Dec. 31, 2009 Dwayne Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov Guy Webster/Veronica McGregor Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-354-5011 guy.webster@jpl.nasa.gov, veronica.mcgregor@jpl.nasa.gov RELEASE: 09-297 NASA'S MARS ROVER HAS UNCERTAIN FUTURE AS SIXTH ANNIVERSARY NEARS PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's Mars rover Spirit will mark six years of unprecedented science exploration and inspiration for the American public on Sunday. However, the upcoming Martian winter coul ...Continue Reading

The following sections have been updated in the past 1 days. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- VOLCANOES AND EARTHQUAKES (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- MAYON VOLCANO THREATENS MAJOR ERUPTION In late-December 2009, the volcano hazard at Mayon Volcano in the Philippines reached Alert Level 4, which means “a hazardous explosive eruption is possible within days.” * http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov ...Continue Reading

Dec. 30, 2009 Stephanie Schierholz Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4997 stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov Madeline Smith Winter High School, Winter, Wis. 715-266-3301 msmith@winter.k12.wi.us MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-246 WINTER HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNUS IN ORBIT ON SPACE STATION WILL TALK WITH WISCONSIN STUDENTS, STATE REPRESENTATIVE HOUSTON -- Wisconsin Rep. Mary Williams will attend a discussion Jan. 6, 2010, among astronauts orbiting 220 miles above Earth and students from two Wisconsin schools. International Space ...Continue Reading

Jonathan's Space Report No. 620 2009 Dec 30 Somerville, MA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A happy 2010 to all my readers! Those of you at the American Astronomical Society next week, please stop by the Chandra booth and say hi. Shuttle and Station -------------------- Soyuz TMA-17 was launched on Dec 20 carrying Oleg Kotov, T.J. Creamer and Soichi Noguchi on their way to join Expedition 22 crewmembers Jeff Williams and Ma ...Continue Reading

Dec. 29, 2009 Dwayne Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov RELEASE: 09-296 NASA CHOOSES THREE FINALISTS FOR FUTURE SPACE SCIENCE MISSION TO VENUS, AN ASTEROID OR THE MOON WASHINGTON -- NASA has selected three proposals as candidates for the agency's next space venture to another celestial body in our solar system. The final project selected in mid-2011 may provide a better understanding of Earth's formation or perhaps the origin of life on our planet. The proposed missions wo ...Continue Reading

Dec. 29, 2009 Stephanie Schierholz Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4997 stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov Marny Skora Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. 757-864-6121/344-6111 marny.skora@nasa.gov CONTRACT RELEASE: C09-059 NASA AWARDS CONTRACT FOR FABRICATION SERVICES TO HAMPTON, VA., FIRM HAMPTON, Va. -- NASA has selected Science and Technology Corp. of Hampton, Va., to provide fabrication support services to NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton. The value of the indefinite delivery indefinite qu ...Continue Reading

The following sections have been updated in the past 1 days. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- DUST, SMOKE, AND HAZE (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- DUST OVER EASTERN CHINA Dust hovered over eastern China in late December 2009. Much of the dust likely arose in Mongolia. * http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=42102&src=nha *** MODIS(Terra) image from Dec 25, 2009 (Posted on Dec 28, 2009 2:18 PM) -- VOLCANOES AND EARTHQUAKES (1 updated events, 1 ne ...Continue Reading

The following sections have been updated in the past 3 days. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- FIRES (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- FIRES IN WESTERN AFRICA Agricultural fires burned in western Africa in early December 2009. * http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=42094&src=nha *** MODIS(Aqua) image from Dec 26, 2009 (Posted on Dec 28, 2009 12:20 PM) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Natural Hazards is a servic ...Continue Reading

The following sections have been updated in the past 1 days. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- VOLCANOES AND EARTHQUAKES (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- SOUFRIERE HILLS VOLCANO RESUMES ACTIVITY After 10 months of relative quiet, Soufriere Hills Volcano on the Caribbean island Montserrat blasted ash into the sky in early October 2009. It remained active in December 2009. * http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=42055&src=nha *** MODIS(Aqua) image fr ...Continue Reading

Dec. 23, 2009 John Yembrick Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov Josh Byerly Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 josh.byerly@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-245 NASA ASTRONAUTS PLAN LONG DISTANCE CALL TO SEND HOLIDAY GREETINGS AND TALK ABOUT LIFE IN SPACE WITH U.S. FORCES IN IRAQ HOUSTON -- Some U.S. forces in Iraq will get the chance during the holidays to talk with two NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station who also are far away from their families and ...Continue Reading