NASA Administrator Meets With Japanese Prime Minister

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, fourth from left, accepts a montage from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, third from left, during a meeting at the Blair House as Associate Administrator for Science and former astronaut John Grunsfeld, left, Associate Administrator for Education and former astronaut Leland Melvin, second from left, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronauts Koichi Wakata and Satoshi Furukawa, right, look on, Monday, April 30, 2012, in Washington.

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

NASA Announces Time Change For Shuttle Tile Presentation To School

Ann Marie Trotta
Headquarters, Washington                                        

WASHINGTON -- The time for a Feb. 27 appearance by former space shuttle astronaut Leland Melvin, NASA's associate administrator for education, at Bruce Monroe Elementary School at Parkview in Washington, has changed. Melvin will present a space shuttle tile to the school and speak to students at 10 a.m. The event previously was scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

The deadline for reporters to arrange to cover the event also has changed. Media should contact Ann Marie Trotta at 202-358-1601 or ann.marie.trotta@nasa.gov by 4 p.m. Feb. 24. The school is located at 3650 Warder Street NW in Washington.

Melvin will share with the students his experiences as a crew member aboard the space shuttle Atlantis on two missions, STS-122 in 2008 and STS-129 in 2009. He also will discuss NASA careers, including how to become an astronaut, and the opportunities available to students who pursue science, technology, engineering and math studies.

To learn more about NASA education, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education.

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D.C. School To Receive NASA Space Shuttle Tile During Black History Month Event Monday

Ann Marie Trotta
Headquarters, Washington                                        

WASHINGTON -- Leland Melvin, NASA's associate administrator for education and a former space shuttle astronaut, will present a space shuttle tile to Bruce Monroe Elementary School at Parkview and speak to students on Monday, Feb. 27.

Representatives of the media wanting to attend the event should contact Ann Marie Trotta at 202-358-1601 or ann.marie.trotta@nasa.gov by 9 a.m. Feb. 27. The school is located at 3650 Warder Street NW in Washington. The event begins at 1:30 p.m. and is expected to last 90 minutes.

Melvin will share with the students his experiences as a crew member aboard the space shuttle Atlantis on two missions, STS-122 in 2008 and STS-129 in 2009. He also will discuss NASA careers, including how to become an astronaut, and the opportunities available to students who pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies.

NASA's education programs employ the agency's many missions to inspire learners of all ages. The space shuttle tile program is an example of how the agency uses its unique assets to engage student audiences.

To learn how schools can apply to receive a space shuttle tile for STEM curricula, visit http://gsaxcess.gov/nasawel.htm.

To learn more about NASA education, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education.

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NASA Officials Participate in 2nd Annual White House Science Fair

Ann Marie Trotta
Headquarters, Washington     

WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and other senior agency officials joined President Obama in honoring student science fair winners from across the country at the second annual White House Science Fair today in the East Wing of the White House. The event highlighted student achievement and excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.

In November 2009, the president announced his "Educate to Innovate" campaign and emphasized the importance of encouraging students to pursue STEM studies and careers. NASA has developed a wide variety of education programs that use the inherent excitement of space exploration and science to inspire students and generate interest in STEM.

"Programs like this science fair help students develop critical skills and get hands-on experience that will serve them and our nation well in the future," Bolden said. "These talented students are tomorrow's science leaders, and their skills will be critical to helping us make an American economy built to last."

Joining Bolden at the event were NASA's Associate Administrator for Education Leland Melvin and Associate Administrator for Science John Grunsfeld. Both Melvin and Grunsfeld also are veteran space shuttle astronauts who frequently use their flight experiences as catalysts for engaging students' interest in space and science. NASA Chief Technologist, Mason Peck, NASA Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati, and Paul Hertz, chief scientist for the agency's Science Mission Directorate, also attended the fair and met with student honorees.

