Nov 2 2015
From The Space Library
Release M15-158 NASA to Announce New Findings on Fate of Mars’ Atmosphere
NASA will provide details of key science findings from the agency’s ongoing exploration of Mars during a news briefing at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday, Nov. 5 in the James Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The event will be broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's website.
The news conference participants will be:
- Michael Meyer, lead scientist for the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters
- Bruce Jakosky, Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) principal investigator at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado, Boulder
- Jasper Halekas, MAVEN Solar Wind Ion Analyzer instrument lead at the University of Iowa, Iowa City
- Yaxue Dong, MAVEN science team member at LASP
- Dave Brain, MAVEN co-investigator at LASP
A brief question-and-answer session will take place during the event with media on site and by phone. Members of the public also can ask questions during the briefing on social media using #AskNASA.
Release 15-215 White House, NASA Administrator Statements on 15 Years of Human Habitation Aboard International Space Station
The following is a statement from Dr. John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy:
“The International Space Station is a unique laboratory that has enabled groundbreaking research in the life and physical sciences and has provided a test bed for the technologies that will allow NASA to once again send astronauts beyond Earth’s orbit. The international partnership that built and maintains the Station is a shining example, moreover, of what humanity can accomplish when we work together in peace.
“I congratulate all of the men and women at NASA and around the world who have worked so hard to keep the International Space Station operational these past 15 years. Everyone involved can be proud of this incredible achievement.”
The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden:
“Over the weekend, I called NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who is currently halfway through his one-year mission aboard the International Space Station, to congratulate him on setting the American records for both cumulative and continuous days in space.
“I also took the opportunity to congratulate Commander Kelly -- and the rest of the space station crew -- for being part of a remarkable moment 5,478 days in the making: the 15th anniversary of continuous human presence aboard the space station.
“I believe the station should be considered the blueprint for peaceful global cooperation. For more than a decade and a half, it has taught us about what’s possible when tens of thousands of people across 15 countries collaborate to advance shared goals.
“The International Space Station, which President Obama has extended through 2024, is a testament to the ingenuity and boundless imagination of the human spirit. The work being done on board is an essential part of NASA’s journey to Mars, which will bring American astronauts to the Red Planet in the 2030s.
“For 15 years, humanity’s reach has extended beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Since 2000, human beings have been living continuously aboard the space station, where they have been working off-the-Earth for the benefit of Earth, advancing scientific knowledge, demonstrating new technologies, and making research breakthroughs that will enable long-duration human and robotic exploration into deep space.”
Release 15-21 NASA Hosts Media Day Featuring OLYMPEX Precipitation Field Campaign
Media are invited to go behind the scenes of a comprehensive field campaign focused on yielding new insights into global precipitation at a special event on Nov. 11, 2015.
Held in collaboration with the University of Washington, NASA's Olympic Mountain Experiment (OLYMPEX) is an Earth science campaign aimed at validating Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite constellation data. Combining airborne and ground observations over the wet Pacific Northwest, the campaign will focus on tracking precipitation over mountainous terrain that is difficult to measure. The information from the GPM constellation provides more accurate information for the prediction of atmospheric conditions that contribute to our daily weather and global climate.
The event will be held at two locations, starting at the University of Washington Atmospheric Science building in Seattle at 7 a.m., where media will have the opportunity to:
- Visit the OLYMPEX ground control center
- Interact with OLYMPEX scientists and subject matter experts
- Learn about GPM, the first mission designed to measure falling snow
The afternoon session will be held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord starting at 1:00 p.m., and will include:
- A tour of NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory aircraft
- Opportunities to meet and interview pilots, aircraft crew, and scientists
- Information on upcoming NASA Earth science missions
Individuals have the option of attending either one or both of the events. Domestic media representatives interested in participating should confirm their plans to attend by contacting the NASA Armstrong Public Affairs office no later than 12 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6 at 661-276-2020, or email Kate Squires at kate.k.squires@nasa.gov. Foreign national journalists cannot be accommodated. Further information on specific event locations and times will be provided upon submission of interest.
