SpaceBanter.com

NASA Reveals New Discoveries From Mercury (MESSENGER)

baalke@earthlink.net — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:49:26 GMT

July 3, 2008

J.D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-5241

Mike Buckley
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md.
240-228-7536

RELEASE: 08-166

NASA REVEALS NEW DISCOVERIES FROM MERCURY

GREENBELT, Md. -- Scientists have argued about the origins of
Mercury's smooth plains and the source of its magnetic field for more
than 30 years. Now, analyses of data from the January 2008 flyby of
the planet by the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry
and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft have shown that volcanoes were
involved in plains formation and suggest that its magnetic field is
actively produced in the planet's core.

Scientists additionally took their first look at the chemical
composition of the planet's surface. The tiny craft probed the
composition of Mercury's thin atmosphere, sampled charged particles
(ions) near the planet, and demonstrated new links between both sets
of observations and materials on Mercury's surface. The results are
reported in a series of 11 papers published in a special section of
Science magazine July 4.

The controversy over the origin of Mercury's smooth plains began with
the 1972 Apollo 16 moon mission, which suggested that some lunar
plains came from material that was ejected by large impacts and then
formed smooth "ponds." When Mariner 10 imaged similar formations on
Mercury in 1975, some scientists believed that the same processes
were at work. Others thought Mercury's plains material came from
erupted lavas, but the absence of volcanic vents or other volcanic
features in images from that mission prevented a consensus.

Six of the papers in Science report on analyses of the planet's
surface through its reflectance and color variation, surface
chemistry, high-resolution imaging at different wavelengths, and
altitude measurements. The researchers found evidence of volcanic
vents along the margins of the Caloris basin, one of the solar
system's youngest impact basins. They also found that Caloris has a
much more complicated geologic history than previously believed.

The first altitude measurements from any spacecraft at Mercury also
found that craters on the planet are about a factor of two shallower
than those on Earth's moon. The measurements also show a complex
geologic history for Mercury.

Mercury's core makes up at least 60 percent of its mass, a figure
twice as large as any other known terrestrial planet. The flyby
revealed that the magnetic field, originating in the outer core and
powered by core cooling, drives very dynamic and complex interactions

Remarking on the importance of the core to surface geological
structures, Principal Investigator Sean Solomon at the Carnegie
Institution of Washington said, "The dominant tectonic landforms on
Mercury, including areas imaged for the first time by MESSENGER, are
features called lobate scarps, huge cliffs that mark the tops of
crustal faults that formed during the contraction of the surrounding
area. They tell us how important the cooling core has been to the
evolution of the surface. After the end of the period of heavy
bombardment, cooling of the planet's core not only fueled the
magnetic dynamo, it also led to contraction of the entire planet. And
the data from the flyby indicate that the total contraction is a
least one-third greater than we previously thought."

The flyby also made the first-ever observations of the ionized
particles in Mercury's unique exosphere. The exosphere is an
ultrathin atmosphere in which the molecules are so far apart they are
more likely to collide with the surface than with each other. The
planet's highly elliptical orbit, its slow rotation and particle
interactions with the magnetosphere, interplanetary medium and solar
wind result in strong seasonal and day-night differences in the way
particles behave.

For more information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/messenger

or

http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/mer_flyby1.html

-end-

Information on sites and regulations

Mehran Basti — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:37:24 GMT

Dear Newsgroup:

The following are Basti Newsgroups (sites):

Sci.bio:

http://groups.google.com/group/MBScibio

Sci.math:

http://groups.google.com/group/MBScimath?hl=en

Sci.physics:

http://groups.google.com/group/MBSciphysics?hl=en

The above sites are closed sites (suitable for many if they do not
want to go public).

The public sites are:

Sci,comp (public):

http://groups.google.com/group/MBScicomp/about?hl=en

Sci.physics (public):

http://groups.google.com/group/MBSciphysicsp

You may view some of my postings there.

Sign in at Google site. I will then send you a form (regulations) to
fill out.

Your full name, city and country of residence are required (in the
form).

One signed form is sufficient, if you intend to register for multiple
sites.

If you are interested in another newsgroup (public or not), please let
us know (no fee is involved at this time).