Among the winning science experiments displayed at the White House today were two that related directly to NASA's mission, including entries from a girls' rocket team and a FIRST Robotics alliance.

The "Young Women Rocketing to Nationals" team featured Janet and Ana Karen Nieto of Presidio, Texas, who are members of the Presidio High School Rocketry Team that competed as a national finalist in the Team America Rocketry Challenge in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Gwynelle Condino, a 7th grade student at Lucy Franco Middle School in Presidio, is the team's leader this year.

"A Winning Robotics Alliance, with Astronauts Cheering Them On" team was comprised of John Drake of Schaumburg, Ill., Sean Murphy of Atascadero, Calif., and Eric Bakan of San Jose, Calif. They represented the winning alliance of the 2011 FIRST Robotics Competition Championship and were mentored by engineers at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.

Two other NASA-related education programs also were represented at today's event.

Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE), is a hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science and education program where students, teachers and scientists worldwide collaborate on investigations of the environment and the Earth system. Participants work in close partnership with NASA and other federal agencies.

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) was launched in June 2010 by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, in partnership with NanoRacks, LLC. Student teams in grades 5-12 propose microgravity experiments for flight in a research minilab that may be flown to the International Space Station. SSEP is enabled through a space act agreement as part of the International Space Station's use as a National Laboratory.

To learn more about NASA's education programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education.

To learn more about NASA's science missions, visit http://www.science.nasa.gov.

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Will.i.am and Leland Melvin at the MSL Tweetup

Will.i.am, left, celebrity entertainer and member of The Black Eyed Peas, and former astronaut Leland Melvin, NASA associate administrator for Education, take part in a Tweetup at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Behind them glint the lights of the launch countdown clock. Once MSL and Curiosity have landed on Mars, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life.

Image Credit: NASA

Update With Additional Speaker: Media Opportunity With NASA'S SOFIA During Washington Stopover

Trent J. Perrotto

Headquarters, Washington     

WASHINGTON -- NASA is inviting journalists to tour and learn more about the world's largest airborne astronomical observatory on Thursday, Sept. 22, from 12 to 2 p.m. EDT at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.

NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a highly modified Boeing 747SP aircraft fitted with a 100 inch (2.5 meter) diameter telescope, is making a rare appearance on the East Coast after a deployment to Germany. From 12 to 12:30 p.m., prior to touring the aircraft, media will hear from:

-- Lori Garver, NASA deputy administrator

-- Leland Melvin, former astronaut and NASA associate administrator for Education

-- Paul Hertz, NASA SOFIA program scientist

-- Mary Blessing, an educator from Herndon High School in Herndon, Va., who flew aboard SOFIA as a participant in the Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program

Hundreds of children from military families also will be on-site to tour the aircraft, visit NASA exhibits, and speak with scientists. SOFIA's Washington-area stopover is part of the White House's "Joining Forces" initiative to give service members and their families opportunities they have earned. NASA works to inspire interest in science, technology, engineering and math education and careers among youth.

To attend, journalists must contact Trent Perrotto at trent.j.perrotto@nasa.gov or 202-358-0321 by 4 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 21, for logistics. To allow time for check-in and transportation to the aircraft hangar, news media representatives will need to arrive at the base at 11 a.m.

SOFIA analyzes infrared light to study the formation of stars and planets; chemistry of interstellar gases; composition of comets, asteroids and planets; and supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies. Infrared observations are optimal for studying low-temperature objects in space such as the raw materials for star and planet formation and for seeing through interstellar dust clouds that block light at visible wavelengths.

SOFIA is a joint program between NASA and DLR in Bonn, Germany. The SOFIA program is managed at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif. The aircraft is based at the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif. NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., manages the SOFIA science and mission operations in cooperation with the Universities Space Research Association in Columbia, Md., and Deutsches SOFIA Institut in Stuttgart, Germany.

For more information about SOFIA, visit http://www.nasa.gov/sofia.

