heat into
its fiery body. That means HD 149026b might be the blackest planet
known, in addition to the hottest.

"This planet is off the temperature scale that we expect for planets,"
said Drake Deming, a co-author of the paper, from NASA's Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the
Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission
Directorate, Washington. Science operations are conducted at the
Spitzer Science Center at the California Institute of Technology,
also in Pasadena.

For more information about the Spitzer Space Telescope, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/spitzer

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NASA and FAA Team to Encourage Aviation and Space Careers

May 9, 2007

Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1761

Tammy Jones
FAA Headquarters, Washington
202-267-3883

RELEASE: 07-107

NASA AND FAA TEAM TO ENCOURAGE AVIATION AND SPACE CAREERS

WASHINGTON - NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today
signed a Memorandum of Understanding to foster the development of
students' skills in science, technology, engineering and math. The
agreement supports the FAA's mission to provide the safest, most
efficient aerospace system in the world and NASA's mission to pioneer
the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics
research.

"This is a perfect example of collaboration that complements and
supports each organization's educational goals," said Dr. Joyce
Winterton, NASA associate administrator for Education, Headquarters,
Washington. "Joint outreach efforts like this will contribute to NASA
and FAA goals for a diverse, qualified aviation and space workforce
for the future."

The partnership includes a broad range of cooperative outreach
activities. The agencies' initial focus is on a NASA curriculum
called "Smart Skies." Smart Skies is an online air traffic control
simulator for students in fifth through ninth grades. It offers a fun
and exciting way to learn math and skills central to air traffic
control while providing multiple modes of problem solving for
students who learn in different ways.

The agreement unites the strengths of both agencies to provide the
best of aviation-related educational products and experiences to the
widest possible population of students and educators.

"The synergy of this relationship will promote joint endeavors that
motivate students to further develop their skills for careers in
aviation and aerospace," said Ruth Leverenz, FAA associate
administrator for Region and Center Operations, Washington.

Smart Skies' unique approach also exposes students to high-technology
careers related to aviation. NASA developed the program with help
from air traffic controllers at FAA's Oakland, Calif., facility.

For more information about Smart Skies, visit:

http://www.atcsim.nasa.gov

For information about NASA educational programs, visit:

http://education.nasa.gov

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NASA Exhibits Celebrate Public Service Recognition Week

May 9, 2007

Grey Hautaluoma
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668

Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-4044

RELEASE: 07-106

NASA EXHIBITS CELEBRATE PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK

WASHINGTON - NASA will display a full scale model of the agency's next
generation space telescope and host exhibits that showcase the many
faces of NASA during Public Service Recognition Week. NASA's exhibits
are free and open to visitors of all ages May 10-11 from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. EDT and May 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The exhibits will be on the
National Mall between 7th and 4th streets, NW. The agency also will
provide opportunities to speak with experts.

One of the exhibit's biggest attractions will be the model of the
James Webb Space Telescope. The model, approximately 80 feet long, 40
feet wide and 40 feet tall, will give visitors a better understanding
of the size, scale and complexity of this orbiting infrared
observatory that will complement and extend the discoveries of the
Hubble Space Telescope. The telescope is targeted for launch in 2013
and is built by Northrop Grumman, Los Angeles.

On Thursday, May 10 at 10 a.m., NASA will join Northrop Grumman at the
display for a news conference that will explore the telescope's
cutting-edge capabilities.

In addition to the telescope, NASA will be exhibiting an array of
out-of-this-world technology and space exploration assets.

At NASA's tent, visitors can learn about the NASA Balloon Program, the
International Space Station, and the Cassini Mission to Saturn. They
also will see the Mars Exploration Rovers and giant inflatable models
of the space shuttle, the Orion crew exploration vehicle, and the
Ares I rocket. Orion is the next generation human spacecraft, and the
Ares I is the launch vehicle that will lift future astronauts into
space.

Visitors can see how Earth looks from space on a "Magic Planet" where
satellite data is projected on a sphere. They can experience Astro
Camp, featuring a moon phaser and a lunar landing, and kids can go on
a NASA scavenger hunt. Young and old alike can discover how NASA is
pioneering new flight technologies, developing state-of-the art
technologies and exploring the Earth, moon, Mars and beyond.

