NASA'S Hubble Makes One Millionth Science Observation

Trent Perrotto

Headquarters, Washington

 

Ray Villard

Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Hubble Space Telescope crossed another milestone in its space odyssey of exploration and discovery. On Monday, July 4, the Earth-orbiting observatory logged its one millionth science observation during a search for water in an exoplanet's atmosphere 1,000 light-years away.

"For 21 years Hubble has been the premier space science observatory, astounding us with deeply beautiful imagery and enabling ground-breaking science across a wide spectrum of astronomical disciplines," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. He piloted the space shuttle mission that carried Hubble to orbit. "The fact that Hubble met this milestone while studying a faraway planet is a remarkable reminder of its strength and legacy."

Although Hubble is best known for its stunning imagery of the cosmos, the millionth observation is a spectroscopic measurement, where light is divided into its component colors. These color patterns can reveal the chemical composition of cosmic sources.

Hubble's millionth exposure is of the planet HAT-P-7b, a gas giant planet larger than Jupiter orbiting a star hotter than our sun. HAT-P-7b, also known as Kepler 2b, has been studied by NASA's planet-hunting Kepler observatory after it was discovered by ground-based observations. Hubble now is being used to analyze the chemical composition of the planet's atmosphere.

"We are looking for the spectral signature of water vapor. This is an extremely precise observation and it will take months of analysis before we have an answer," said Drake Deming of the University of Maryland and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "Hubble demonstrated it is ideally suited for characterizing the atmospheres of exoplanets, and we are excited to see what this latest targeted world will reveal."

Hubble was launched April 24, 1990, aboard space shuttle's Discovery's STS-31 mission. Its discoveries revolutionized nearly all areas of astronomical research from planetary science to cosmology. The observatory has collected more than 50 terabytes of data to-date. The archive of that data is available to scientists and the public at http://hla.stsci.edu/.

Hubble's odometer reading includes every observation of astronomical targets since its launch and observations used to calibrate its suite of instruments. Hubble made the millionth observation using its Wide Field Camera 3, a visible and infrared light imager with an on-board spectrometer. It was installed by astronauts during the Hubble Servicing Mission 4 in May 2009.

"The Hubble keeps amazing us with groundbreaking science," said Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, the chairwoman of the Senate Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee that funds NASA. "I championed the mission to repair and renew Hubble not just to get one million science observations, but also to inspire millions of children across the planet to become our next generation of stargazers, scientists, astronauts and engineers."

Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. Goddard manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc. in Washington.

For more information about Hubble, galleries of videos and images, visit http://www.nasa.gov/hubble and http://hubblesite.org/news/2011/22.

For details about the exoplanet Kepler 2b, including an animation of its orbit, visit http://kepler.nasa.gov/Mission/discoveries/kepler2b/.

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NASA Administrator Bolden to Open Exploration Symposium

David S. Weaver

Headquarters, Washington                                    

 

Angela Storey

Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.

 

Liz Klipp

Georgia Tech Media Relations, Atlanta

WASHINGTON -- NASA and the Georgia Institute of Technology will review the achievements of the agency's Space Shuttle Program and look ahead to the future of space exploration during a symposium June 6-8.

Georgia Tech will host "The Space Shuttle: An Engineering Milestone" at the university's Global Learning Center at 84 5th Street NW in Atlanta. The event is open to media.

The symposium will bring together an international group of scientists, technologists, engineers, mission designers, policymakers and students to discuss the shuttle era's significant contributions and exchange ideas about the future of space transportation.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will open the symposium on Tuesday, June 7. Other speakers include agency personnel such as astronaut Shannon Lucid; Bill Hill, assistant associate administrator for the Space Shuttle Program; and Michael Gazarik, deputy chief technologist.

"The Space Shuttle Program has accomplished many amazing things for the entire world," Bolden said. "Not least of which is the construction of the International Space Station, which will anchor our human spaceflight activities for the coming decade. It will provide unparalleled opportunities for critical research and technology demonstrations that will help us reach destinations farther in the solar system."

Speakers will highlight some of the many scientific discoveries about Earth, the solar system and the universe enabled by the shuttle program and how it has advanced technology and affected peoples' lives across the globe.