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Building the Future With LEGO and NASA

NASA Associate Administrator for Education and astronaut Leland Melvin, center, blasts off a rocket for young participants at a 'Build the Future' event sponsored by LEGO at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex, Wednesday, April 27, 2011, in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Image Credit: NASA/Paul E. Alers

NASA and Music Producer Pharrell Williams Encourage Virginia Students to Reach for the Stars

Ann Marie Trotta

Headquarters, Washington                                    

 

Amy Johnson

Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.

HAMPTON, Va. -- NASA and celebrity producer and recording artist Pharrell Williams will host an education event on Saturday, April 23, at Williams Farms Park in Virginia Beach, Va. The event is designed to encourage students to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies and careers.

NASA's Associate Administrator for Education Leland Melvin who is a former astronaut and Williams, a Hampton Roads, Va., native, will deliver remarks. Williams' charitable organization, From One Hand to Another, is supporting the development of the Pharrell Williams Resource Center, which is scheduled to open in 2013 in the park. The center will run academic enrichment programs and engage youth in STEM activities.

Saturday's program also will feature NASA exhibits and showcase the accomplishments of students from Hampton Roads who participated last year in NASA's inaugural Summer of Innovation camps. More than 500 students who participated in the camps sponsored by NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., will be in attendance.

The event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT, is free and open to the public and reporters. To attend, news media should contact Ann Marie Trotta at 202-358-1601 or Amy Johnson at 757-864-7022 by 5 p.m. Thursday. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held at Bayside Middle School, 965 Newton Road, Virginia Beach.

NASA's Summer of Innovation is a key part of President Obama's Educate to Innovate campaign, which was launched to help keep middle school students engaged during school breaks. For more information about the program, visit http://www.nasa.gov/soi.

For more information about NASA's education initiatives, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education.

For more information about From One Hand to Another, visit http://www.fohta.org.

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NASA Announces Spaced Out Sports Challenge Winners

Ann Marie Trotta

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Rebecca Strecker

Stennis Space Center, Bay St. Louis, Miss.

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. -- NASA has announced three winners in the Spaced Out Sports competition, which challenged U.S. students in fifth through eighth grades to create games for astronauts to play aboard the International Space Station. The challenge is part of a broader agency education effort to engage students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activities.

Students at K.W. Barrett Elementary School in Arlington, Va., got the top prize for creating a game entitled "Save the World." Second-place honors went to students at Kinser Elementary School, a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) School in Okinawa, Japan, for their "Alligator Clip Capture" game. Third-place was awarded to students at Manhattan Beach Middle School in Manhattan Beach, Calif., for their "Independence Day" game.

"Save the World" features teams gathering objects and building devices to save Earth from incoming meteorites. In "Alligator Clip Capture," players race around the station's Destiny Lab retrieving alligator clips of varying point values. "Independence Day" challenges players to throw batons through 'Liberty Rings' to gain points. All three games will be played aboard the station.

"I was delighted to see this level of engagement from the student teams, and I want to congratulate all three winning teams on their hard work and creativity," said NASA Associate Administrator for Education Leland Melvin. "I am especially pleased to note that one of the winning teams is from a DoDEA school. April is the Month of the Military Child, and NASA is kicking off a new initiative to engage military families in our education programs."

NASA will kick off its Military Families Initiative at an education summit in Orlando later this month.

The Spaced Out Sports challenge, a Teaching from Space project, was unveiled last fall and focused on helping students learn and apply Sir Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion. Using the accompanying curriculum, teachers led students through a study of Newton's laws, highlighted by hands-on activities and video podcasts featuring NASA scientists and engineers explaining how the laws are used in the space program.

The videos also feature celebrity athletes explaining the science behind their sports. Contributors include Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin; NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya; Women's National Basketball Association player Temeka Johnson; National Hockey League player Ryan O'Reilly and members of the National Football League's New Orleans Saints. Astronauts Melvin and Nicole Stott also are featured.

