The following sections were updated since 20 December 2007. -- DUST AND SMOKE (2 updated events, 2 new images) -- BODELE DEPRESSION DUST STORM Dust-storm activity picked up in the Bodele Depression in mid-December 2007. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14664 *** MODIS(Aqua) image from Dec 20 2007 (Posted on Dec 21 2007 1:59PM) DUST STORM OVER TURKEY, SYRIA, AND IRAQ A dust storm formed over the borders of Turkey, Syria, and Iraq on December 20, 2007. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3? ...Continue Reading

Dec. 21, 2007 David E. Steitz Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1730 david.steitz@nasa.gov RELEASE: 07-285 NASA SPINOFF 2007 HIGHLIGHTS SPACE INNOVATION IN EVERYDAY LIFE WASHINGTON - NASA's Spinoff 2007, an annual online and print publication featuring NASA space technologies that provide practical, tangible benefits to society, is now available. Spinoff 2007 highlights 39 new examples of how NASA innovation can be transferred to the commercial market place and applied to areas such as health and medicine, tran ...Continue Reading

Dec. 21, 2007 David E. Steitz Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1730 david.steitz@nasa.gov Chris Rink Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. 757-864-6786/344-7711 christopher.p.rink@nasa.gov RELEASE: 07-287 NASA NAMES NEW COMPOSITE GOVERNMENT INVENTION OF THE YEAR HAMPTON, Va. - A device that can act like muscle and nerves to expand and contract surfaces is the 2006 NASA Government Invention of the Year. NASA's Macro-Fiber Composite, or MFC, can be attached to a structure to bend it, reduce vibrations and monito ...Continue Reading

Dec. 21, 2007 John Yembrick Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0602 john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov Nicole Cloutier-Lemaster Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 nicole.cloutier-1@nasa.gov RELEASE: 07-286 ASTRONAUT DAN TANI'S STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF HIS MOTHER WASHINGTON - The following statement is from Daniel Tani, NASA astronaut and Expedition 16 flight engineer on the International Space Station, regarding the death of his mother. "I would like to thank everyone who has expressed their condolences du ...Continue Reading

Dec. 21, 2007 Grey Hautaluoma Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0668 grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov RELEASE: 07-283 NASA DELAYS MARS SCOUT MISSION TO 2013 WASHINGTON - NASA announced today that the next mission in the Mars Scout program, originally planned for launch in 2011, is now targeted for launch in 2013. The schedule slip is because of an organizational conflict of interest that was discovered in one of the mission proposal team's Phase A Concept Study. This was the shortest delay for the mission possible ...Continue Reading

Dec. 20, 2007 Michael Curie Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4715 michael.curie@nasa.gov Cynthia M. O'Carroll Goddard Space Flight Center, Md. 301-286-4647 cynthia.m.ocarroll@nasa.gov CONTRACT RELEASE: C07-064 NASA AWARDS TRACKING AND DATA RELAY SATELLITE CONTRACT WASHINGTON - NASA has awarded a contract to Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc. in El Segundo, Calif., for two satellites that will replenish the NASA communication relay network that provides telecommunications links between low Earth orbiting spacecraft ...Continue Reading

Dec. 20, 2007 Grey Hautaluoma Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0668 grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-190 NASA TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT MARS SCOUT EVALUATION SCHEDULE WASHINGTON - NASA will hold a media teleconference at 11 a.m. EST, on Friday, Dec. 21, to make an announcement about the schedule for evaluating its Mars Scout program. Mars Exploration Program Director Doug McCuistion will be the briefer. To participate in the teleconference, news media representatives should call 800-857-5735. ...Continue Reading

This Call for Papers is sent on behalf of SHOT. Best wishes to all for the Holidays, Steve Dick Dr. Steven J. Dick NASA Chief Historian Director, NASA History Division Office of External Relations NASA Headquarters 300 E Street SW Washington, D.C. 20546-0001 202 358 0383 (PH) 202 358 2866 (Fax) steven.j.dick@nasa.gov *From:* Martina Hessler [mailto:hessler@em.uni-frankfurt.de] *Sent:* Wednesday, December 12, 2007 6:58 AM *To:* Dick, Steven J. (HQ-TC000) *Subject:* call for paper - Shot Dear Dr. Steven Dick, may I ask ...Continue Reading

Dec. 20, 2007 John Yembrick Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0602 john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov James Hartsfield Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 james.a.hartsfield@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-189 NASA TV COVERAGE SET FOR HOLIDAY DELIVERY TO SPACE STATION HOUSTON - NASA Television will provide live coverage of the arrival of a new shipment of food, fuel, supplies and holiday gifts to the International Space Station on the morning after Christmas. Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and flight engineers ...Continue Reading

Dec. 20, 2007 John Yembrick Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0602 john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov James Rostohar Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 james.a.rostohar@nasa.gov RELEASE: 07-282 NASA STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF ASTRONAUT DAN TANI'S MOTHER WASHINGTON - The following statement is from Michael Coats, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, regarding the Wednesday, Dec. 19, death of International Space Station Flight Engineer Daniel Tani's mother. "The entire NASA family grieves with Dan ...Continue Reading