These are experimental newsgroups on Google site; if successful we
will transfer them to a private site and charge a fee.

A sample form can be seen at Math Forum site (PDF):

http://mathforum.org/kb/thread.jspa?...67039&tstart=0

Normally nothing happens if a member behaves, we hope they will stay
with the company for decades!

The regulations designed at this time for a global company with
complex inter-relations at the world levels (political, economic,
educational, etc).

Returning the signed form (once sent by email to you, with printing
your name) is essential for registration purposes.

Dr.Mehran Basti

CEO, Basti Newsgroups

Phoenix to Bake Ice-Rich Sample Next Week

baalke@earthlink.net — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:36:24 GMT

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2008-125

Phoenix to Bake Ice-Rich Sample Next Week
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
July 02, 2008

The next sample delivered to NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Thermal and
Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA) will be ice-rich.

A team of engineers and scientists assembled to assess TEGA after a
short circuit was discovered in the instrument has concluded that
another short circuit could occur when the oven is used again.

"Since there is no way to assess the probability of another short
circuit occurring, we are taking the most conservative approach and
treating the next sample to TEGA as possibly our last," said Peter
Smith, Phoenix's principal investigator.

A sample taken from the trench informally named "Snow White" that was
in
Phoenix's robotic arm's scoop earlier this week likely has dried out,
so
the soil particles are to be delivered to the lander's optical
microscope on Thursday, and if material remains in the scoop, the rest
will be deposited in the Wet Chemistry Laboratory, possibly early on
Sunday.

The mission teams will mark the Independence Day holiday with a
planned
"stand down" from Thursday morning, July 3, to Saturday evening, July
5.
A skeleton crew at the University of Arizona in Tucson, at NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and Lockheed Martin Space
Systems in Denver, Colo., will continue to monitor the spacecraft and
its instruments over the holiday period.

"The stand down is a chance for our team to rest, but Phoenix won't
get
a holiday," Smith said. The spacecraft will be operating from
pre-programmed science commands, taking atmospheric readings and
panoramas and other images.

Once the sample is delivered to the chemistry experiment, Smith said
the
highest priority will be obtaining the ice-rich sample and delivering
it
to TEGA's oven number zero.

In a few days, the Phoenix team will conduct tests so the instruments
can deliver the icy sample quickly, so no materials sublimate, or
change
from a solid to a vapor, during the delivery process.

The short circuit was believed to have been caused when TEGA's oven
number four was vibrated repeatedly over the course of several days to
break up clumpy soil delivered to oven number 4. Delivery to any TEGA
oven involves a vibration action, and turning on the vibrator in any
oven will cause oven number 4 to vibrate as well.

The Phoenix mission is led by Peter Smith of the University of Arizona
with project management at JPL and development partnership at Lockheed
Martin, located in Denver. International contributions come from the
Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the
universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark; Max Planck Institute,
Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. More about the
Phoenix Mars Lander is online at http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix and
http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Media contacts:
Guy Webster 818-354-6278
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

Dwayne Brown 202-358-1726
NASA Headquarters, Washington

Sara Hammond 520-626-1974
University of Arizona, Tucson

2008-125

NASA Debuts Web Site for First Ares Test Flight

baalke@earthlink.net — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:32:48 GMT

July 2, 2008

Stephanie Schierholz/Grey Hautaluoma
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4997/0668
,

Lynnette Madison/Josh Byerly
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
,

Daniel Kanigan
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-6849

MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-131

NASA DEBUTS WEB SITE FOR FIRST ARES TEST FLIGHT

WASHINGTON -- NASA is developing new spacecraft, the Ares rockets and
Orion crew capsule, to deliver astronauts to the International Space
Station and send them on their way to the moon. The first test flight
of the spacecraft, known as Ares I-X, is scheduled to launch in
spring 2009. The latest information about this launch is now
available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/co...sIx/index.html

The Web site was created to offer key information about the details
and objectives of the Ares I-X test flight. The site features
articles, images and videos that outline the objectives of the Ares
I-X test flight and explain how these objectives will influence the
design and flight of the Ares I rocket and Orion crew capsule.

