Jan. 11, 2008 Michael Curie Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4715 michael.curie@nasa.gov James Hartsfield Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 james.a.hartsfield@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-06 NASA ANNOUNCES SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH TARGETS HOUSTON - NASA Friday announced Feb. 7 as the target launch date for shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission to the International Space Station and mid-March for the launch of Endeavour on STS-123. Liftoff of Atlantis from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., will be at 2:47 p.m ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 10 January 2008. -- DUST AND SMOKE (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- HAZE OVER INDIA, BANGLADESH, AND THE BAY OF BENGAL Haze hung over India, Bangladesh, and the Bay of Bengal in early January 2008. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14685 *** MODIS(Aqua) image from Jan 10 2008 (Posted on Jan 10 2008 3:11PM) -- FIRE (2 updated events, 2 new images) -- AGRICULTURAL FIRES IN WEST AFRICA In the grasslands and savannas of West Africa, widespread agricultural b ...Continue Reading

Jan. 10, 2008 Beth Dickey/Stephanie Schierholz Headquarters, Washington 202-358-2087/4997 beth.dickey-1@nasa.gov, stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov Nancy Neal Jones Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 301-286-0039 nancy.n.jones@nasa.gov RELEASE: 08-004 NASA'S NEXT MOON MISSION SPACECRAFT UNDERGOING CRITICAL TESTS GREENBELT, Md. - NASA's next mission to Earth's closest astronomical body is in the midst of integration and testing at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The Lunar Reconnaissance ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 09 January 2008. -- DUST AND SMOKE (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- DUST STORM OVER THE PERSIAN GULF Dust plumes blew over the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman in early January 2008. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14684 *** MODIS(Terra) image from Jan 07 2008 (Posted on Jan 09 2008 5:41PM) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Natural Hazards is a service of NASA's Earth Observatory. http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/ ...Continue Reading

Jan. 10, 2008 Dwayne Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov Paulette Campbell Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md. 240-228-6792 paulette.campbell@jhuapl.edu RELEASE: 08-003 NASA SPACECRAFT TO MAKE HISTORIC FLYBY OF MERCURY LAUREL, Md. - On Monday, Jan. 14, a pioneering NASA spacecraft will be the first to visit Mercury in almost 33 years when it soars over the planet to explore and snap close-up images of never-before-seen terrain. These findings could op ...Continue Reading

Jan. 10, 2008 Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-3749 katherine.trinidad@nasa.gov Nicole Cloutier-Lemasters Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 nicole.cloutier-1@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-05 NASA ASTRONAUTS OFFER FITNESS TIPS, INSPIRATION FOR NEW YEAR HOUSTON - For those who set fitness goals as part of their New Year's resolutions, NASA astronauts who have lived aboard the International Space Station have a few tips to face the challenge. Astronauts on the station are required to wor ...Continue Reading

Jan. 9, 2008 David Mould Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1898/1400 RELEASE: 08-002 AERONAUTICS ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR DEPARTS NASA FOR NEW POSITION WASHINGTON - Lisa J. Porter, NASA's associate administrator of the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, announced Wednesday her decision to leave the agency, effective Feb. 1. Porter is leaving NASA to become the first director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin expressed his appreciation for Porter ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 08 January 2008. -- DUST AND SMOKE (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- DUST OFF AFRICA, OVER CAPE VERDE Dust plumes blew off the west coast of Africa while a large haze of dust hung over Cape Verde in early January 2008. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14681 *** MODIS(Aqua) image from Jan 08 2008 (Posted on Jan 09 2008 1:47PM) -- FIRE (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- FIRES IN FITZGERALD RIVER NATIONAL PARK, AUSTRALIA In southern Western Australia's Fit ...Continue Reading

Jan. 8, 2008 Grey Hautaluoma Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0668 grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov Ray Villard Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore 410-338-4514 villard@stsci.edu Chris Danielson National Federation of the Blind, Baltimore 410-659-9314 ext. 2330 cdanielson@nfb.org MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-04 NASA TO UNVEIL BRAILLE BOOK WITH COSMIC IMAGES BALTIMORE - NASA will debut a new book for blind readers at a media event and reception Jan. 15. The agency will unveil "Touch the Invisible Sky," which ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 07 January 2008. -- FLOOD (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- SEASONAL FLOODS BEGIN EARLY IN SOUTHERN AFRICA By February or March during the typical southern African rainy season, the intense rain puddles on the saturated ground and pushes brimming rivers, reservoirs, and lakes over their banks. In 2008, the floods began in January. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14678 *** MODIS(Aqua) image from Jan 04 2008 (Posted on Jan 08 2008 1:54PM) ----------------- ...Continue Reading