NASA in the News
NASA announced plans to partner with Microsoft to develop technology that will make planetary images and data more readily available to the public. “Making NASA’s scientific and astronomical data more accessible to the public is a high priority for NASA, especially given the new administration’s recent emphasis on open government and transparency,” said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The project, WorldWide Telescope, is an online virtual telescope that allows users to explore NASA content, such as high-resolution scientific images and data from Mars and the moon. Additional information and a free download of WorldWide Telescope can be found at www.worldwidetelescope.org.
Upcoming Events
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon and the successful recovery of the mission’s astronauts by the famous aircraft carrier USS Hornet. This July 24–26, the USS Hornet Museum will be hosting a weekend of special events called Splashdown 2009, commemorating the ship’s remarkable place in space and naval history. Festivities are open to the public and will include ship tours, special interactive exhibits, and opportunities for visitors to meet various representatives from NASA and the space industry, including astronauts, key naval officers, recovery pilots, and former USS Hornet crew. Find out more about Splashdown 2009 at www.uss-hornet.org.
Learning and Exploration
NASA has released FROZEN, its second major production for the Science on a Sphere platform. Developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Science on a Sphere technology gives viewers the sense that a globe is suspended in space before them as clouds and images of other climate features swirl over its surface. Goddard Space Flight Center’s Science Visualization Studio helped collect data from various satellites and turn them into images for the spherical film. To learn more about FROZEN and find cities where this unique cinema-in-the-round will be installed, visit www.nasa.gov/externalflash/frozen.
Web of Knowledge
Want to keep up with NASA’s activities? The Agency has jumped into social networking sites to give the public more insight into its activities, including live reporting during spacewalks and answers to questions in real time. Connect with NASA through social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and more at www.nasa.gov/collaborate/index.html.
For More on Our Stories
Additional information pertaining to articles featured in this issue can be found by visiting the following Web sites:
Constellation
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/main/index.html
Space Shuttle
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main
Mars Science Laboratory
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