"The space shuttle program is an engineering accomplishment no other country has been able to duplicate," said Robert Loewy, conference chair and Georgia Tech professor of aerospace engineering. "The symposium is intended to honor those who contributed to the design, construction, operation and scientific data-taking that the three decades of the shuttle's operation have made possible."

The shuttle program has spanned 30 years of operation, and its last flight will be the STS-135 mission targeted for a July 8 launch. The five orbiters, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, have flown more than 130 times, carrying more than 360 people into space and traveling more than 500 million miles. Designed to return to Earth and land like a glider, the shuttle was the first successful reusable space vehicle.

Registration is required to attend the conference. For the agenda and registration information, visit http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/tab2.aspx?EventID=923094.

The conference is sponsored by Georgia Tech's Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, with the co-sponsorship of NASA, the Georgia Space Grant Consortium, the Boeing Company, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

For more information about the space shuttle program, including an interactive feature about the spacecraft and photo galleries, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttleflyout.

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NASA Administrator Bolden to Open Exploration Symposium

David S. Weaver

Headquarters, Washington                                    

 

Angela Storey

Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.

 

Liz Klipp

Georgia Tech Media Relations, Atlanta

WASHINGTON -- NASA and the Georgia Institute of Technology will review the achievements of the agency's Space Shuttle Program and look ahead to the future of space exploration during a symposium June 6-8.

Georgia Tech will host "The Space Shuttle: An Engineering Milestone" at the university's Global Learning Center at 84 5th Street NW in Atlanta. The event is open to media.

The symposium will bring together an international group of scientists, technologists, engineers, mission designers, policymakers and students to discuss the shuttle era's significant contributions and exchange ideas about the future of space transportation.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will open the symposium on Tuesday, June 7. Other speakers include agency personnel such as astronaut Shannon Lucid; Bill Hill, assistant associate administrator for the Space Shuttle Program; and Michael Gazarik, deputy chief technologist.

"The Space Shuttle Program has accomplished many amazing things for the entire world," Bolden said. "Not least of which is the construction of the International Space Station, which will anchor our human spaceflight activities for the coming decade. It will provide unparalleled opportunities for critical research and technology demonstrations that will help us reach destinations farther in the solar system."

Speakers will highlight some of the many scientific discoveries about Earth, the solar system and the universe enabled by the shuttle program and how it has advanced technology and affected peoples' lives across the globe.

"The space shuttle program is an engineering accomplishment no other country has been able to duplicate," said Robert Loewy, conference chair and Georgia Tech professor of aerospace engineering. "The symposium is intended to honor those who contributed to the design, construction, operation and scientific data-taking that the three decades of the shuttle's operation have made possible."

The shuttle program has spanned 30 years of operation, and its last flight will be the STS-135 mission targeted for a July 8 launch. The five orbiters, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, have flown more than 130 times, carrying more than 360 people into space and traveling more than 500 million miles. Designed to return to Earth and land like a glider, the shuttle was the first successful reusable space vehicle.

Registration is required to attend the conference. For the agenda and registration information, visit http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/tab2.aspx?EventID=923094.

The conference is sponsored by Georgia Tech's Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, with the co-sponsorship of NASA, the Georgia Space Grant Consortium, the Boeing Company, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

For more information about the space shuttle program, including an interactive feature about the spacecraft and photo galleries, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttleflyout.

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Atop the Mobile Launch Platform

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden is seen in silhouette, left, as he shook hands with workers atop the Mobile Launch Platform as space shuttle Atlantis rolled out of High Bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A for its final flight, Tuesday, May 31, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The 3.4-mile trek, known as rollout, took about seven hours to complete. On STS-135, the orbiter's final, Atlantis will carry the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module to deliver supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. The launch of STS-135 is targeted for July 8.

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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NASA To Launch New Science Mission To Asteroid In 2016

Dwayne C. Brown

Headquarters, Washington                               

 

WASHINGTON -- NASA will launch a spacecraft to an asteroid in 2016 and use a robotic arm to pluck samples that could better explain our solar system's formation and how life began. The mission, called Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx, will be the first U.S. mission to carry samples from an asteroid back to Earth.

"This is a critical step in meeting the objectives outlined by President Obama to extend our reach beyond low-Earth orbit and explore into deep space," said NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden. "It's robotic missions like these that will pave the way for future human space missions to an asteroid and other deep space destinations."

