Dec. 12, 2007 J.D. Harrington Headquarters, Washington 202-358-5241 j.d.harrington@nasa.gov Kathy Barnstorff Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. 757-864-9886/344-8511 kathy.barnstorff@nasa.gov Bill Harris First Flight Society, Kitty Hawk, N.C. 252-261-6159 kittyhawker@embarqmail.com RELEASE: 07-277 SUPERSONIC FLIGHT PIONEER WELCOMED INTO FIRST FLIGHT SHRINE HAMPTON, Va. - Aeronautics engineer Richard T. Whitcomb, whose NASA research made supersonic flight possible, will join other aerospace pioneers when he ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 11 December 2007. -- FIRE (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- KANGAROO ISLAND BUSHFIRES Fires have been burning in and near several parks and conservation areas on South Australia's Kangaroo Island for nearly a week in mid-December 2007. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14655 *** MODIS(Terra) image from Dec 12 2007 (Posted on Dec 12 2007 1:50PM) -- UNIQUE IMAGERY (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- OIL SPILL OFF SOUTH KOREA Tons of crude oil spilled from ...Continue Reading

<<nltrc.pdf>> <<flyer-hypersonics.doc>> Attached is the latest NASA History News and Notes newsletter, chock full of interesting and useful information.  The newsletter is also available at _http://history.nasa.gov/nltrc.pdf_ and prior editions are available from _http://history.nasa.gov/histnews.htm_ online. We are also pleased to announce the publication of/ Facing the Heat Barrier:  A History of Hypersonics/ (NASA SP-2007-4232) by T.A. Heppenheimer.  Also attached is a fly ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 10 December 2007. -- FLOOD (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- FLOODS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST An intense December storm caused floods and landslides in Washington and Oregon. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14653 *** MODIS(Terra) image from Dec 08 2007 (Posted on Dec 10 2007 4:20PM) -- STORM (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- KONA LOW OVER HAWAII A persistent low pressure system, known as a Kona Low, brought several days of high winds, heavy rains and e ...Continue Reading

Dec. 11, 2007 Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-3749 katherine.trinidad@nasa.gov James Hartsfield Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 james.a.hartsfield@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-182 STATION CREW, NASA MANAGERS HOLD NEWS CONFERENCES THURSDAY HOUSTON - NASA will hold two news conferences Thursday, Dec. 13, to discuss the status of the International Space Station and the work of the Expedition 16 crew. NASA Television will broadcast both events live, and reporters will be able to ask q ...Continue Reading

Dec. 11, 2007 Tabatha Thompson Headquarters, Washington 202-358-3895 tabatha.thompson-1@nasa.gov RELEASE: 07-275 AMAZING GRACE TEAM RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARD SAN FRANCISCO - A mission that has changed the way we study Earth's gravitational forces has been recognized by a prestigious award for helping scientists better understand our home planet. NASA and the U.S. Department of the Interior presented the coveted William T. Pecora Award to the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment mission team and Stanley A. ...Continue Reading

Dec. 11, 2007 Grey Hautaluoma Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0668 grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov RELEASE: 07-274 NEW NASA MISSION TO REVEAL MOON'S INTERNAL STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION WASHINGTON - At a Monday meeting of the American Geophysical Union, NASA's Associate Administrator for Science Alan Stern announced the selection of a new mission that will peer deep inside the moon to reveal its anatomy and history. The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, mission is a part of NASA's Discovery Program. ...Continue Reading

Dec. 11, 2007 Michael Curie Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4715 michael.curie@nasa.gov Kyle Herring Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 kyle.j.herring@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-180 NASA ANNOUNCES TELECONFERENCE ABOUT SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH PLAN HOUSTON - NASA will host a media teleconference with Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale at approximately 2:30 p.m. CST, Tuesday, Dec. 11, to discuss the status of shuttle Atlantis' launch on the upcoming STS-122 mission. The teleconference will follow a ...Continue Reading

Dec. 10, 2007 Dwayne Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov RELEASE: 07-269 INTERNATIONAL GROUP PLANS STRATEGY FOR MARS SAMPLE RETURN MISSION WASHINGTON - NASA and an international team are developing plans and seeking recommendations to launch the first Mars mission to bring soil samples back to Earth. The ability to study soil from Mars here on Earth will contribute significantly to answering questions about the possibility of life on the Red Planet. Returned samples also will in ...Continue Reading

As the near-real time users may have noticed, there is a break in the QuikSCAT data stream between Dec 6 and Dec 7 after the system was put in a receive only operational mode, in response to unexpected scatterometer subsystems power reset. There is no evidence that links this incident with the recent battery cell problem. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= User Services Office Physical Oceanography DAAC Email: podaac@podaac.jpl.nasa.gov Jet Propulsion ...Continue Reading