May 13, 2008 Sonja Alexander Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1761 sonja.r.alexander@nasa.gov Rachel Prucey Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. 650-604-0643 rachel.l.prucey@nasa.gov RELEASE: 08-123 NASA'S INSULATION MATERIAL NAMED NASA GOVERNMENT INVENTION OF 2007 MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- The 2007 NASA Government Invention of the Year is a heat shield material slightly more dense than balsa wood that is designed to protect spacecraft during their fiery re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. The Lightweigh ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 12 May 2008. -- FIRE (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- FIRES IN MEXICO AND GUATEMALA Fires are common in southern Mexico and northern Central America during the February-May dry season. In early May 2008, scores of fires were burning across the Yucatan and Guatemala. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14831 *** MODIS(Terra) image from May 11 2008 (Posted on May 13 2008 8:43AM) -- STORM (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- TYPHOON RAMMASUN Typhoon Rammasun ...Continue Reading

May 13, 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 Sara Hammond University of Arizona, Tucson 520-626-1974 shammond@lpl.arizona.edu RELEASE: 08-122 NASA PHOENIX MISSION READY FOR MARS LANDING WASHINGTON -- NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is preparing to end its long journey and begin a three-month mission to taste and sniff fistfuls of Martian soil and buried ice. The lander is sch ...Continue Reading

May 12, 2008 Michael Curie Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4715 michael.curie@nasa.gov Jennifer Morcone Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256-544-7199 jennifer.j.morcone@nasa.gov RELEASE: 08-119 NEW WATER RECLAMATION SYSTEM HEADED FOR DUTY ON SPACE STATION HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- International Space Station crews soon will have a new water reclamation system that will recycle wastewater, allowing up to six crew members to live aboard the orbiting laboratory. The latest addition to the station's lif ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 09 May 2008. -- FLOOD (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- CYCLONE NARGIS FLOODS BURMA (MYANMAR) The first cyclone of the season in the northern Indian Ocean was a devastating one for Burma (Myanmar). At least 20,000 people were killed, and thousands more were missing as of May 9,2008. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14828 *** ETM+(Landsat 7) image from May 05 2008 (Posted on May 09 2008 4:54PM) -- VOLCANO (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- CHAITEN VOLCAN ...Continue Reading

May 12, 2008 John Yembrick Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0602 john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov Candrea Thomas Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-094 NASA ANNOUNCES NEWS CONFERENCE ON STATUS OF NEXT SHUTTLE LAUNCH CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA managers have scheduled a news conference at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for no earlier than 4 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 19, to discuss the status of the next space shuttle launch. The news conference will begin after the ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 08 May 2008. -- DUST AND SMOKE (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- DUST OVER THE PERSIAN GULF Thick dust hovered over the northern tip of the Persian Gulf in early May 2008. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14824 *** MODIS(Terra) image from May 07 2008 (Posted on May 08 2008 4:28PM) -- FLOOD (1 updated events, 2 new images) -- CYCLONE NARGIS FLOODS BURMA (MYANMAR) The first cyclone of the season in the northern Indian Ocean was a devastating one for Burma ...Continue Reading

May 8, 2008 Stephanie Schierholz/Grey Hautaluoma Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4997/0668 stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov, grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov Kimberly Newton Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256-544-0034 kimberly.d.newton@nasa.gov Paul Foerman Stennis Space Center, Bay St. Louis, Miss. 228-688-1880 paul.foerman-1@nasa.gov RELEASE: 08-116 NASA SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES FIRST SERIES OF ARES ENGINE TESTS STENNIS, Miss. -- NASA engineers Thursday successfully completed the first series of tests ...Continue Reading

May 8, 2008 David E. Steitz Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1730 ldavid.steitz@nasa.gov Kelly Humphries Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. 650-604-5026 kelly.o.humphries@nasa.gov Lisa Croel The Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose, Calif. 408-795-6219 lcroel@thetech.org MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-091 NASA TO ANNOUNCE EDUCATION INITIATIVE AT SAN JOSE FUTURE FORUM SAN JOSE, Calif. -- NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale will announce a significant new education initiative at a NASA Future Forum on May 14 at The ...Continue Reading

May 8, 2008 Stephanie Schierholz/Grey Hautaluoma Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4997/0668 stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov, grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov George H. Diller Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 george.h.diller@nasa.gov CONTRACT RELEASE: C08-025 NASA AWARDS CONTRACT FOR ARES I MOBILE LAUNCHER CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Kennedy Space Center has awarded a contract to Hensel Phelps of Orlando, Fla., for the construction of the Ares I mobile launcher for the Constellation Program. Ares I is the rock ...Continue Reading