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This Month
This Month in Exploration features significant events in aviation and space exploration on a monthly basis.
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Celebrate Apollo: Exploring the Moon, Discovering Earth
This year, celebrate with us
humankind's first venture onto
another world. For more information
on global activities and how NASA
benefits all of us here on Earth visit:
› View Site
Celebrate NASA's Past And Promising Future!
Inspiration
Innovation
Discovery
NASA powers discovery that enables us to learn more about ourselves, our world, and how to manage and protect it.
This Month's Featured Events
 | Exploration Experience: Minnesota State Tour NASA’s Exploration Experience begins with a simulated visit to the moon where explorers build a lunar outpost and touch an actual moon rock. Visitors also explore a virtual model of the moon, interacting with the lunar surface to learn about NASA’s research and future plans for exploration. The second section of the exhibit features a hexagonal, interactive theater that introduces visitors to NASA’s plan of returning to the moon in new vehicles currently being developed to create a working environment that will help ensure safer, more effective future exploration into the solar system. Highlighted are NASA-inspired technologies that have led to the improvement of the quality of life on Earth. Minnesota September 28-October 11 |
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 | International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2008 The IAC is the most comprehensive, must attend space event of the year, providing an international focus for the global space industry, academic researchers and students worldwide through the presentation of the latest ideas, current activities and future ambitions across a diverse range of space-related topics. Glasgow, UK September 29-October 3 |
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 | MESSENGER: Mercury Flyby 2 During MESSENGER’s first Mercury encounter in January, the first direct measurements of the topography of Mercury were obtained. The results provide evidence for a complex geologic history and indicate that Mercury’s craters are shallower than those on the Moon at a given crater diameter, as expected because of the higher surface gravity. The second flyby will allow the first inter-comparison between the topographic observations and high-resolution spacecraft images. October 6 |
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 | NASA Langley Research Center Lecture Series |
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 | NASA Future Forum NASA leadership, astronauts, scientists, and engineers along with local business, technology and academic leaders and local, state and federal officials discuss the role of space exploration in advancing science, engineering, technology, education and the economy that benefits your community and the nation. The program features an exciting preview of NASA's Constellation Program: America's return to the Moon and beyond. Chicago, IL October 10 |
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 | South Dakota Space Day Students and teachers are invited to participate in hands-on educational activities in science, math and technology and to visit with experts in aerospace, aeronautics, earth science, engineering, computer science, physics, etc. about their field. Watertown, SD October, 16-17 |
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 | Sally Ride Science Festival The Festival features an inspiring talk by astronaut Peggy Whitson; Discovery Workshops for students, given by local scientists and engineers, and workshops for parents and teachers on ways to support students' interests in science and math. Houston, TX October 18 |
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 | Association of Science Technology Centers (ASTC) Annual Conference ASTC is an organization of science centers and museums dedicated to furthering the public understanding of science among increasingly diverse audiences. Philadelphia, PA October 18-21 |
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 | IBEX Launch IBEX's science objective is to discover the global interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium. October 19 |
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 | NASA’s First 50 Years: An Historical Perspective at NASA HQ Auditorium Washington, DC October 28–29, 2008 |
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 | Girl Scouts National Convention More than 14,000 girl and adult members and nearly 200 exhibitors and sponsors will converge for the event, each committed to developing girls' leadership skills. Indianapolis, IN October 30 - November 2 |
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| › View Archive | |
This Month's Featured Links
 | KSC's 50th Anniversary Website A collection of features and a photo gallery written and assembled at Kennedy Space Center. › View Site |
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 | Where Are They Now? A 50th feature about the current locations of historic aircraft › View Site |
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 | NASA and Discovery Education Teams Develop New Website In partnership with Discovery, "NASA at 50" highlights key innovations and milestones in chemistry, physics, engineering, and space exploration. Video and audio clips from NASA's 50 year history are provided and are accompanied by teacher guides to facilitate integration of this exciting and engaging content into lesson plans. › View Site |
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 | Katherine Johnson: One of NASA's First Computers Katherine Johnson turned 90 this year. She was a "computer" at NASA's Langley Research Center "when the computer wore a skirt," she said. › View Site |
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 | NASA EDGE: Last Mission to Hubble NASA will be making its final planned Space Shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope in October. Join the NASA Edge team as they celebrate this historic mission with a new Hubble trivia quiz, an inside look at Hubble engineering challenges and pre-quarantine interviews with the Astronaut Crew. › View Site › View PDF (452 kb) |
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 | NASA Images Search the most comprehensive compilation of NASA's stills, films and videos, created in partnership with Internet Archive. More content, enhanced searches, viewing capabilities and other features still to come. › View Site |
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 | 50th Anniversary Essay Competition Winners NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program and the Office of Education are pleased to announce the winners of the NASA 50th Anniversary Essay Competition for middle school and junior high students. › View Site |
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 | Climate Time Machine Look at changes in global ice melt, sea level, CO2 emissions, and average temperature conditions over time. › View Interactive Feature |
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 | NASA Spacecraft Shows Diverse, Wet Environments on Ancient Mars Two studies based on data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed that the Red Planet once hosted vast lakes, flowing rivers and a variety of other wet environments that had the potential to support life. › View Site |
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 | NASA Works to Improve Short-term Weather Forecasts Sometimes seconds count. If a furious, tornado-spitting thunderstorm was bearing down on your home town, a few moments might make all the difference in the world. A graduate student is working with data from NASA's Aqua satellite to improve short-term weather predictions--the kind that could help you dodge that thunderstorm. › View Site |
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 | Fire and Smoke NASA satellites, aircraft, and research know-how have created a wealth of cutting-edge tools to help firefighters battle wildfires. These tools also have helped scientists understand the impact of fires and smoke on Earth's climate and ecosystems. Now, a new NASA Web site brings to the public and journalists the latest information about this ongoing effort. › View Site |
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 | Themis - Understanding Space Weather Researchers have discovered that an explosion of magnetic energy a third of the way to the moon powers substorms, sudden brightenings and rapid movements of the aurora borealis. › View Site |
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 | NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale's Blog › View Site |
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 | The Woman Who Helped Create NASA Space Act Signed 50 Years Ago › Read More and Comment |
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 | The Home Planet: NASA's View of Earth As humanity ventures farther into the solar system, the focus on our home planet is as sharp as ever. › View Interactive Feature |
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 | Eyes on the Earth Learn more about NASA spacecraft studying our home planet. › View Interactive Feature |
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 | NASA Interactive Features › Visit NASA Interactive Features Site |
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 | This Week at NASA Audio and Video Podcasts › Visit NASA Podcast Site |
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 | NASA Home & City Discover how space exploration impacts your daily life. › Visit NASA Home & City Site |
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 | NASA 101 A summary of NASA's many programs and projects. › View NASA 101 Feature |
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 | Aeronautics Research Onboard Interactive Web site showcasing "Decades of Contributions to Aviation". › View Aeronautics Research Onboard Site |
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| › View Archive | |
50 Images, 50 Years
50th Photo Album
As part of NASA's 50th Anniversary Celebration, we are collecting images from YOU! Have the photo include - anywhere in the shot - the NASA 50th Anniversary logo, and send the photo to us.
› Download Logo HERE
› Download Release Form (PDF)
› Submit your photos/questions HERE
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International Space Station Calendar
Find out when the U.S. launched its first satellite and other historical tidbits with photos that highlight 50 years of NASA milestones and a decade of space station assembly.
› Download calendar (8.6 Mb PDF)