Dec. 31, 2008 Sonja Alexander Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1761 sonja.r.alexander@nasa.gov Jonas Dino Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. 650-604-5612 jonas.dino@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-271 NASA KICKS OFF 2009 FIRST ROBOTICS SEASON WITH LIVE BROADCAST MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. - NASA Television will broadcast the annual FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Kickoff event on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009, at 7 a.m. PST from Southern ...Continue Reading

There is 1 message totalling 42 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. NASA REPORT REVIEWS CREW SAFETY MEASURES DURING COLUMBIA ACCIDENT, RECOMMENDS IMPROVEMENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:24:11 -0600 From: info@JSC.NASA.GOV Subject: NASA REPORT REVIEWS CREW SAFETY MEASURES DURING COLUMBIA ACCIDENT, RECOMMENDS IMPROVEMENTS Dec. 30, 2008 James Hartsfield Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 Report #M08-269 NASA REPORT REVIEWS C ...Continue Reading

The following sections have been updated in the past 1 days. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- DUST, SMOKE, AND HAZE (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- HAZE OVER INDIA AND THE BAY OF BENGAL Thick haze collected south of the Himalaya in early December 2008, continuing a weeks-long pattern. * http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=36278 *** MODIS(Aqua) image from Dec 29, 2008 (Posted on Dec 29, 2008 4:24 PM) -- VOLCANOES AND EARTHQUAKES (1 updated event ...Continue Reading

Dec. 30, 2008 James Hartsfield Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 james.a.hartsfield@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-269 NASA REPORT REVIEWS CREW SAFETY MEASURES DURING COLUMBIA ACCIDENT, RECOMMENDS IMPROVEMENTS HOUSTON -- NASA has completed a comprehensive study of crew safety equipment and procedures used during the space shuttle Columbia accident with recommendations for improving the safety of all future human spaceflights. A media teleconference will be held at 3 ...Continue Reading

Dec. 29, 2008 Dwayne Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov Guy Webster Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-354-6278 guy.webster@jpl.nasa.gov RELEASE: 08-337 MARS ROVERS NEAR FIVE YEARS OF SCIENCE AND DISCOVERY PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity may still have big achievements ahead as they approach the fifth anniversaries of their memorable landings on Mars. Of the hundreds of engineers and scientists who cheered at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laborator ...Continue Reading

Dec. 29, 2008 Dwayne Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov Guy Webster Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-354-6278 guy.webster@jpl.nasa.gov RELEASE: 08-337 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS CHIEF HOPKINS LEAVING NASA PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity may still have big achievements ahead as they approach the fifth anniversaries of their memorable landings on Mars. Of the hundreds of engineers and scientists who cheered at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory ...Continue Reading

The following sections have been updated in the past 3 days. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- SEVERE STORMS (1 updated events, 2 new images) -- CYCLONE BILLY Tropical Cyclone Billy made landfall in Western Australia in late December 2008. The storm was expected to bring heavy rainfall and local flooding to parts of the Kimberley Coast. On December 28, 2008, the storm was downgraded to an ex-tropical cyclone and was anticipated to pose no further treat to the coastal communit ...Continue Reading

Dec. 29, 2008 Al Feinberg Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1058 al.feinberg@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-270 NASA TV TO AIR SPACE STATION CREW'S NEW YEAR'S MESSAGE WASHINGTON -- NASA TV will air a special New Year's message from International Space Station Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke and Flight Engineer Sandy Magnus beginning on Monday's noon EST Video File (newsfeed). From their vantage point 220 miles above Earth, the astronauts express their year-end thoughts ...Continue Reading

The following sections have been updated in the past 1 days. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- DUST, SMOKE, AND HAZE (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- DUST PLUMES FROM THE BODELE DEPRESSION Dual dust plumes blew out of the Bodele Depression in late December 2008. * http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=36266 *** MODIS(Aqua) image from Dec 22, 2008 (Posted on Dec 23, 2008 4:14 PM) --------------------------------------------------------------------- ...Continue Reading

Dec. 23, 2008 Michael Braukus Headquarters, Washington 202-669-1886 michael.j.braukus@nasa.gov RELEASE: 08-336 NASA RESPONSE TO AVIATION WEEK AND SPACE TECHNOLOGY ARTICLE WASHINGTON -- NASA recently submitted the following response to Aviation Week: Unfortunately, Aviation Week's recent article of Dec. 21, 2008, entitled "Bush Administration Nixed NASA's U.S.-China Cooperation Idea," is inaccurate and misleading. As an initial matter, NASA has never asked the White House for a cooperative miss ...Continue Reading