'Goddard View' Newsletter
Goddard's Mosaic
Our diverse workforce
Celebrating our varied and talented workforce at Goddard.
Recent Press Releases
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LRO Creates New Lunar Topographic Map
12.17.10 - LRO is allowing researchers to create the most precise and complete map to date of the moon's complex, heavily cratered landscape.
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Unstable Antarctica Media Briefing
12.15.10 - Supporting content for the AGU media briefing on Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 9 a.m. PST
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Plant Consumption Rising Significantly as Population Grows and Economies Develop
12.14.10 - Humans are consuming an increasing amount of the Earth's total annual land plant production, new NASA research has found.
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Satellites Pinpoint Drivers of Urban Heat Islands in the Northeast
12.13.10 - Summer land surface temperatures of cities in the Northeast were an average of 13°F to 16°F warmer than surrounding areas due to a complex phenomenon called the urban heat island effect.
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Plant Growth Could Slow Warming
12.07.10 - Additional growth of plants and trees would create a cooling effect that could work to reduce future global warming.
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Building Blocks of Life Created in "Impossible" Place
12.15.10 - Finding amino acids, a fundamental building block of life, in a meteorite where none were expected suggests that there is more than one way to make amino acids in space, which increases the chance for finding life elsewhere in the Universe.
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Collaborative LASP/Goddard Sun-Climate Research Center Announced
11.29.10 - NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and The University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) are joining forces to study the Sun’s effect on Earth’s climate.
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NASA Scientist to Speak at Imagination Station About the Amazing Webb Telescope
11.29.10 - A NASA research physicist working on the James Webb Space Telescope will be giving a presentation to visitors of the Imagination Station science center in Toledo, Ohio on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010.
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Christyl Johnson Named New Goddard Deputy Center Director
11.23.10 - Goddard Center Director Rob Strain named Christyl Johnson the new Deputy Center Director for Science and Technology. She begins this new role December 6, following 2 Years at the White House.
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Goddard Invites Young Students to a Free Afternoon of Fun and Learning About the Glory Satellite
11.17.10 - Goddard's Visitor Center will host elementary school-aged children and their families on November 21 for an afternoon of eye-opening, hands-on activities.
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FASTSAT Launch Friday, Nov. 19
11.17.10 - The launch of NASA's FASTSAT mission is scheduled for this Friday night at 8:24pm ET from Alaska.
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NASA Invites Media to Meet Mars Mobile Lab
11.10.10 - Goddard Space Flight Center invites reporters to Greenbelt for a special Media Day highlighting NASA's Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite.
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NASA Hosts Briefing About Antarctic Science Mission
11.09.10 - NASA will hold a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EST on Monday, Nov. 15, from Punta Arenas, Chile, to discuss the agency's Operation IceBridge.
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UPDATED TIME: NASA to Hold Media Telecon to Discuss Upcoming Satellite Missions
11.04.10 - NASA will hold a media teleconference at 1:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 9, 2010, to discuss the Organism/Organic Exposure to Orbital Stresses, O/OREOS and Fast, Affordable, Science and Technology Satellite.
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Goddard Space Act Agreement Keeps Remote Sensing Earth Science Teacher Program Aloft
11.05.10 - A Space Act Agreement will allow certified Earth science teachers nationwide to continue to bring NASA Remote Sensing resources into their classrooms.
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NASA to Hold Media Telecon to Discuss Upcoming Satellite Missions
11.04.10 - NASA will hold a media teleconference at 1:45 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010 to discuss the Organism/Organic Exposure to Orbital Stresses, O/OREOS and Fast, Affordable, Science and Technology Satellite.
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NASA Exhibit to Launch Visitors on Cosmic Journey in West Caldwell, N.J.
10.27.10 - On Nov. 1, the "NASA Exploration Experience" will visit West Caldwell, N.J., to propel visitors on a 3D journey across the solar system.
