April 19, 2008 Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-3749 katherine.trinidad@nasa.gov John Ira Petty Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 john.i.petty@nasa.gov RELEASE: 08-105 EXPEDITION 16 SOYUZ LANDS SAFELY IN KAZAKHSTAN HOUSTON - NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, the first female commander of the International Space Station, returned to Earth at approximately 4:30 a.m. EDT Saturday, ending a mission during which she conducted five spacewalks and set a new record in American spaceflight. Wh ...Continue Reading

April 18, 2008 Allard Beutel Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 allard.beutel@nasa.gov Marie Guma-Diaz University of Miami, Fla. 305-284-1601 m.gumadiaz@umiami.edu RELEASE: 08-104 NASA DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR AND FLORIDA GOVERNOR DISCUSS BENEFITS OF SPACE EXPLORATION AT MIAMI FUTURE FORUM MIAMI -- NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist discussed Friday how space exploration gives Floridians a more competitive economy and better quality of life during a NASA Future Forum at the Uni ...Continue Reading

April 17, 2008 Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-3749 katherine.trinidad@nasa.gov Nicole Cloutier-LeMasters Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 nicole.cloutier@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-081 NASA TO BROADCAST EARTH VIEWS IN HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISION HOUSTON -- Since humans first flew in space, nothing has captivated astronauts more than the view of home out the window of their spacecraft. In honor of Earth Day, April 22, NASA will make those views available to people here on Earth wi ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 16 April 2008. -- FIRE (3 updated events, 3 new images) -- FIRES NORTH OF AMUR RIVER, RUSSIA In early March 2008, fires burned across the wintry landscape north of the Amur River in Russia’s Far East. In April, the fires became larger, smokier, and more widespread. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14786 *** MODIS(Aqua) image from Apr 15 2008 (Posted on Apr 17 2008 12:24PM) FIRES IN SOUTHERN RUSSIA D ...Continue Reading

April 16, 2008 Dwayne Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-080 NASA TURNS GREEN WITH NATIONWIDE EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES WASHINGTON -- NASA centers across America will roll out the green carpet April 22 to celebrate Earth Day and reporters are invited to hear first hand about the agency's contributions to understanding and protecting our environment. NASA Earth research missions study all aspects of our planet, from its oceans, land surfaces and atmosphere, to it ...Continue Reading

April 16, 2008 Dwayne Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov RELEASE: 08-103 NASA STATEMENT ON STUDENT ASTEROID CALCULATIONS WASHINGTON -- The Near-Earth Object Program Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., has not changed its current estimates for the very low probability (1 in 45,000) of an Earth impact by the asteroid Apophis in 2036. Contrary to recent press reports, NASA offices involved in near-Earth object research were not contacted and have had no ...Continue Reading

April 16, 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: 08-102 NEW NASA MOON MISSION BEGINS INTEGRATION OF SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS GREENBELT, Md. -- Several instruments that will help NASA characterize the moon's surface have been installed on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO. The powerful equipment will bring the moon into sharper focus and reveal new insights ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 15 April 2008. -- DUST AND SMOKE (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- HAZE OVER THE CASPIAN SEA A hazy plume drifted over the northern end of the Caspian Sea in early April 2008. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14782 *** MODIS(Terra) image from Apr 12 2008 (Posted on Apr 14 2008 4:10PM) -- FLOOD (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- FLOODS IN NORTHEAST BRAZIL Extensive floods swept over the normally dry northeastern corner of Brazil in the wake of heavy rain ...Continue Reading

April 15, 2008 Grey Hautaluoma Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0668 grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov Emily Outen Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. 757-864-7022 emily.s.outen@nasa.gov Jennifer Morcone Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256 544-7199 Jennifer.J.Morcone@nasa.gov RELEASE: 08-101 NASA COMPLETES FIRST FULL-SCALE MOTOR TEST FOR ORION SPACECRAFT WASHINGTON -- NASA has completed the first full-scale rocket motor test for the Constellation Program's Orion spacecraft, a test of a solid rocket ...Continue Reading

April 15, 2008 Michael Curie Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4715 michael.curie@nasa.gov CONTRACT RELEASE: C08-020 NASA AWARDS SPACE STATION WATER CONTRACT TO HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded a sole-source contract to Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International Inc., Windsor Locks, Conn., for water production services aboard the International Space Station. The firm fixed-price contract has a potential value of $65 million and extends through Sept. 30, 2014. Hamilton Sundstrand will prov ...Continue Reading