NASA selected OSIRIS-REx after reviewing three concept study reports for new scientific missions, which also included a sample return mission from the far side of the moon and a mission to the surface of Venus.

Asteroids are leftovers formed from the cloud of gas and dust -- the solar nebula -- that collapsed to form our sun and the planets about 4.5 billion years ago. As such, they contain the original material from the solar nebula, which can tell us about the conditions of our solar system's birth.

After traveling four years, OSIRIS-REx will approach the primitive, near Earth asteroid designated 1999 RQ36 in 2020. Once within three miles of the asteroid, the spacecraft will begin six months of comprehensive surface mapping. The science team then will pick a location from where the spacecraft's arm will take a sample. The spacecraft gradually will move closer to the site, and the arm will extend to collect more than two ounces of material for return to Earth in 2023. The mission, excluding the launch vehicle, is expected to cost approximately $800 million.

The sample will be stored in a capsule that will land at Utah's Test and Training Range in 2023. The capsule's design will be similar to that used by NASA's Stardust spacecraft, which returned the world's first comet particles from comet Wild 2 in 2006. The OSIRIS-REx sample capsule will be taken to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The material will be removed and delivered to a dedicated research facility following stringent planetary protection protocol. Precise analysis will be performed that cannot be duplicated by spacecraft-based instruments.

RQ36 is approximately 1,900 feet in diameter or roughly the size of five football fields. The asteroid, little altered over time, is likely to represent a snapshot of our solar system's infancy. The asteroid also is likely rich in carbon, a key element in the organic molecules necessary for life. Organic molecules have been found in meteorite and comet samples, indicating some of life's ingredients can be created in space. Scientists want to see if they also are present on RQ36.

"This asteroid is a time capsule from the birth of our solar system and ushers in a new era of planetary exploration," said Jim Green, director, NASA's Planetary Science Division in Washington. "The knowledge from the mission also will help us to develop methods to better track the orbits of asteroids."

The mission will accurately measure the "Yarkovsky effect" for the first time. The effect is a small push caused by the sun on an asteroid, as it absorbs sunlight and re-emits that energy as heat. The small push adds up over time, but it is uneven due to an asteroid's shape, wobble, surface composition and rotation. For scientists to predict an Earth-approaching asteroid's path, they must understand how the effect will change its orbit. OSIRIS-REx will help refine RQ36's orbit to ascertain its trajectory and devise future strategies to mitigate possible Earth impacts from celestial objects.

Michael Drake of the University of Arizona in Tucson is the mission's principal investigator. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., will provide overall mission management, systems engineering, and safety and mission assurance. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver will build the spacecraft. The OSIRIS-REx payload includes instruments from the University of Arizona, Goddard, Arizona State University in Tempe and the Canadian Space Agency. NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., the Langley Research Center in Hampton Va., and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., also are involved. The science team is composed of numerous researchers from universities, private and government agencies.

This is the third mission in NASA's New Frontiers Program. The first, New Horizons, was launched in 2006. It will fly by the Pluto-Charon system in July 2015, then target another Kuiper Belt object for study. The second mission, Juno, will launch in August to become the first spacecraft to orbit Jupiter from pole to pole and study the giant planet's atmosphere and interior. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages New Frontiers for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

For more information about OSIRIS-REx, visit http://www.nasa.gov.

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NASA Commemorates Moonshot Moment's Golden Anniversary Agency Looks to the Future and Beyond Low-Earth Orbit

David S. Weaver

Headquarters, Washington

WASHINGTON -- Fifty years ago, a young president struggling with deepening international issues set a fledgling space agency on a course that would change the history of human exploration. NASA commemorates President John F. Kennedy's historic speech that sent humans safely to the moon with a series of activities and a commitment to continue the journey of discovery and exploration that started with a desperate race into space.

"We are moving into a bright new future that builds on a challenge presented to us 50 years ago," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "It is important that we remember our history but we must always look forward toward a brighter future. Our advantage now is that we have five decades of accomplishment and world leadership in space on which to build. The dreams President Kennedy helped make real for our world, and the dreams we still hold, may appear to be just out of reach but they are not out of our grasp."