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Goddard, Lockheed Martin Upgrade Computers in PG County Schools
10.27.10 - Donations of refurbished computers and associated equipment are possible because Lockheed Martin is the primary contractor responsible for upgrading Goddard computers.
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Webb Telescope Systems Engineering Evolves to Meet Demands of Integration and Test Phase
10.18.10 - As the James Webb Space Telescope enters its next critical phase of development, NASA and Northrop Grumman Corporation have forged an integrated, consolidated and "badgeless" Mission Systems Engineering team.
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NASA Exhibit to Launch Visitors on 3D Journey Through Cosmos, Oct. 22, 2010, Smyrna, Del.
10.15.10 - On Oct. 22, the "NASA Exploration Experience" will visit Smyrna, Del., to propel visitors on a 3D journey across the solar system.
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NASA Exhibit to Launch Visitors on 3D Journey Through Cosmos, Oct. 27, 2010, Providence, R.I.
10.15.10 - On Oct. 27, the "NASA Exploration Experience" will visit Providence, R.I., to propel visitors on a 3D journey across the solar system.
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Two Fermi Scientists Win Lindsay Award
10.14.10 - Julie McEnery and David Thompson of NASA's Fermi Space Telescope team have won the famous Lindsay award.
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Goddard Invites Elementary Student-Families to an Exploration of the James Webb Space Telescope
10.14.10 - Do you have elementary school students? If the answer is yes, you are invited to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Visitor Center on Sunday, Oct. 17.
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NASA Exhibit to Launch Visitors on Cosmic Journey in Burlington, Vt.
10.12.10 - On Oct. 15, the "NASA Exploration Experience" will visit Burlington, Vt., to propel visitors on a 3D journey across the solar system.
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NASA Technology Could Aid Interpretation of Mammograms, Other Medical Imagery
10.12.10 - NASA will host a media teleconference at 11:00am ET on Thursday October 14 2010, to discuss NASA’s software that has been incorporated into medical imaging.
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Mobile Mars Laboratory Almost Ready for Flight
10.08.10 - The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite has completed assembly at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
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Webb Telescope Sunshield Passes Tests
10.08.10 - NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has successfully completed a series of tests that validate the telescope's sunshield design.
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Reporters Invited as Goddard Celebrates Three Year Partnership With Area Schools
10.08.10 - More than 800 area students have been invited to Goddard to kick off a 3-year collaboration celebration known as Goddard Middle School Week.
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NASA'S Mars Atmosphere Mission Given the Green Light to Proceed to Development
10.05.10 - On October 4, 2010, NASA approved the development and 2013 launch of the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission.
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NASA Awards Three Robert H. Goddard Awards for Science
10.04.10 - Matt Greenhouse, Randy Kimble and Alexander Moiseev received the 2010 Robert H Goddard Award for Science for outstanding work done at Goddard.
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NASA and OPTIMUS PRIME Collaborate to Educate
09.29.10 - NASA has developed a video contest to raise students' awareness of how NASA technologies contribute to our everyday lives.
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NASA's Webb Telescope Unique Structural "Heart" Passes Extreme Tests
09.28.10 - NASA engineers have created a unique engineering marvel called the ISIM structure that recently survived exposure to extreme cryogenic temperatures, proving that the structure will remain stable when exposed to the harsh environment of space.
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NASA's NPP Climate Satellite Passes Pre-Environmental Review
09.24.10 - The NASA National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) climate/weather satellite has successfully completed its Pre-Environmental Review.
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Dust Models Paint Alien's View of Solar System
09.23.10 - New models tracking the interactions of thousands of dust grains show what our solar system might look like to alien astronomers.
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NASA's New Views of the Universe Exhibit Travels to Imagination Station
09.23.10 - NASA’s traveling museum exhibition, New Views of the Universe, featuring the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, opens at Imagination Station museum in Toledo this Friday, Sept. 24.
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NASA Invites Elementary Students and their Families to Gear Up for NASA Engineering!