The NASA "Vision for Space Exploration Experience," an interactive
traveling exhibit, will allow visitors to slip the confines of our
planet. Holographic and 3-D imagery shows "explorers" what it might
be like to visit various destinations in space. Visitors can
manipulate their environment and explore simulated lunar and Martian
landscapes as well as travel to one of Saturn's moons.

Thursday through Saturday, NASA will hold 15-minute "Story Time" for
kids. Thursday Story Time runs from 11 a.m. to noon, and topics
include: "The Air We Breathe," "National Security," and "Weather." On
both Friday and Saturday, Story Time runs from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
and features "Can You Hear Me Now?" "Weeding the Nation's Garden,"
"Sandbox in the Air," "NASA Fights Fires," "Earth's Frozen Assets,"
"Natural Disasters," and "Finding Ebola With Satellites."

NASA's Super Cell Rock Band will give free concerts on Friday from
3:00- 3:40 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 12:00-12:40 p.m. A group
of singers from NASA's Astrophysics division also will perform.

NASA joins 100 federal civilian and military agencies and programs for
the weeklong celebration of excellence in public service. For more
information about Public Service Recognition Week, visit:

http://www.excelgov.org/psrw

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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NASA Announces Aeronautics Research Opportunities

May 8, 2007

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

RELEASE: 07-105

NASA ANNOUNCES AERONAUTICS RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

WASHINGTON - NASA has amended its "Research Opportunities in
Aeronautics" announcement to solicit research in several new topic
areas in the Aviation Safety Program's Aircraft Aging and Durability
Project. This research will enhance the safety of the nation's air
transportation system by taking a proactive approach to address
safety challenges of new and legacy vehicles.

NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Aviation Safety
Program conducts long-term, cutting-edge research to produce tools,
methods, concepts and technologies to improve the intrinsic safety
attributes of current and future aircraft. These developments help to
overcome safety technology barriers that would otherwise constrain
the full realization of the Next Generation Air Transportation
System.

The Aircraft Aging and Durability Project addresses hazards that can
develop in aging aircraft. The project develops advanced diagnostic
and prognostic capabilities to detect and mitigate hazards before
they become critical. The research and technologies to be pursued
will greatly improve vehicle safety by decreasing the susceptibility
of aircraft and onboard systems to premature deterioration. The
project will emphasize new material systems and fabrication
techniques and address the potential hazards associated with
aging-related degradation. The project takes a proactive approach to
incorporate aging mitigation technologies and processes into the
design and maintenance of aircraft operating in the Next Generation
Air Transportation System.

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 Awards Innovative Partnerships Program Contract

May 8, 2007

David E. Steitz/Stephanie Schierholz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1730/4997

RELEASE: 07-104

NASA AWARDS INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM CONTRACT

WASHINGTON - NASA has selected the team of Systems Planning
Corporation, Arlington, Va., with primary subcontractor Fuentek, LLC,
Apex, N.C., to provide support to NASA's Innovative Partnerships
Program. The contract will include support to the program's offices
at all ten NASA Field Centers and Headquarters.

The Innovative Partnerships Program provides needed technology and
capabilities for NASA's mission directorates, programs and projects
through investments and partnerships with industry, academia,
government agencies and national laboratories. The program supports
technology transfer through dual-use partnerships and licensing while
creating socio-economic benefits for the American public.

Systems Planning Corporation and Fuentek will support development of
viable collaborating and licensing opportunities by developing
partnering strategies, providing intelligence on emerging
technologies, performing market analysis, and providing due diligence
analysis on potential partners and licensees. Support also will
include designing and developing communications initiatives and
materials.

The contract has a total value of up to $30 million over five years.
The period of performance is from May 2007 through May 2012. NASA
will issue individual task orders on a fixed price basis.

For more information about the Innovative Partnerships Program, visit:

http://www.ipp.nasa.gov

For more information about NASA and other agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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