On this date in 1961, Kennedy addressed a joint session of Congress, with a worldwide television audience, and announced, "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth." This was seen as a bold mandate because America's experience up to this point was Alan Shepard's suborbital Freedom 7 mission, which launched just a few weeks earlier and lasted about 15 minutes.

"Today, we have another young and vibrant president who has outlined an urgent national need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build our competitors and create new capabilities that will take us farther into the solar system, and help us learn even more about our place in the universe," Bolden added. "We stand at a moonshot moment once again, where we have a chance to make great leaps forward to new destinations, develop new vehicles and technologies, and new ways of exploring."

To commemorate the address that launched NASA into history, the agency has scheduled several events and historic multimedia perspectives, including:

-- A special concert at 7 p.m. EDT tonight at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. The one-hour concert will feature the Space Philharmonic, Administrator Bolden, astronauts, Kennedy family representatives and special guests. There are a limited number of tickets available for the public. For more information, visit: http://go.nasa.gov/jTOKZt

-- Video and other multimedia material from President Kennedy's speech are available on NASA Television and on the agency's Internet homepage http://www.nasa.gov along with information about the agency's future exploration initiatives.

-- A message from the administrator about NASA's next moonshot moment and moving beyond Earth orbit is available on his blog at: http://bit.ly/fNjTS2

-- An announcement later today that represents an important step in executing the president's exploration objectives and could pave the way for extending humanity's reach beyond low-Earth orbit and further into space

-- NASA and the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington present "NASA | ART," from May 28 to Oct. 9. The exhibit features more than 70 paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, and other forms of art illustrating the agency's mission. Admission is free, and the exhibit is located at the Air and Space Museum's building at Sixth Street and Independence Ave. SW.

For more information about NASA and its missions, connect with the agency online at http://www.nasa.gov , http://www.twitter.com/nasa , http://www.facebook.com/nasa and http://www.youtube.com/nasatelevision.

For NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

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NASA Honors Human Spaceflight Achievements At Kennedy Center Concert

Katherine Trinidad                               

Headquarters, Washington                               

WASHINGTON -- NASA is inviting the general public and journalists to a special concert at 7 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 25, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington to honor American achievements in human spaceflight. The event, “Human Spaceflight: the Kennedy Legacy” is a musical celebration on the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s speech to Congress when he challenged our nation to land a man on the moon and return him safely to Earth.

The one-hour concert will feature the Space Philharmonic under the baton of celebrity conductor Emil de Cou. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, astronauts and special, surprise guests will participate in the event along with local high school musical groups and the Soldier’s Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band.

A limited number of tickets is available for the general public on a first-come, first-served basis. To attend the free event, please contact NASA Guest Operations at 202-358-1750. Tickets for those who RSVP will be available at NASA's Will Call tables, which will be staffed in front of the Concert Hall (in the Grand Foyer) from 5-6:45 p.m. Wednesday.

Reporters, who would like to cover the event, must contact Katherine Trinidad at 202-358-3749 or katherine.trinidad@nasa.gov by 12 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24.

To see video, audio and a transcript of President Kennedy's 1961 speech and learn about NASA's plans for future human space exploration, visit http://www.nasa.gov/topics/history/features/kennedy_moon_speech.html.

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NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's Statement About The 50th Anniversary Of U.S. Human Spaceflight

David Weaver

Headquarters, Washington

WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden issued the following statement Thursday, May 5, about the 50th anniversary of United States human spaceflight:

"50 years ago today, Alan Shepard rocketed into space on America's first manned space mission. That flight set our nation on a path of exploration and discovery that continues to this day.

"May 5, 1961, was a good day. When Alan Shepard launched toward the stars that day, no American had ever done so, and the world waited on pins and needles praying for a good outcome. The flight was a great success, and on the strength of Shepard's accomplishment, NASA built the leadership role in human spaceflight that we have held ever since.

"I was a teenager at the time and just sorting out the field of study I wanted to pursue. Though I never dared dream it growing up in segregated South Carolina, I was proud to follow in Alan's footsteps several years later and become a test pilot myself. The experiences I've had would not have been possible without Alan's pioneering efforts. The inspiration that has created generations of leaders to enlarge our understanding of our universe and to strive toward the highest in human potential was sparked by those early achievements of our space program. They began with Freedom 7 and a daring test pilot who flew the ultimate experimental vehicle that May day 50 years ago.

