ESA News
http://www.esa.int

31 March 2008

Impressive dress-rehearsal for Jules Verne ATV

Jules Verne ATV today approached the International Space Station to within
11 m of the docking port on the Russian Zvezda module. The approach was part
of a second ATV demonstration day which clears the way for the first
rendezvous and docking attempt on 3 April.

"I'm known for my understatements, but the only word that comes to mind
about today is impressive," said John Ellwood, ESA's ATV Project Manager.
"It was impressive to see how Jules Verne, the staff at the ATV Control
Centre, the control centres in Moscow and Houston pulled together today. It
was a perfect dress-rehearsal for Thursday."

Today's manoeuvres included the first demonstration of the critical optical
navigation system, using the European-developed Videometer technology. It
was confirmed that ATV can use this system to autonomously navigate to
within 11 m of the ISS.

March 28, 2008

Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1761
sonja.r.alexander@nasa.gov

Tracy Young
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
tracy.g.young@nasa.gov

CONTRACT RELEASE: C08-018

NASA AWARDS EDUCATION GRANT

WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded a cooperative agreement education
grant
to Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, to support implementation
of the Interdisciplinary National Science Program Incorporating
Research Experience, also known as INSPIRE, program at NASA Centers
and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

March 31, 2008

John Yembrick
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0602
john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov

Kyle Herring
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
kyle.j.herring@nasa.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-069

NASA UPDATES TARGET LAUNCH DATE FOR NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE FLIGHT

WASHINGTON -- NASA is targeting May 31 as the launch date for shuttle
Discovery's STS-124 mission to deliver the large Japanese Kibo
Pressurized Module to the International Space Station. The liftoff
time is approximately 5:01 p.m. EDT.

Jonathan's Space Report
No. 594 2008 Mar 29, Los Angeles
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shuttle and Station
-------------------

Endeavour landed on Mar 27 after a successful STS-123 mission.

On Mar 15 Linnehan and Foreman carried out the second spacewalk of the
flight, leaving the Quest airlock with depressurization at 2343 UTC,
hatch open at about 2348 UTC and egress just after 0000 UTC on...

International Dark-Sky Association
Tucson, Arizona

Contact: Kim Patten
International Dark-Sky Association
520-293-3198

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2008

2008 National Dark-Sky Week Celebration

Tucson, AZ -- Observance of the sixth annual National Dark-Sky Week will
take place March 29 through April 4. Founded in 2003 by Jennifer Barlow, the
event highlights concern for increasing light pollution -- the "glow" from
outdoor lights that washes out the stars in the night sky. Endorsed by the
International Dark-Sky Association, American Astronomical Society, and the
Astronomical League, event participation grows each year as the public
becomes more aware of light pollution and its effects on our everyday lives
and the environment.

ESA News
http://www.esa.int

28 March 2008

ESA satellite technology enhances nuclear monitoring

Satellite telecommunication technology developed with support from ESA is
being used to enhance the connections between the International Atomic
Energy Agency's remote monitoring centre and nuclear facilities around the
world, including the Chernobyl site.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is well known for their
mission of monitoring the worldwide flow of nuclear materials and
safeguarding the implementation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
From their headquarters in Vienna, the IAEA safeguards numerous nuclear
facilities in many countries and across several continents.

To support the online monitoring of nuclear facilities, the IAEA has a
remote monitoring data centre, which downloads data from over 140 systems
worldwide. Fifty radiation detection systems and 90 surveillance systems
(including 340 cameras producing 150,000 images per day) generate to up to
two gigabytes per day of global data traffic.

ESA News
http://www.esa.int

30 March 2008

Jules Verne receives go for next step

International Space Station managers have today given the go-ahead for Jules
Verne ATV to proceed with the second of two demonstration days in the lead
up to a first ISS docking attempt later in the week. On Monday,
Demonstration Day 2 will see ATV approach to within 11 m of the ISS.

"Having tested very successfully on Saturday the first part of the
rendezvous, in particular using the relative GPS between that on Jules Verne
and on the Russian Service Module of the ISS, we now have the go-ahead to
the test the second part of the rendezvous which uses the optical sensors."
said John Ellwood, ESA's ATV Project Manager. "This will be very
interesting, but we have a lot of confidence based on the great performance
of Jules Verne during the first demonstration day."

The first demonstration day proves Jules Verne ATV can perform relative
navigation with the ISS using relative GPS to successfully and safely
manoeuvre the spacecraft to a point located 3.5 km behind the ISS and at the
same orbital altitude.

ESA News
http://www.esa.int

Jules Verne demonstrates key capabilities

29 March 2008

Jules Verne ATV today demonstrated its ability to navigate safely from a
point 39 km behind the ISS to a stand-off point just 3.5 km away using
relative GPS navigation. The vessel then executed an Escape manoeuvre
commanded from the ATV Control Centre in which the craft flew off to a safe
distance.

"All systems were completely nominal, which is very satisfying for this
first day of really testing the rendezvous capability of the spacecraft,"
said John Ellwood, ESA ATV Project Manager.

http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2008&itemno=134

Two oxygenation events in ancient oceans sparked spread of complex
life
By Susan Trulove
Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va., February 28, 2008 -- The rise of oxygen and the
oxidation of deep oceans between 635 and 551 million years ago may
have
had an impact on the increase and spread of the earliest complex life,
including animals, according to a study reported in the Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences online Early Edition during the week
of
Feb. 25 through 29.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/18mar_saturn.htm

The Vanishing Rings of Saturn
NASA Science News
03.18.2008

March 18, 2008: Saturn: jewel of the solar system, taker of breaths,
ringed beauty. Even veteran astronomers can't help but gasp when they
see her through a small telescope.

Red Alert: Saturn's rings are vanishing.

Around the world, amateur astronomers have noticed the change;
Saturn's
wide open rings are rapidly narrowing into a thin line. Efrain Morales
Rivera sends these pictures taken through a backyard telescope in
Aguadilla, Puerto Rico:

"The rings have narrowed considerably in the last year," he reports.
"The Cassini division (a dark gap in the rings) is getting hard to
see."