09.13.10 - Elementary students and their families are invited to Goddard's visitor center on September 19 for a free afternoon of eye-opening, hands-on activities exploring NASA's engineering at its best!
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NASA to Hold Media Briefing Featuring More Interesting Results from Lunar Mission
09.14.10 - NASA will host a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT on September 16 to discuss compelling new research results from the LRO mission.
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Come Celebrate International Observe the Moon Night
09.14.10 - NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. will host a free evening event at its Visitor Center on Saturday, Sept. 18 from 6:30 –10 p.m. EDT to celebrate the 2010 International Observe the Moon Night.
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Webb Telescope's Guiding Light Arrives From Canada
09.08.10 - The Canadian Space Agency has delivered a test unit of the Fine Guidance Sensor to the James Webb Space Telescope to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt.
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Newest GOES Satellite Ready for Action
09.01.10 - The latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-15 (also known as GOES-P), has been accepted into service.
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Critical Polar Data Flows Briskly to Researchers
09.01.10 - A NASA airborne mission is matched by a campaign to bring the data to researchers as quickly as possible, accelerating understanding of polar changes and how they may affect people and climate systems around the world.
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NASA's LRO Reveals 'Incredible Shrinking Moon'
08.19.10 - Newly discovered cliffs in the lunar crust indicate the moon shrank in the recent past (geologically speaking) and might still be shrinking today.
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News Media Invited to Engaging Evening on Webb Telescope, Stargazing
08.17.10 - The Visitor's Center at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., is opening its doors for a free night of space science and discovery.
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Eclipsing Pulsar Promises Clues to Crushed Matter
08.17.10 - NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer has found the first fast X-ray pulsar to be eclipsed by its companion star.
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NASA Exploration Exhibit on Display at Little League World Series
08.10.10 - NASA’S Exploration Experience is an interactive traveling exhibit that takes visitors on a visual journey through the past, present and future of exploration. The exhibit will be on display at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., August 20-29.
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Hubble Shows Hyperfast Star was Booted from Milky Way
07.22.10 - A hundred million years ago, a triple-star system was traveling through the bustling center of our Milky Way galaxy when it wandered too close to the galaxy's giant black hole.
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Final Instruments on NASA Climate/Weather Satellite Integrated
07.22.10 - The last of five instruments slated to fly on the upcoming NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) climate and weather satellite have been successfully integrated, according to NASA officials. The polar-orbiting satellite is scheduled to launch in late 2011.
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First Map of Global Forest Heights Created From NASA Data
07.20.10 - Scientists have produced a first-of-its kind map of the height of the world’s forests by combining data from three NASA satellites. The map will help scientists build an inventory of how much carbon the world’s forests store and how fast that carbon cycles through ecosystems and back into the atmosphere.
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NASA Correction on Recent Mars Launch Vehicle Story
07.20.10 - NASA has not selected a launch vehicle for the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission, despite news reports suggesting otherwise.
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NASA Awards Scientist Posthumously for Webb Telescope Contributions
07.15.10 - NASA recently recognized the late Dr. Timothy Hawarden for his work on cooling techniques for infrared space telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope.
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NASA To Fly Into Hurricane Research This Summer
07.07.10 - Three NASA aircraft will begin flights to study tropical cyclones on Aug. 15 during the agency's first major U.S.-based hurricane field campaign since 2001.
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'Know Your Earth' Takes NASA Earth Science to the Movies
07.02.10 - Starting today, movie theaters across the nation are offering something new in their lobbies. It's not a new popcorn topping or a bigger box of candy: Theaters are serving up a little Earth science knowledge from NASA.
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ESA To Set Tiny Hair-Like Webb Telescope Microshutters
06.29.10 - Tiny shutters as small as the width of a human hair are a key component in the James Webb Space Telescope, and they have now arrived at the European Space Agency.