"Today we celebrate a first -- and we celebrate the future. Project Mercury gave our country something new, including an astronaut corps and the space vehicles that began our human exploration efforts.

"I encourage everyone to not only remember that remarkable achievement, but to be reminded that we are still driven to reach for new heights in human exploration.

"At NASA, each first is grown and expanded until we make the next breakthrough. 50 years ago, we sent the first American into space. Today we have a space station flying 250 miles overhead right now on which men and women have lived continuously for more than 10 years.

"With the same spirit of innovation and grit of those early days of space flight, we now move out on an exciting path forward where we will develop the capabilities to take humans to even more destinations in the solar system. With our support and assistance, commercial companies will expand access to that rarefied area Alan Shepard first trod for America, allowing NASA to focus on those bigger, more challenging destinations and to enable our science missions to peer farther and farther beyond our solar system.

"We are just getting started. Our future, as an agency and as a country, holds many more firsts. We know the next 50 years will be just as exciting as the last – filled with discovery, innovation and inspiration.

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Two Events Commemorate 50th Anniversary of U.S. Human Spaceflight

Katherine Trinidad

Headquarters, Washington                                        

 

Allard Beutel

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first U.S. manned spaceflight during two events this week around the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA Television will carry both events live.

On Wednesday, May 4, at 2 p.m. EDT, the U.S. Postal Service will unveil two new stamps at the Rocket Garden of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, located on State Road 405. Journalists interested in covering the event should contact Andrea Farmer at 321-449-4318 or Jillian McRae at 321-449-4273. Media need to arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony.

One stamp commemorates NASA's Project Mercury and Alan Shepard's historic launch on May 5, 1961 aboard the spacecraft Freedom 7. The second stamp honors NASA's MESSENGER, which reached Mercury in March to become the first spacecraft to orbit the planet. The two missions frame a remarkable 50-year period in which America advanced space exploration through more than 1,500 manned and unmanned flights.

Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter and members of the Shepard family will join Bolden at the stamps' unveiling and at a 50th anniversary ceremony on Thursday, May 5, at 9 a.m., at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

To cover the event, news media representatives need to be at the Air Force Badging Office (Gate 1) at 6:30 a.m. for transportation to Complex 5/6. Mission badges for the STS-134 shuttle mission will be honored for this event. Reporters who do not have one must contact Christopher Calkins at 321-494-7732 or Auburn Davis at 321-494-6489 to arrange for media credentials.

The Thursday event includes a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. KSC Director and former astronaut Bob Cabana and more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program, also will be in attendance.

For more information about Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, visit http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com.

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For a photo gallery of Shepard's flight and an interactive timeline of key NASA milestones, visit http://www.nasa.gov/50th.

For more information about the MESSENGER mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/messenger.

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NASA And USAID Pledge To Advance International Development With Science And Technology

Steve Cole

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Gina Jackson

U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington

WASHINGTON -- NASA and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have agreed to expand their joint efforts to overcome international development challenges such as food security, climate change, and energy and environmental management.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah signed a five-year memorandum of understanding on Monday, April 25, at NASA Headquarters. The agreement formalizes ongoing agency collaborations that use Earth science data to address developmental challenges, and to assist in disaster mitigation and humanitarian responses. The agreement also encourages NASA and USAID to apply geospatial technologies to solve development challenges affecting the United States and developing countries.

"Technologies for NASA missions have long improved life here on Earth. Together with USAID, we'll meet even more sustainable development challenges here on the ground, solving problems for the world community," Bolden said. "As we explore space, we'll also be exploring solutions to important health, nutritional and safety challenges in developing countries."

The agencies will continue collaborations to stimulate innovative science and technology solutions to international development challenges by using Earth science data, research results, computer models, visualization applications and remote-sensing techniques.

USAID is the lead federal development agency implementing U.S. development efforts through field-based programs and projects around the world. NASA has broad experience with Earth science research, development of Earth science information products, and technology applications.