The Ares I-X flight will test hardware, facilities and ground
operations associated with the Ares I rocket. It also will provide
critical data during ascent of the integrated Orion crew exploration
vehicle and the Ares I launch vehicle stack -- data that will be used
to design a vehicle system that is safe and fully operational before
astronauts begin traveling into orbit.

The Ares I-X test flight will bring America one step closer to a
return to the moon by 2020 and eventual trips to Mars and
destinations beyond. For more information about NASA's exploration
plans, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/constellation

-end-

NASA Considers Development of Student-Led Satellite Initiative(American Student Moon Orbiter)

baalke@earthlink.net — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:28:53 GMT

July 2, 2008

Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1761

Rachel Prucey
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
650-604-0643

Katherine Martin
Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
216-433-2406

RELEASE: 08-151

NASA CONSIDERS DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENT-LED SATELLITE INITIATIVE

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- NASA is considering the development of a
university-based, student-led satellite development initiative to
begin passing the space exploration torch to a new generation.

The American Student Moon Orbiter, or ASMO, concept invites students,
faculty and industry leaders in the U.S. with experience in
university-based, student-led spaceflight projects to respond to a
Request for Information which is planned for release this month and
will remain open for at least 90 days. The orbiter will be a small
satellite that could orbit the moon and carry scientific instruments
designed and developed by students. It is aligned with NASA's lunar
exploration agenda.

"It is important to provide meaningful experiences to our next
generation of engineers, but we need to do it in a thoughtful way,"
said Dr. Joyce Winterton, assistant administrator for Education at
NASA Headquarters in Washington. "By collecting input from
universities with experience in this area, we can make the correct
decision about whether to proceed, and if so, how."

Under the ASMO concept, teams would learn directly from NASA mentors
as part of a diverse, nationwide, higher education initiative that
enables students to design, build, launch, operate and own a small
spacecraft and its payload. Students would acquire in-depth
experience with satellite mission protocol and procedures,
communications and project management. NASA's Ames Research Center at
Moffett Field in California and NASA's Glenn Research Center in
Cleveland are leading the ASMO initiative.

"NASA is laying the foundation for a multi-generation exploration
program that eventually will see humans settle our solar system,"
said Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden. "To sustain this vision, we
need the next crop of scientists and engineers to engage their minds
and get hands-on experience."

NASA's Office of Education provides opportunities to prepare college
and university students for successful aerospace careers through
and mathematics skills.

To respond to the American Student Moon Orbiter Request for
Information, visit:

http://asmo.arc.nasa.gov

-end-

Mars Odyssey THEMIS Images: June 30 - July 4, 2008

baalke@earthlink.net — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:26:37 GMT

MARS ODYSSEY THEMIS IMAGES
June 30 - July 4, 2008

o Texture (Released 30 June 2008)
http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20080630a

o Texture (Released 01 July 2008)
http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20080701a

o Hecates Channels (Released 02 July 2008)
http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20080702a

o Channel (Released 03 July 2008)
http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20080703a

o Linear Ridges (Released 04 July 2008)
http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20080704a

All of the THEMIS images are archived here:

http://themis.asu.edu/latest.html

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey
mission
for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal
Emission
Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University,
Tempe, in co.oration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing.
The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona
State
University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime
contractor
for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission
operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a
division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

MRO HiRISE Images - July 2, 2008

baalke@earthlink.net — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:24:34 GMT

MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER HIRISE IMAGES
July 2, 2008

o Mystery Mounds in Southern Acidalia Planitia
http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_008548_2205

o Subchannels in Kasei Valles
http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_008523_2060

o TARs and Unusual Star Ripples
http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_008323_1735

o Lineated Valley Fill in Coloe Fossae
http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_008598_2155

All of the HiRISE images are archived here:

http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/

Information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is
online at http://www.nasa.gov/mro. The mission is
managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division
of the California Institute of Technology, for the NASA
Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. Lockheed
Martin Space Systems, of Denver, is the prime contractor
and built the spacecraft. HiRISE is operated by the
University of Arizona. Ball Aerospace and Technologies
Corp., of Boulder, Colo., built the HiRISE instrument.

