May 1, 2008 Grey Hautaluoma Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0668 grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov Nancy Neal Jones Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 301-286-0039 nancy.n.jones@nasa.gov RELEASE: 08-110 SEND YOUR NAME TO THE MOON WITH NEW LUNAR MISSION WASHINGTON -- NASA invites people of all ages to join the lunar exploration journey with an opportunity to send their names to the moon aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, spacecraft. The Send Your Name to the Moon Web site enables everyone to p ...Continue Reading

QuikSCAT Follow-on Mission Concept Study (JPL Publication 08-18, April 2008). http://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/WEB_INFO/QFO_MissionConceptReport_JPL_08-18.pdf To continue to meet the Nation's need for operational ocean surface vector winds (OSVW) observations beyond QuikSCAT, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tasked the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to design and provide costs for a set of QuikSCAT Follow-On mission options. Three scenarios were examined: 1) a QuikSCAT Replacement mission with c ...Continue Reading

April 30, 2008 Michael Curie Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4715 michael.curie@nasa.gov Steve Roy Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256-544-0034 steven.e.roy@nasa.gov CONTRACT RELEASE: C08-024 NASA AWARDS EXTERNAL TANK CONTRACT MODIFICATION WASHINGTON -- NASA has signed a $39.5 million contract modification with Lockheed Martin Space Systems, New Orleans, to implement an external tank program employee retention plan. Incentives are being provided to eligible external tank personnel to ensure miss ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 29 April 2008. -- DUST AND SMOKE (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- DUST STORM OVER THE ARAL SEA A large dust storm blew westward from the Aral Sea in late April 2008. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14808 *** MODIS(Aqua) image from Apr 29 2008 (Posted on Apr 29 2008 10:44AM) -- STORM (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- CYCLONE NARGIS The formation of Tropical Cyclone Nargis in the Bay of Bengal in late April 2008 coincides with the start of cyclone seas ...Continue Reading

April 30, 2008 Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-3749 katherine.trinidad@nasa.gov Allard Beutel Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 allard.beutel@nasa.gov Andrea Farmer Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Fla. 321-449-4318 afarmer@dncinc.com MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-085 NASA TV TO AIR 2008 U.S. ASTRONAUT HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Television will provide live coverage of the 2008 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, May 3, at 3 p.m. EDT. The cer ...Continue Reading

April 29, 2008 Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-3749 katherine.trinidad@nasa.gov Candrea Thomas Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-084 NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY TO MOVE TO LAUNCH PAD SATURDAY CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Saturday, May 3, as preparations for the STS-124 mission move forward. Discovery is targeted to lift off May 31 on a ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 28 April 2008. -- CROPS AND DROUGHT (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- RECORD CROPS IN INDIA With the harvest in the spring of 2008, India was set to produce a record rice and corn crop. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14806 *** MODIS(Terra) image from Apr 05 2008 (Posted on Apr 28 2008 12:35PM) -- VOLCANO (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- NEW ACTIVITY ON KILAUEA On March 19, 2008, a small explosion erupted from Kilauea's summit crater. The volcano rem ...Continue Reading

April 28, 2008 John Yembrick Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0602 john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov Kylie Clem Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 kylie.clem@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-083 HOME FROM SPACE, IOWA ASTRONAUT PEGGY WHITSON SET FOR INTERVIEWS HOUSTON - NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson of Iowa, who returned to Earth April 19 after approximately six months on the International Space Station, will be available for satellite interviews from 6 to 8 a.m. CDT on Friday, May 2. Whitson, the first female comma ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 25 April 2008. -- DUST AND SMOKE (2 updated events, 2 new images) -- SAHARAN DUST STORM Dust plumes blew westward across the Sahara Desert in late April 2008. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14804 *** MODIS(Terra) image from Apr 26 2008 (Posted on Apr 28 2008 1:04PM) DUST STORM OVER EASTERN CHINA Dust and clouds formed a giant swirl over eastern China in late April 2008. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14802 *** MODIS(Terra) image fro ...Continue Reading

April 25, 2008 Sonja Alexander Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1761 sonja.r.alexander@nasa.gov Dewayne Washington Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 301-286-0040 dewayne.a.washington@nasa.gov RELEASE: 08-108 ASTRONAUTS TO MAKE VIRTUAL CONNECTION WITH STUDENTS GREENBELT, MD -- Astronauts flying on a space shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope for a final time will speak to middle school students across America simultaneously at 1:15 p.m. EDT, April 30, from NASA's Goddard Space Fli ...Continue Reading