"Through our partnership with NASA, we can apply the latest, cutting-edge technology to deliver meaningful results for people in developing countries in areas like health, food security and water," Shah said. "It's a prime example of our efforts to use the power of science and technology to tackle today's pressing development challenges."

Since 2003, NASA and USAID have worked together building and expanding the SERVIR program. The program allows people in developing regions to use Earth observations for addressing challenges in agriculture, biodiversity conservation, climate change, disaster response, weather forecasting, and energy and health issues. SERVIR integrates satellite observations, ground-based data and forecast models to monitor and forecast environmental changes and improving response to natural disasters in Central America, the Caribbean, East Africa and the Himalayan region of Asia.

The agencies also collaborate on the LAUNCH program, which supports science and technology innovators in the non-profit and private sectors. The program's goal is improving innovations to achieve greater impact on sustainability issues. NASA, USAID, the Department of State and Nike formed LAUNCH to identify, showcase and support innovative approaches to global challenges through a series of forums.

The agencies have agreed to explore how efforts promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics education can be advanced through joint support of programs such as Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE). GLOBE is a worldwide primary and secondary school-based science and education program funded by NASA and other U.S. agencies.

For more information about the SERVIR program, visit http://www.nasa.gov/servir.

For more information about the LAUNCH program, visit http://www.launch.org.

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov.

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NASA Honors Pioneer Astronaut Alan Shepard With Moon Rock

Doc Mirelson

Headquarters, Washington                                   

WASHINGTON -- NASA will posthumously honor Alan B. Shepard Jr., the first American astronaut in space who later walked on the moon, with an Ambassador of Exploration Award for his contributions to the U.S. space program.

Shepard's family members will accept the award on his behalf during a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 28, at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum, located at 74 Greenbury Point Road in Annapolis, Md. His family will present the award to the museum for permanent display. NASA's Chief Historian Bill Barry will represent the agency at the event, which will include a video message from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

Shepard, a 1945 graduate of the Naval Academy, was one of NASA's original seven Mercury astronauts selected in April 1959. On May 5, 1961, he was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., aboard the Freedom 7 spacecraft on a suborbital flight that carried him to an altitude of 116 miles.

Shepard made his second spaceflight as the commander of Apollo 14 from Jan. 31 to Feb. 9, 1971. He was accompanied on the third lunar landing by astronauts Stuart Roosa and Edgar Mitchell. Maneuvering the lunar module "Antares" to a landing in the hilly upland Fra Mauro region of the moon, Shepard and Mitchell deployed and activated a number of scientific instruments and collected almost 100 pounds of lunar samples for return to Earth.

Reporters interested in covering the award ceremony must contact the Naval Academy's public affairs office at 410-293-2292 or mediarelations@usna.edu by noon, Wednesday, April 27, for access information.

NASA is giving the Ambassador of Exploration Award to the first generation of explorers in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for realizing America's goal of going to the moon. The award is a moon rock encased in Lucite, mounted for public display.

The rock is part of the 842 pounds of lunar samples collected during six Apollo missions from 1969 to 1972. The astronauts or family members receiving the award present it to a museum of their choice, where the moon rock is placed on public display.

For pictures of the NASA Ambassador of Exploration Award, visit http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/AofEphotos.html.

Shepard retired from NASA in 1974 and passed away in July 1998. For more biographical information, visit http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/shepard-alan.html.

NASA Television will broadcast a Video File of the award presentation. For NASA TV streaming video, schedules and downlink information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

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NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's Statement On The 2011 Spending Bill

David Weaver

Headquarters, Washington     

WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden issued the following statement Thursday about the passage of the 2011 spending bill:

"We appreciate the work of Congress to pass a 2011 spending bill. NASA now has appropriated funds to implement the 2010 Authorization Act, which gives us a clear path forward to continue America's leadership in human spaceflight, exploration and scientific discovery. Among other things, this bill lifts funding restrictions that limited our flexibility to carry out our shared vision for the future. With this funding, we will continue to aggressively develop a new heavy lift rocket, multipurpose crew vehicle and commercial capability to transport our astronauts and their supplies on American-made and launched spacecraft. We are committed to living within our means in these tough fiscal times - and we are committed to carrying out our ambitious new plans for exploration and discovery."

