Mar 8 2012
From The Space Library
RELEASE: 12-076 THE EPIC STRUGGLE BETWEEN BIRDS AND PIGS MOVES TO SPACE WITH A NASA SCIENCE TWIST
WASHINGTON -- For nearly three years, millions of gamers have used physics in the battle between birds and pigs in the video game Angry Birds. In cooperation with NASA, Finland-based Rovio Entertainment, creator of the Angry Birds franchise, announced its newest game, "Angry Birds Space," on Thursday, March 8. NASA and Rovio are working together to teach people about physics and space exploration through the internationally successful puzzle game. Game developers have incorporated concepts of human space exploration into the new game. From the weightlessness of space to the gravity wells of nearby planets, players use physics as they explore the various levels of the game set both on planets and in microgravity. "This collaboration began with a simple Twitter exchange about birds and pigs in space, and it has grown into a tremendous outreach and education opportunity," said David Weaver, associate administrator for communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Games are fun and entertaining, but they also can be inspirational and informative. This ongoing collaboration with Rovio and Angry Birds is an exciting way to get people engaged with NASA's missions of exploration and discovery, and get students energized about future careers in science and technology." Aboard the International Space Station, Flight Engineer Don Pettit of NASA created a video using Angry Birds Space to explain how physics works in space, including demonstrating trajectories in microgravity by catapulting an Angry Bird through the space station. The video was shown this week to an audience at the South by Southwest Conferences and Festivals, an annual convention of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies in Austin, Texas. "We focused on every detail in development of Angry Birds Space to build a special experience for our fans," said Peter Vesterbacka, chief marketing officer and mighty eagle of Rovio Entertainment. "I believe we have succeeded well with the game, and we wanted to create something as unique around our launch events. NASA has been the perfect partner for our Angry Birds Space program, and we can't wait to work with them on creating more compelling educational experiences."
RELEASE: 12-078 EARLY CAREER FACULTY NASA SPACE TECH RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
WASHINGTON -- NASA is seeking proposals from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of outstanding early career faculty beginning their independent careers. This inaugural Space Technology Research Opportunities for Early Career Faculty solicitation seeks to sponsor research in specific, high priority technology areas of interest to NASA. Specific topic areas were selected because they can best benefit from early stage innovative approaches provided by U.S. academic institutions. The research will investigate unique, disruptive or transformational space technologies or concepts. "NASA is committed to ensuring our nation's intellectual capital pipeline remains the best in the world, and that we bring the brightest minds together with the best ideas to meet the challenges of NASA's future missions," said Michael Gazarik, director of NASA's Space Technology Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "These grants offer a means for NASA to capitalize on the tremendous creativity and innovation that these brilliant individuals have to offer." NASA expects to award approximately ten grants this fall, funded up to $200,000 each per year, based on the merit of proposals received. Notices of intent to submit proposals are due March 30. The deadline for submitting final proposals is May 3.
MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-039 NASA TO HOLD MEDIA BRIEFING ABOUT UPCOMING NUSTAR MISSION LAUNCH
WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold a media briefing at 12 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 13, to discuss the upcoming launch of the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). The mission will use advanced optics and detectors, allowing astronomers to observe the high-energy X-ray sky with much greater sensitivity and clarity than any mission flown to-date. The televised briefing will take place in the agency's television studio at NASA Headquarters, located at 300 E St. S.W. in Washington. NuSTAR will advance our understanding of how structure in the universe forms and evolves. It will observe some of the hottest, densest and most energetic objects in the universe, including black holes, their high-speed particle jets, ultra-dense neutron stars, supernova remnants, and our sun. NuSTAR is targeted for launch no earlier than 11:30 a.m. EDT on March 22. The launch window extends to 3:30 p.m. The spacecraft will liftoff on an Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL launch vehicle, released from an aircraft originating from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Briefing Participants are: -- Paul Hertz, astrophysics division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington -- Fiona Harrison, NuSTAR principal investigator at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif. -- Daniel Stern, NuSTAR project scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. -- Yunjin Kim, NuSTAR project manager at JPL