New Horizons Team Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Charon's Discovery

baalke@earthlink.net — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:22:19 GMT

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/news_center/news/070208.html

New Horizons Team Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Charon's Discovery
July 2, 2008

This week the New Horizons mission team celebrates the 30th
anniversary
of the discovery of Pluto's largest and first moon, Charon, by U.S.
Naval Observatory astronomers James Christy and Robert Harrington.

Charon, whose discovery was officially announced on July 7, 1978,
orbits
nearly 11,390 miles (about 18,220 kilometers) from Pluto's surface and
has a diameter of about 750 miles (1,210 kilometers). At half the
diameter of Pluto, Charon is the largest moon relative to its planet
in
our solar system.

Charon's surface is covered in water ice, and its interior is known to
be a nearly even combination of rock and water ice. Unlike Pluto, it
has
no substantial atmosphere. "The historic discovery of Charon ushered
in
the modern understanding of Pluto as a double planet and the product
of
a giant collision that formed the system in much the same way as the
Earth-moon system was formed," says New Horizons Principal
Investigator
Alan Stern.

The Pluto family grew just three years ago, when Stern and New
Horizons
Project Scientist Hal Weaver led a team that discovered two
additional,
much smaller moons, later named Nix and Hydra.

New Horizons is en route to fly by and reconnoiter the Pluto system
seven years from now, in July 2015, turning these moons and their
parent
planet from points of light into well-mapped worlds.

Read more about Charon's discovery in our Science section
<http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/science/everything_pluto/
3_discovery_charon.php> or on the U.S.
Naval Observatory Web site
.

For vested interest and national interest, NASA conceals most of themicrographs of Phoenix

Lin Liangtai — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:19:15 GMT

For vested interest and "national interest", NASA is trying to conceal
most of the micrographs taken by Mars Lander Phoenix.

NASA has not released any micrograph taken by the atomic force
microscope on board Mars Lander Phoenix.

NASA has released only three optical micrographs since NASA tested the
optical microscope on June 4,and reported no problem with the
microscope. Most of the micrographs taken by Phoenix have not been
released yet.

Could NASA be trying to avoid the discovery of fossils on Mars? I
suspected so, long before NASA blocked me from its website. I
expected so, long before I wrote a google message entitled "NASA tries
to wrap fire with paper".

By now it should be clear to all keen observers why NASA repeatedly
reminded people that Phoenix was not equipped to detect life, past or
present and was not aimed to detect life. Any detection of past life
should pass the strictest test of denial by anyone.

Who stands to benefit from failure to find life on Mars? NASA's vested
interest does. NASA is convinced that the failure is in the national
interest. Believe it or not, in the next few days/weeks, NASA will
convince the highest national leader that NASA should not reveal all
the micrographs taken by Phoenix. Mars Rovers Opportunity and Spirit
have released all their micrographs directly, without prior screening
by NASA. Now NASA thinks persons like "i" could use the Phoenix
microgragraphs to cheat the world into believing there was past life
on Mars and such persons could jeopardize American national interest
with naked truth. Mr. Bush and the general public could very possibly
believe NASA. Who cares about God and its naked truth?

For vested interest and national interest, NASA conceals most of themicrographs of Phoenix

Lin Liangtai — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:18:02 GMT

Cassini Update - July 1, 2008

baalke@earthlink.net — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:06:30 GMT

Cassini Significant Events
for 06/24/08 - 06/27/08

The most recent spacecraft telemetry was acquired on June 27 from the
Deep Space Network tracking complex at Goldstone, California. The
Cassini spacecraft is in an excellent state of health and all
subsystems are operating normally. Information on the present
position and speed of the Cassini spacecraft may be found on the
"Present Position" page at:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/operation...t-position.cfm.

Tuesday, June 24 (Day of Year (DOY) 176)

The Cassini-Huygens Analysis and Results of the Mission (CHARM)
teleconference for June featured discussion of Cassini's 4th
anniversary at Saturn, with an introduction by the Deputy Project
Scientist and presentations on the icy satellites and Saturn.
Because so much has been accomplished this year, the CHARM planners
have decided to devote several months to the past year's results.