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KSC Home to Shuttle Atlantis

Narrator: Even after NASA's Space Shuttle Program comes to an end, the agency will have the unique opportunity to share its unparalleled tale of flying the world's first reusable spacecraft . . . and it will do so from its very own launch site with the help of space shuttle Atlantis.

Charlie Bolden, Administrator/NASA: First, here at the Kennedy Space Center, where every shuttle and so many other historic human spaceflights have originated, we'll showcase my old friend, Atlantis.

(Cheers)

Narrator: On April 12, NASA and its design partners received the "go" they've been hoping for with the announcement that Atlantis will join the rockets, capsules and artifacts from the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo eras at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Described as a super-charged, space shuttle-themed science center, it will feature interactive exhibits to engage, entertain and inspire even the world's most tech-savvy audience.

Luis Berrios, NASA Design Specialist/Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Development Team: This very Space Shuttle Plaza will be completely transformed. We plan on adding to the Shuttle Launch Experience attraction and enhancing the storytelling with what will become a very, very large addition to this complex.

Narrator: Inside a new 65,000-square-foot facility in the heart of the complex's Space Shuttle Plaza, the 100-ton shuttle is expected to look like its soaring through space, with its landing gear raised and payload bay opened. Anchored at an angle, guests would get an up-close view of Atlantis' belly and the thousands of black heat shield tiles that allowed the shuttle to travel through Earth's harsh atmosphere more than 30 times. The shuttle's robot arm also could be deployed, as if reaching out to a satellite.

Bill Moore, Chief Operating Officer/Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: We started working on the design probably earlier than most folks had done. And we went further than everybody's done. We've completed an entire conceptual design. It's all drawn up, we've got a lot of agreement with folks at NASA about how we want to do this.

Narrator: The display could reveal how shuttle crews performed science and research experiments in the weightlessness of space, helped construct the International Space Station, and deployed, retrieved and serviced satellites, such as NASA's treasured Hubble Space Telescope. It also could unveil what it felt like for an astronaut to venture out on the first untethered spacewalk.

Luis Berrios, NASA Design Specialist/Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Development Team: One of my favorite is the Manned Maneuvering Unit, and how that impressed everyone to watch Bruce McCandless fly untethered, out there completely in space without a single, you know, just looking back on everyone else. What must that have felt like for him? It must have been amazing.

Narrator: Designers want to paint a picture of just how many working parts it took to launch NASA's fleet. There are many features that could be worked into the display to help guests appreciate the shuttle system as a whole, including the solid rocket boosters and giant external fuel tank. Even structures saved during the deconstruction of Kennedy's Launch Pad 39B could be incorporated, such as the gaseous oxygen vent arm, called the "beanie cap," and the orbiter access arm, which is replete with the memories of astronauts walking through before waving farewell and boarding a shuttle for liftoff. While the spacecraft and its myriad of components will be the main attraction, designers also dove deep into the human aspect of the program.

Luis Berrios, NASA Design Specialist/Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Development Team: I mean, we treat our orbiters like our own family members and they're very close to our hearts.

Bob Cabana, Center Director/NASA's Kennedy Space Center: The Space Shuttle Program has made possible countless scientific breakthroughs, it's produced unprecedented international cooperation, and it's fostered a future of human exploration made up of limitless possibilities.

Narrator: Annually, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex reaches more than 1.5 million guests and by adding a flown shuttle to the mix, it's expecting a major boost in attendance.

Bob Cabana, Center Director/NASA's Kennedy Space Center: It's really important that we get to keep an orbiter here at the Kennedy Space Center. We get over a million visitors a year. This is the home of human spaceflight, it's the home of the space shuttle. To be able to share that excitement, that story with all our visitors to inspire the next generation of explorers, it's huge in being able to tell the story of human spaceflight and of NASA. So, I think it's outstanding that Atlantis gets to stay here with us and not leave after her last flight.

Narrator: Atlantis is scheduled to round out the shuttle program this year with its last flight -- STS-135. After its return from space, technicians and engineers will spend a few months prepping the vehicle for public display -- paving the way for a grand opening as early as the summer of 2013.

Charlie Bolden, Administrator/NASA: I want to congratulate all of these fine institutions and wish them many visitors and exciting programs with the space shuttle fleet. For all of them, take good care of our vehicles. They've served the nation well and we at NASA have a deep and abiding relationship and love affair with them that's hard to put into words.