Students learned the differences in a game played in the gravity environment of Earth and the same game played in a microgravity environment, such as the space station. They used the knowledge to design or redesign a game to illustrate and apply Newton's laws.

"Response to the challenge was very encouraging, with more than 55 submissions," said Katie Wallace, director of NASA's Stennis Space Center's Office of Education in Bay St. Louis, Miss., where the challenge and accompanying curriculum were developed. "Even more encouraging was seeing students excited about, and involved in, learning science. Hopefully, they will continue in these studies and consider STEM careers."

For information about the Science and Sports curriculum and related resources, visit http://education.ssc.nasa.gov/spacedoutsports.

For information about NASA education programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education.

For information about Stennis, visit http://www.nasa.gov/stennis.

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NASA Helps Students Train Like Astronauts in Mission X Challenge

Ann Marie Trotta

Headquarters, Washington                                   

 

William Jeffs

Johnson Space Center, Houston

WASHINGTON -- Fourth-grade students in the College Station Independent School District (CSISD) in Texas have completed six weeks of a NASA health and fitness challenge known as "Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut."

The United States, Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Colombia, Spain and United Kingdom hosted teams for the first Mission X challenge. NASA selected CSISD to participate on behalf of the U.S., along with 3,700 other students from more than 25 cities worldwide. The initiative supports the goals of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, and First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let’s Move" program announced in February 2010. Both efforts are designed to encourage Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition.

At a final event Thursday at College Station Tiger Stadium in Texas, NASA Associate Administrator for Education and former astronaut Leland Melvin and astronaut Rick Linnehan shared their space travel experience with students. They also discussed the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) studies.

"The physical fitness portion of Mission X is vital, because fit kids can make better students," Melvin said. "But, the team-building aspect is essential to what we do at NASA, from constructing the International Space Station to launching complex science missions. Helping students excel in science and engineering and encouraging them to pursue those careers helps NASA develop future explorers, who will reach higher and take us on the next grand exploration challenge."

At the finale to Mission X, students also toured the "Driven To Explore" NASA trailer and participated in exploration-inspired activities. Certificates of participation were presented to each of the schools.

"Mission X is all about inspiring and educating our youth to live a healthy lifestyle, with a focus on improving their overall daily physical activity," said Dennis Grounds, NASA manager of the Human Research Program at Johnson. "All of the countries involved saw this as a national concern. The program was an outstanding success due to a truly inspired effort by the NASA team, the European Space Agency team and the national space agencies of France and Germany."

During the six-week Mission X, participants completed physical activities modeled after the real-life training requirements of humans traveling in space. Students practiced teamwork while participating in training missions targeting strength, endurance, coordination and balance. They also gained an understanding of the science behind nutrition and physical fitness by participating in hands-on activities involving human energy requirements, hydration and bone strength.

Mission X enabled several space agencies and various partner institutions to collaborate to address the quality of health and fitness education and challenge students to be more physically active. The program increased awareness of the importance of lifelong fitness and its vital role in human performance for exploration. As a result, students may be motivated to pursue careers in STEM fields.

The global challenge is coordinated online, where countries can post updates and submit points. The public is invited to track the progress of the teams. The 18 core activities of the challenge are available for download at the site in seven languages.

Visit the site at http://www.trainlikeanastronaut.org.

In the future, participants hope to expand the pilot program and offer more schools and countries the opportunity to participate. NASA's Human Research Program at the Johnson Space Center in Houston sponsored the U.S. component of the challenge.

To follow the progress of Mission X teams, visit http://www.trainlikeanastronaut.org.

For more information about NASA's Human Research Program, visit http://humanresearch.jsc.nasa.gov.

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NASA Leaders To Mentor New York Students On March 22

Ann Marie Trotta

Headquarters, Washington     

WASHINGTON -- NASA is hosting a March 22 forum in New York City to share the excitement of space exploration and encourage students - especially girls - to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

NASA's Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and NASA's Associate Administrator for Education Leland Melvin, a former astronaut, will attend the event and meet with 200 middle school and high school students from the Women's Academy of Excellence; the Promise Academy; the New York City Housing Authority; and the General D. Chappie James Middle School of Science.

