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''RELEASE: 13-118 - NASA SELECTS SMALL BUSINESSES FOR INNOVATIVE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS'' --WASHINGTON -- NASA has selected 44 additional proposals from 42 small high-technology companies to enter into negotiations for Phase 2 contract awards through the agency's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program.  Valued at about $30.7 million, these selections complement 39 Phase 2 proposals announced in November.  These additional Phase 2 SBIR selections continue the successful legacy of the SBIR program to bring needed new technologies to NASA and the American marketplace, said Michael J. Gazarik, associate administrator for space technology at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Small businesses are the innovation incubators of the new global technology economy. These companies conduct the early stage research and development that enables future NASA missions in aeronautics, science, and exploration."  NASA's SBIR Program partners with small businesses to catalyze efforts to develop new technologies to support the agency's technology needs. The program addresses specific technology gaps in agency missions and also strives to complement other NASA research investments.  In addition to meeting NASA's needs, the Phase 2 proposals also provide innovative research in areas that have commercial applications.

''MEDIA ADVISORY: M13-065 - NASA 'INSPIRED SCIENCE' CHALLENGE WINNERS TALK LIVE WITH ASTRONAUT'' --CLEVELAND -- NASA astronaut Don Pettit will conduct three live video chats Thursday, April 25, with 12 student teams whose science experiments won an agency-sponsored contest.  Pettit, a veteran of one space shuttle mission and two long-duration expeditions aboard the International Space Station, is known for his "Science off the Sphere" videos, which he recorded while conducting experiments in the microgravity environment aboard the space station. He will speak from Houston via NASA's Digital Learning Network with students who participated in the "NASA Explorer Schools 2012-2013 Student Recognition Challenge: Inspire Science" competition. Contestants created their own videos featuring experiments they devised and demonstrated in the normal gravity of Earth.  The 12 winning teams represent six schools. The schedule for the chats and the titles of the winning videos are as follows:  11 a.m. EDT: Orleans Elementary School, Orleans, Vt.; Bethlehem Christian Academy, Simpsonville, S.C.; and Florence E. Smith STEM School, West Hartford, Conn.  Orleans Elementary School's video was "Earth Sound Waves." Bethlehem Christian Academy's video was "Washing Clothes in Space." Florence E. Smith STEM School's video was "Catapults in Space."  1 p.m. EDT: Legacy Christian Academy, Valencia, Calif.; Dr. Albert Einstein Academy, Elizabeth, N.J.; and Amos Hyatt Middle School, Des Moines, Iowa.  Legacy Christian Academy's video was "Viscous Cornstarch." Dr. Albert Einstein Academy's video was "Elements of Rocket Design." Amos Hyatt Middle School's video was "Cornstarch Goo."  2:15 p.m. EDT: Park High School, Livingston, Mont. Park High School's videos were "Slinky Madness"; "Super Siphon"; "Magnet Motion"; "Oil Slicks"; "Bill and Chase's Excellent Buoyancy"; and "Aqua Crane."   During these live video chats, NASA Explorer School teachers and students in grades 4-12 will be able to ask Pettit questions about what he learned from investigating the principles of physical science in microgravity.  The NASA Explorer Schools project is managed by NASA Glenn Research Center's Educational Programs Office. The project is a key part of NASA's Office of Education strategy to help develop the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers through science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) studies.