The Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) archive contains the largest collection of annotated astronomical images on the internet.

APOD is originated, written, coordinated, and edited since 1995 by Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell.

Astronomy Picture of the Day @ apod.nasa.gov/

Discovery’s final spaceflight is scheduled to last 11 days, which includes two scheduled spacewalks. It’s the 39th flight for the space shuttle, which has flown more times than any other orbiter in NASA’s shuttle fleet.

This last mission is known as STS-133; it’s crew members will carry several important components to the International Space Station, such as the Italian-built Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM,) and the Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4,) that will provide spare parts and storage capacity to the ISS.

Discovery also will deliver Robonaut 2, which will become the first humanoid robot in space. For now, the primary job for R2 is teaching engineers how dexterous robots behave in space.

Robonaut 2 will be installed in the U.S. Destiny laboratory, providing scientists and engineers on the ground and crews on the station an opportunity to test how humans and human-like robots can work shoulder-to shoulder in microgravity.

Through upgrades and advancements, R2 could one day venture outside the space station to help spacewalkers make repairs or additions to the station or perform scientific work. This will help NASA understand robotic capabilities for future deep space missions.

Nearly 150 experiments are continuing aboard the space station as the transition from assembly work to expanded research on the international laboratory progresses. They span the basic categories of biological and biotechnology, human research, physical and materials sciences, technology development, Earth and space science and educational activities.

More info at nasa.gov/

www.nasa.gov

NASA celebrated the tenth year in operation of the International Space Station (ISS), and also celebrated their fifty years of operation as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.  The Apollo lunar program also hit the forty year mark, so this was quite a year for NASA and space exploration.

NASA’s 50th Anniversary site has animation, video and audio clips of historic moments from the past fifty years of space exploration.

Explore their amazing timeline at www.nasa.gov/50th

www.nasa.gov/history

www.nasa.gov

I was wondering what it must be like to celebrate a holiday like Thanksgiving in space.  A quick search discovered this year-old video from the collectspace YouTube Channel. It shows two of the astronauts aboard the International Space Station describing their Thanksgiving dinner and counting their blessings.

The current astronauts have bid farewell to the space station crew, as they prepare to undock and depart the station Friday morning for a return to earth.  The Endeavour shuttle mission was declared a success with four spacewalks completed in eleven days.  More info at www.nasa.gov

The good news; NASA got more than the anticipated amount of scientific data.  More than 25,000 pictures, soil analysis and detailed weather observations from 152 days on Mars contributed to years of scientific data received by project teams for NASA, JPL and the University of Arizona.

So far scientists have discovered small concentrations of salts, a mildly alkaline soil and calcium carbonate, a marker of effects of liquid water.  The Phoenix Lander also coordinated with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to perform simultaneous ground and orbital observations of Martian weather.

The study continues into the history of the Martian environment, as the next Mars mission gets ready for launch; the Mars Science Laboratory.

View the latest pictures from the Phoenix Mars Lander at www.nasa.gov.

Check out this NASA web page of amazing satellite imagery with a lot of interesting data, and even video of Hurricane Ike.

www.nasa.gov

Phoenix Mars Mission http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu

NASA Phoenix Mars Lander www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main

“Mars is literally pulling on our spacecraft, and at the same time it is pulling on our emotions,” Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith, of the University of Arizona , Tucson , said early Sunday afternoon.

“We are excited at how close we are right now to beginning our study of a site where Martian water ice will be within our reach, after all these years of preparations. Our science mission begins as the spacecraft settles into its new home on Mars.”
Source: JPL/NASA/University of Arizona News Release: 2008-080 5/25/08

NEWS RELEASE #2008-063 dated April 16, 2008:
NASA Statement on Student Asteroid Calculations

PASADENA, Calif. — The Near-Earth Object Program Office at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., has not changed its current estimates for the very low probability (1 in 45,000) of an Earth impact by the asteroid Apophis in 2036.

Contrary to recent press reports, NASA offices involved in near-Earth object research were not contacted and have had no correspondence with a young German student, who claims the Apophis impact probability is far higher than the current estimate.

This student’s conclusion reportedly is based on the possibility of a collision with an artificial satellite during the asteroid’s close approach in April 2029. However, the asteroid will not pass near the main belt of geosynchronous satellites in 2029, and the chance of a collision with a satellite is exceedingly remote.

Therefore, consideration of this satellite collision scenario does not affect the current impact probability estimate for Apophis, which remains at 1 in 45,000.

NASA detects and tracks asteroids and comets passing close to Earth. The Near Earth Object Observation Program, commonly called “Spaceguard,” discovers, characterizes and computes trajectories for these objects to determine if any could be potentially hazardous to our planet.

For more information:
Near Earth Object Observation Program http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov
NASA www.nasa.gov

Other Sources:
www.livescience.com

www.earthsky.org

www.astronomy.com

www.planetary.org

What a thrill to see the sunlight gleaming off the space station’s solar panels, as it streaks across the sky. I’ve seen satellites in the night sky just by accident, when I’m out camping under dark skies, and it’s always really cool, and I just can’t wait to see it again.

Go to spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings to use Skywatch 2.0. It gives you up-to-the-minute data right from NASA’s Mission Control to project the path of the spacecraft you want to see. It’s an awesome sight, and the weather will be good for it soon.