NASA

June 14, 2008 -- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery and its crew landed at 11:15 a.m. EDT Saturday, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., completing a 14-day journey of more than 5.7 million miles in space. The STS-124 mission was the second of three flights to launch components to the International Space Station to complete the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory.

Space shuttle Discovery lands at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.: Photo by NASA/Kevin O'Connell    » read more »

CONTRACT RELEASE : C08-035

June 12, 2008 -- WASHINGTON -- NASA has signed a $16.8 million contract modification to space shuttle main engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Inc. of Canoga Park, Calif., to incorporate an employee retention plan implemented by the company. Incentives are being provided to eligible personnel to ensure mission success and construction of the remaining engines to support space shuttle requirements through September 2010.

Retention of the knowledgeable and skilled space shuttle main engine workforce is necessary to produce the remaining shuttle hardware. This contract modification supports the agency's priorities of safely flying and retiring the space shuttles.    » read more »

CONTRACT RELEASE : C08-037

June 12, 2008 -- WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded a contract to Oceaneering International Inc. of Houston, for the design, development and production of a new spacesuit system. The spacesuit will protect astronauts during Constellation Program voyages to the International Space Station and, by 2020, the surface of the moon.

The subcontractors to Oceaneering are Air-Lock Inc. of Milford, Conn., David Clark Co. of Worcester, Mass., Cimarron Software Services Inc. of Houston, Harris Corporation of Palm Bay, Fla., Honeywell International Inc. of Glendale, Ariz., Paragon Space Development Corp. of Tucson, Ariz., and United Space Alliance of Houston.    » read more »

June 12, 2008 -- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The space shuttle Discovery crew is expected to complete its 14-day flight to the International Space Station with a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:15 a.m. EDT on Saturday, June 14.

STS-124 Mission Specialist Karen Nyberg: STS-124 Mission Specialist Karen Nyberg looks through a window at the Earth below in the newly installed Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station. NASA/JSC photo.    » read more »

What do Saturn's rings look like from the other side? From Earth, we usually see Saturn's rings from the same side of the ring plane that the Sun illuminates them.

Geometrically, in the below picture taken in April by the robot Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn, the Sun is behind the camera but on the other side of the ring plane.

Saturn's Rings from the Other Side: Photo Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA

This vantage point, specifically 17 degrees above the ring plane, gives a breathtaking views of the most splendid ring system in the Solar System. Strangely, the rings have similarities to a photographic negative of a front view.    » read more »

June 9, 2008 -- WASHINGTON -- NASA and Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, unveiled Monday a new vertical test stand that will be used later this summer to support NASA's Constellation Program. The stand will be used to test fire the full-scale abort motor for the launch abort system, which will sit atop the Orion crew exploration vehicle.

The abort motor is designed to pull the crew module away from the Ares I launch vehicle in an emergency situation on the launch pad or during the first 300,000 feet after launch.    » read more »

Wallops Major Employer for Maryland’s Eastern Shore Residents; Big Business for State

ANNAPOLIS, MD -- June 9, 2008 – Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley today applauded Orbital Sciences Corporation’s announcement to select their base of operations in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, located at the NASA Wallops Island Flight Facility. Approximately 35 percent of Wallops employees are residents of Maryland’s Eastern Shore.    » read more »

CONTRACT RELEASE : C08-034

June 6, 2008 -- CLEVELAND -- NASA has awarded a contract to the Universities Space Research Association, or USRA, of Columbia, Md., to advance understanding of the effects of the space environment on the functioning of space exploration systems.

The association will perform research, analysis and testing for technology and system development in fire prevention, detection and suppression, and other technologies necessary to sustain human life in the harsh environment of space. Other areas of research will include power, environmental control and life support systems, resource utilization and crew health.    » read more »

CONTRACT RELEASE : C08-033

June 6, 2008 -- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has selected contractors for a multiple award contract to provide fabrication of ground support equipment for Constellation and other space programs at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The multiple award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract has a maximum value of $400 million during a five-year ordering period, with potential for a one-year extension.

NASA awarded the electrical ground support equipment contract to Engravers Metal Fabricators of Cocoa, Fla., Jackson & Tull of Seabrook, Md., Spectrum Laser & Technologies Inc. of Colorado Springs, Colo., and TJ Inc. of Christmas, Fla.    » read more »

June 2, 2008 -- Is that ice under the Phoenix spacecraft on Mars? Quite possibly. Phoenix, which landed a week ago, was expected to dig under the Martian soil to search for ice, but the lander's breaking jets may already have uncovered some during descent.

Unusual Light Patch Under Phoenix Lander on Mars: Photo credit: Phoenix Mission Team, NASA, JPL-Caltech, U. Arizona

Pictured above is an image taken last week by the Robotic Arm Camera showing the unusual light-colored substance just in front of Phoenix's landing pad.    » read more »

May 25, 2008 -- PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's Phoenix spacecraft landed in the northern polar region of Mars Sunday to begin three months of examining a site chosen for its likelihood of having frozen water within reach of the lander's robotic arm.

Icy, patterned ground on Mars: A polygonal pattern in the ground near NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, similar in appearance to icy ground in the arctic regions of Earth. NASA photo.

Radio signals received at 4:53:44 p.m. Pacific Time (7:53:44 p.m. Eastern Time) confirmed the Phoenix Mars Lander had survived its difficult final descent and touchdown 15 minutes earlier. The signals took that long to travel from Mars to Earth at the speed of light.    » read more »

26 May 2008 -- The U.S. space agency's Phoenix space probe has landed successfully near Mars' northern pole to begin a three-month mission to explore Martian soil and look for buried ice. Engineers and scientists breathed a sigh of relief late Sunday following a challenging landing and marveled at some early images Phoenix sent back to Earth.

Phoenix on Mars - artist's concept: NASA image

Mission controllers at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California watched with white knuckles as Phoenix made its descent into the Martian atmosphere.    » read more »

May 21, 2008 -- WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded its consolidated protective services contract to Coastal International Security, Inc. of Lorton, Va. The contract has a maximum value of $1.56 billion, if all options are exercised.

Work under the contract will provide fire services, security services, emergency management, export control, protective services information assurance/technology security, and protective services training throughout the agency.

The contract is a performance-based indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract enabling all protective services to be provided under a single contract. It will promote synergistic and efficient operations throughout NASA.    » read more »

May 20, 2008 -- WASHINGTON -- If you've never seen the International Space Station flying 220 miles overhead, this is the week to do so. The station will be in almost constant sunlight from Wednesday through Friday, offering an incredible view to sky gazers across the country.

Astronaut on the ISS: NASA photo

In order to find out when the station will be visible over your city, visit:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/sightings    » read more »

Contract Release : C08-027

May 16, 2008 -- HOUSTON -- NASA Wednesday awarded ARES Corp. in Houston a one-year contract extension valued at $25.7 million for services required to continue the development and operation of the International Space Station.

Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft approaches the International Space Station: Docking with the Pirs Docking Compartment occurred at 8:57 a.m. (EDT) on April 10, 2008. Photo: NASA    » read more »