Fashion designer Donna Karan's Urban Zen Foundation and the Foundation for Advancing Women Now, founded by singer Mary J. Blige are co-hosts of the event, which will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT at the Stephen Weiss Studio,

705 Greenwich Street, New York

. To attend, reporters should contact Ann Marie Trotta at 202-358-1601 or ann.marie.trotta@nasa.gov by 10 a.m. March 21.

At 10:15 a.m., the students also will participate in a question-and-answer session with NASA astronaut Cady Coleman who is orbiting 220 miles above the Earth. She has been living aboard the International Space Station for the past three months. NASA Television and the agency's website will carry the downlink live.

The downlink is one in a series with educational organizations in the U.S. and abroad to improve STEM teaching and learning. It is an integral component of Teaching From Space, a NASA Education office. The office promotes learning opportunities and builds partnerships with the education community using the unique environment of microgravity and NASA's human spaceflight program.

The events also will be streamed live at http://www.livestream.com/urbanzen.

NASA Television will air video from the space station during the event. For NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For information about NASA's education programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education.

For information about the International Space Station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

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Astronaut Glove

Students from Ferebee-Hope Elementary School in Washington, D.C., take turns trying on a glove from a space suit on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011. Ferebee-Hope Elementary School, in collaboration with Reading is Fundamental, hosted this event in honor of Black History Month, and to highlight the importance of reading. NASA Associate Administrator for Education and STS-129 astronaut Leland Melvin read to first and third grade students at the school from the book The Moon Over Star during the event.

Image Credit: NASA/Carla Cioffi

This article was sponsored by Forensic Science Books.

NASA'S Head Of Education To Meet With D.C. Elementary Students

Ann Marie Trotta

Headquarters, Washington

WASHINGTON -- NASA Associate Administrator for Education Leland Melvin will meet with first and third grade students at Ferebee-Hope Elementary School in Washington from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 8. This is one of the school's Black History Month events and will focus on the importance of reading.

Melvin, a former space shuttle astronaut, will share his flight experiences, highlight contributions of African Americans to the space program and read the book "The Moon Over Star" aloud to the children. The book tells the story of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing and how that event inspired the main character, a young African-American girl named Mae.

The event is a collaborative effort with Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and is part of the organization's DC Initiative. The program annually distributes more than 50,000 free books to help children discover the joy of reading. Carol Rasco, president and CEO of RIF, also will participate in the event.

News media representatives interested in attending should contact Ann Marie Trotta at 202-358-1601 by 4 p.m. EST Monday, Feb. 7. Ferebee-Hope Elementary School is located at

3999 Eighth Street, SE

in Washington. The event will be streamed live on the Web at http://www.rif.org/live.

Betsy Pugel, a physicist from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., will be on hand to show the students a moon rock and share materials from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission launched in 2009.

NASA's broad education program works to engage teachers and students from kindergarten through the university post-graduate level. The program uses the agency's unique assets and exciting space endeavors to inspire students and encourage them to pursue curricula and careers related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

It is a key part of NASA's effort to help build the nation's future high-tech workforce and cultivate the next generation of explorers. NASA Television will air footage from the event during its Video File feed. For NASA TV schedule and streaming video information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For information about NASA's education programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education.

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Celebrating JFK

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, third from left, introduces Edward Moore Kennedy III, fourth from left, to NASA Astronaut Leland Melvin, left, and former NASA Astronaut Scott Altman, second from left, as Edward's mother Kiki Kennedy, wife of Edward M. Kennedy Jr. and NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, right, look on at an event recognizing the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of John F. Kennedy as President of the United States, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011 in the rotunda at the U.S. Capitol.

Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)