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NASA Awards Architect - Engineer Services Contracts
06.29.10 - NASA has selected AECOM, Washington, D.C., along with HDR Architecture, Alexandria, Va., and SmithGroup, Inc, Washington, D.C., in response an architect and engineer services posting in March.
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NASA Goddard Announces 2010 Contractor Excellence Award Winners
06.22.10 - Goddard Space Flight Center Director Rob Strain today announced that the center has selected the winners for the 2010 Goddard Contractor Excellence Award.
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GOES-15 Solar X-Ray Imager's Miraculous First Light
06.14.10 - The Solar X-Ray Imager instrument aboard GOES-15 just provided its first glimpse of the sun - an image we almost didn't get to see.
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NASA Completes Critical Design Review of Landsat Data Continuity Mission
06.01.10 - The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) reached a major milestone last week when it successfully completed its Mission Critical Design Review (CDR).
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NASA Completes Critical Design Review of One Landsat Instrument
05.26.10 - Engineers have begun building hardware for a new Landsat satellite instrument that helps monitor water consumption.
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Webb’s NIRCam Test Unit Arrives at NASA Goddard
05.25.10 - A test unit for the "NIRCam" instrument that will fly aboard the James Webb Space Telescope has arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., for a year's worth of tests.
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NASA Develops Enhanced Search and Rescue Technologies
05.24.10 - The new technology will more quickly identify the locations of people in distress and reduce the risk faced by rescuers.
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D.C., Baltimore Area Reporters Invited to NASA Goddard to Learn About 'Search and Rescue' Technology
05.17.10 - Reporters will learn how NASA, NOAA, the Coast Guard, Air Force and other international partners are working together to reduce search times from hours to seconds.
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Reporters Invited to Media Teleconference to Learn How New Technology Is Taking the 'Search' out of 'Search and Rescue'
05.17.10 - As Memorial Day weekend approaches and the boating, hiking and outdoor season begins, the number of folks requiring rescue increases.
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NASA Awards Logistics Facility Construction Contract
05.18.10 - NASA has selected O'Donnell Construction Company, located in Washington, D.C., for award of the Construction of the Logistics Facility (Shipping & Receiving) contract.
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Goddard Invites Reporters to Media Day About New Climate Simulation Center
05.19.10 - News representatives in the D.C. and Baltimore areas are invited to attend a media day event on June 2 to learn about a new NASA climate simulation center.
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NASA Awards Cooperative Agreements for STEM Program
05.12.10 - The awards are based on the solicitation titled "2009 Research in the Design, Usage and Evaluation of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG) and Immersive Synthetic Environment."
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NASA Invites Public to Take Virtual Walk on Moon
05.11.10 - More than 37 years after humans last walked on the moon, planetary scientists are inviting members of the public to return to the lunar surface as "virtual astronauts."
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Goddard Scientist Earns NASA's Highest Honor
05.11.10 - Dr. Jack Trombka, an emeritus senior fellow at Goddard, has been awarded the agency’s highest award honor, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
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NASA Goddard Scientist Elected to American Philosophical Society
05.07.10 - Dr. Claire L. Parkinson, a climate scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, has been elected into the American Philosophical Society.
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Goddard Scientist Elected into National Academy of Sciences
05.05.10 - Dr. Neil Gehrels, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, has been elected into the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), an honor considered to be one of the highest bestowed upon scientists and engineers.
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GOES-15 Opens Its Infrared "Eyes" for First Image
04.27.10 - From approximately 22,236 miles in space, GOES-15 took its first full-disk infrared image of the Earth on April 26, 2010.
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New Lunar Images Include Sites Visited, Photographed by Apollo 15 Crew
04.23.10 - These LRO images show some of the basaltic rocks, lava rilles and other features visited by the Apollo 15 crew, as well as Dante Crater - where the evidence of the Moon's volcanic past may be exposed.
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NASA, Park Service Promote Climate Science Education for Kids
04.22.10 - NASA, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service marked the 40th Earth Day by launching the first of three online interactive activities.