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NASA Announces New Homes For Shuttle Orbiters After Retirement

David Weaver

Headquarters, Washington     

 

WASHINGTON -- After 30 years of spaceflight, more than 130 missions, and numerous science and technology firsts, NASA's space shuttle fleet will retire and be on display at institutions across the country to inspire the next generation of explorers and engineers.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on Tuesday announced the facilities where four shuttle orbiters will be displayed permanently at the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program. Shuttle Enterprise, the first orbiter built, will move from the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York. The Udvar-Hazy Center will become the new home for shuttle Discovery, which retired after completing its 39th mission in March. Shuttle Endeavour, which is preparing for its final flight at the end of the month, will go to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Atlantis, which will fly the last planned shuttle mission in June, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

"We want to thank all of the locations that expressed an interest in one of these national treasures," Bolden said. "This was a very difficult decision, but one that was made with the American public in mind. In the end, these choices provide the greatest number of people with the best opportunity to share in the history and accomplishments of NASA's remarkable Space Shuttle Program. These facilities we've chosen have a noteworthy legacy of preserving space artifacts and providing outstanding access to U.S. and international visitors."

NASA also announced that hundreds of shuttle artifacts have been allocated to museums and education institutions.

- Various shuttle simulators for the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum of McMinnville, Ore., and Texas A&M's Aerospace Engineering Department

- Full fuselage trainer for the Museum of Flight in Seattle

- Nose cap assembly and crew compartment trainer for the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio

- Flight deck pilot and commander seats for NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston

- Orbital maneuvering system engines for the U.S. Space and Rocket Center of Huntsville, Ala., National Air and Space Museum in Washington, and Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum

For more information about other shuttle program artifacts that are available to museums and libraries, visit http://gsaxcess.gov/htm/nasa/userguide/NASA_SSPA_Pamphlet.pdf.

NASA also is offering shuttle heat shield tiles to schools and universities that want to share technology and a piece of space history with their students. Schools can request a tile at http://gsaxcess.gov/NASAWel.htm.

For a map of the future locations for the orbiters and shuttle artifacts and for more information on visiting the facilities, visit http://www.nasa.gov/topics/shuttle_station/features/shuttle_map.html.

For more information about NASA's placement of the space shuttle orbiters, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition.

For information about the Space Shuttle Program, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

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NASA Administrator Announces Shuttle Distribution

At a ceremony held at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden announced that Atlantis would be placed on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Discovery would be donated to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport near Washington, D.C., Endeavour would be displayed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, and the Enterprise prototype would be transferred from the Udvar-Hazy Center to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City.

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NASA To Hold 30th Anniversary Ceremony At Kennedy Space Center And Announce Permanent Space Shuttle Locations

Michael Curie

Headquarters, Washington                                        

 

Allard Beutel

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will participate in a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Tuesday, April 12 on the 30th anniversary of the first space shuttle launch. During the 1 p.m. EDT ceremony, Bolden and Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana will honor the shuttle work force's dedication, which has made it possible for NASA to take the next steps in exploration and retire the shuttle fleet later this year.

During the ceremony, which will feature an astronaut from the first shuttle mission, Bolden also will name the four institutions that will receive a shuttle orbiter for permanent display. The announcement and ceremony will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

At 3 p.m. on April 12, NASA will hold a media teleconference to discuss the placement of the orbiters. Senior NASA officials will be available to answer questions. Journalists interested in participating in the teleconference should call 202-358-1100 prior to noon Tuesday to receive dial-in instructions. The teleconference will be streamed live at http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio.

The 1 p.m. ceremony is open to Kennedy employees and will take place outside the hangar for shuttle Atlantis, known as Orbiter Processing Facility-1. Atlantis is being prepared for its upcoming STS-135 mission to the International Space Station, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program.

U.S. journalists who want to cover the event must apply online for NASA media credentials by 5 p.m. on April 11 at https://media.ksc.nasa.gov.

International accreditation for this event is closed. Badged media need to arrive at Kennedy's Press Site Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. for transportation to the event.

For more information about NASA's placement of the space shuttle orbiters, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition.

For information about the Space Shuttle Program, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

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