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'Touch the Earth' to Display at Earth Day on National Mall
04.19.10 - NASA will present the new tactile learning book, "Touch the Earth," on Monday, April 19, in the "NASA Village" tent at the Earth Day Celebration on the National Mall.
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NASA Scientist Publishes Book on Climate Change
04.19.10 - In the midst of seemingly unending questions about climate change, a new book by a climate scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center can provide some answers.
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Lunar Polar Craters May Be Electrified
04.16.10 - As the solar wind flows over natural obstructions on the moon, it may charge polar lunar craters to hundreds of volts, according to new calculations.
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NASA Stennis Space Center Awards Construction Contract
04.12.10 - NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Miss., has awarded an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to M&D Mechanical Contractors, Inc. of Decator, Ala., to provide general construction services at the center.
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GOES-15 Opens Its "Eyes" and Sees First Image of Earth
04.07.10 - The GOES-15 (formerly GOES-P satellite) Opens Its "Eyes" and Sees First Image of Earth.
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NASA Selects Environmental Services Contractor
04.01.10 - NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., has selected Straughan Environmental Services, Inc., Columbia, Md., for the Environmental Services contract.
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NASA Selects Earth Science Data and Information Contractor
04.01.10 - has selected Raytheon Company of Riverdale, Md., for the Earth Observing System Data and Information System Evolution and Development contract.
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World Space Party at NASA Goddard Celebrates Unparalleled Achievements in Space
03.31.10 - NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD has teamed with nonprofit Space Generation Advisory Council to host a world space party on Saturday, April 10, 2010.
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Color It Ready - Webb Telescope Instrument Now At Goddard
03.30.10 - The cosmos is filled with color, and color is a key in determining age, chemical composition and how far objects are from Earth. To help identify these colors and objects the James Webb Space Telescope will be using a spectrograph called NIRSpec.
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NASA Selects Rapid III Contractors for Spacecraft Systems and Services
03.30.10 - NASA has awarded contracts to eight aerospace firms for Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition III spacecraft and related services.
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Media Invited to Workshop on On-Orbit Satellite Servicing
03.22.10 - The workshop is the result of a recent Request For Information issued by NASA with the purpose of ensuring there is coordination and collaboration between the government and commercial sectors in future space servicing endeavors.
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NASA and NOAA's Environmental Satellite Now GOES-15
03.19.10 - Twelve days after a flawless launch, NASA and NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-P reached its proper orbit and was renamed GOES-15.
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Icebridge Prepares to Study Arctic Glaciers
03.18.10 - Operation IceBridge mission, the largest airborne survey ever flown of Earth's polar ice, kicks off its year-two in Greenland March 22.
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ICAP Ocean Tomo to Auction NASA Patents
03.18.10 - NASA's Goddard and Marshall space flight centers will be offering exclusive licenses to four patent portfolios through a live public auction managed by ICAP Ocean Tomo.
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Goddard Recognizes Employee Award Winners
03.17.10 - Two of Goddard's own recently received prestigious awards for their research in remote sensing and federal information technology.
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New Lunar Images and Data Available to the Public
03.15.10 - The Planetary Data System has released data sets from the seven instruments on board NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, allowing the public to follow along with NASA on its journey of lunar discovery.
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Mysterious Cosmic 'Dark Flow' Tracked Deeper into Universe
03.10.10 - A new study confirms a mysterious collective motion of distant galaxy clusters -- dubbed the 'dark flow' -- and tracks it twice as far as originally reported.
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NASA, NOAA'S GOES-P Satellite Launches
03.05.10 - The new satellite joins four other similar spacecraft to improve weather forecasting and monitoring of environmental events.
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Lava Likely Made River-like Channel on Mars
03.04.10 - Lava can leave behind delicate features that have been previously considered clear evidence of water, according to studies that compare Earth, Mars and the moon.
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NASA-Goddard and University of Maryland Sign MOU
03.04.10 - Officials from the Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland have signed a memorandum of understanding that creates a strong and important partnership between the two organizations.
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NASA Invites Media to 48th Goddard Symposium
03.02.10 - "Earth and Beyond: The Next Decades," is the theme for the 48th Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium to be held March 10 through 11, at the Greenbelt Marriott.
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Webb Telescope’s First Primary Mirror Meets Cold Temperature Specifications
03.02.10 - The James Webb Space Telescope reached a mission-readiness landmark today when its first primary mirror segment was cryo-polished to its required prescription as measured at operational cryogenic temperatures.
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Media Day Planned for First NASA Global Hawk Science Campaign
02.24.10 - Reporters are invited to a media day in April to observe the first environmental science mission of NASA's Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system at the Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
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NASA Unveils New Space-Weather Science Tool
02.23.10 - The Integrated Space Weather Analysis System is a robust, integrated system provides information about space weather conditions past, present, and future.
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New NASA Web Page Sheds Light on Science of a Warming World
02.23.10 - The new "A Warming World" page hosts a series of new articles, videos, data visualizations, space-based imagery and interactive visuals that provide unique NASA perspectives on this topic of global importance.
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NASA'S New TDRS Spacecraft Pass System Level Reviews
02.22.10 - NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite K-L program completed its critical design and production readiness reviews in El Segundo, Calif., on Feb. 19.
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NASA, NOAA Ready GOES-P Satellite For Launch
02.22.10 - The GOES-P satellite is now on the launchpad and will launch on March 2.
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NASA Day at Maryland Capitol Celebrates Hubble 20th Anniversary
02.19.10 - On Tuesday, Feb. 23, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Goddard employees will present interactive exhibits and engaging presentations at the State Capitol in Annapolis, Maryland.
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New NASA Building Gets LEED Gold Rating
02.04.10 - NASA Goddard's Exploration Sciences Building was recently awarded the U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold Rating.
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AGU Selects Goddard Scientists to Become Fellows
02.04.10 - Paul Newman, Randal Koster and Michael Hesse have been bestowed the prestigious honor for their work in earth and space science.
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James Webb Space Telescope Sunshield Design Achieves Significant Landmark
02.02.10 - The James Webb Space Telescope's five-layer, tennis court sized sunshield has passed its critical design review, certifying that its design is complete and meets mission requirements.
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Weather/Environmental Probe Marks Major Milestone
01.29.10 - The development of a new series of weather and environmental monitoring satellites has marked a significant milestone.
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NASA's New Views of the Universe Exhibit Travels to Science Central
01.21.10 - NASA’s traveling museum exhibition, New Views of the Universe, featuring the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, will arrive at Science Central in Ft. Wayne, Indiana late next week.
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NASA Research Finds Last Decade was Warmest on Record, 2009 One of Warmest Years
01.21.10
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NASA Goddard's Drake Deming Wins Astrophysics Award
01.13.10 - Drake Deming, a Senior Scientist in the Solar System Exploration Division at GSFC, was awarded the prestigious Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize at the American Astronomical Society meeting last week.
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Solar Scientists to Reproduce IBEX Observation
01.12.10 - The magnetic field surrounding our solar system acts like a mirror for the particles that IBEX sees.
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Two of 3 New Frontiers Finalists Feature Goddard Role
01.11.10 - Two of the three proposals selected as candidates for the agency's next New Frontiers mission have the Goddard Space Flight Center playing a key role.
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Mirror Testing at NASA Breaks Superstitious Myths
01.07.10 - In mythological times reflective surfaces like shiny mirrors were credited with the ability to look into the future. But NASA is using mirrors to look into the past.
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Eclipses Yield First Images of Elusive Iron Line in Solar Corona
01.05.10 - Scientists attempting to unlock the mysteries of the sun's corona, its outer atmosphere, have found another piece of the puzzle with the help of observations made during eclipses.