Four Instrument Expanded Block (IEB) files for the Visual and
Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS), Composite Infrared Spectrometer
(CIRS), and Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) were uplinked to the
spacecraft today. The loads were verified as properly written to the
Solid State Recorder (SSR) via memory readout data. Uplink
Operations will continue on tomorrow's shortened DOY 177 Deep Space
Station-14 track with three Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS)
IEBs, and one each for the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS),
Optical Navigation and Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS).

An image of Ithaca Chasma on Tethys was Astronomy Picture of the Day
today: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080624.html

Today is the 9th anniversary of the Cassini Venus 2 flyby.

Wednesday, June 25 (DOY 177)

Today the spacecraft turned to Dione, which was the focus of the
day's Optical Remote Sensing observations. Even though the satellite
was nearly one million kilometers from Saturn, the phase angle was
very low -- less than one degree.

Thursday, June 26 (DOY 178)

Several instruments performed regularly scheduled maintenance today.
ISS team members calibrated the instrument by observing stars, CIRS
took advantage of time spent pointing at dark sky to perform a
deep-space calibration, and Radio Science (RSS) performed a boresight
calibration and an Ultra-Stable Oscillator characterization.

An opportunity to observe Enceladus provided ISS with global color
and polarization data and UVIS with measurements of the moon's
ultraviolet albedo.

Sequence leads for S42 hosted the final sequence approval meeting
today and uplinked the last of the IEB files for that sequence. In
addition, commands were sent for the Radio and Plasma Wave Science
instrument to change from two-antenna to three-antenna direction
finding in survey modes. This command will begin execution on DOY
181.

Friday, June 27 (DOY 179)

The Titan Orbiter Science Team (TOST) held a Titan Preview meeting
today for Titan flybys T45 through T52. Representatives for each
instrument discussed the key science planned for these encounters.

The kick-off meeting for the S42 DOY 188 Saturn/Enceladus Live
Inertial Vector Propagator (IVP) Update and the DOY 189 RSS Saturn
occultation Live Movable Block (LMB) update was held today. At this
point, both Science Planning and RSS are recommending a "go" for the
sequence updates. Sequence leads will wait to hear from CIRS and
VIMS for confirmation, but at this point it is assumed that the team
will proceed with the updates. The Go/No-Go meeting is set for June
30.

A news release announced the transition from Prime Mission to the
two-year Extended Mission, called the Cassini Equinox Mission:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/pres...cfm?newsID=850

Uplink Operations sent the final Live IVP update for DOY 182 for
Saturn, Enceladus, Janus, Mimas and Tethys to the spacecraft today
along with the S42 background sequence. The first extended mission
sequence, S42, will begin execution on July 1.

Visit the JPL Cassini home page for more information about the
Cassini Project:

Strategic Communications Chief Hopkins Leaving NASA

baalke@earthlink.net — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:58:32 GMT

June 30, 2008

David Mould
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1898

RELEASE: 08-164

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS CHIEF HOPKINS LEAVING NASA

WASHINGTON -- NASA Chief of Strategic Communications Robert Hopkins
announced Monday that he will be leaving the agency for a position in
the private sector.

Hopkins served as a senior adviser to Deputy Administrator Shana Dale
and as assistant administrator for the recently established Office of
Communications Planning before assuming the strategic communications
role. In these positions, he led the formulation of a strategic
communications framework and implementation plan for the agency that
provided a foundation for activities including planning for NASA's
50th anniversary in 2008. Hopkins also implemented several management
initiatives, including a communications portal and tool kit and an
agency-wide Communications Coordinating Committee to better integrate
communications across NASA. He also developed plans to broaden
understanding of NASA's work and mission through outreach efforts
such as NASA Future Forums and the NASA Lecture Series.

"Bob is innovative and empowers his people to think outside the box,"
Dale said. "He and his team have developed message themes that
resonate with the American public and figured out creative, new ways
to deliver those messages. He will be missed."

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin named Chris Shank as acting chief
of strategic communications. Shank currently serves as the director
of strategic investments in the Office of Program Analysis and
Evaluation. Prior to joining NASA in 2005, Shank served as a
professional staff member on the House Subcommittee for Space and
Aeronautics, and held a variety of positions in the U.S. Air Force
and at the National Reconnaissance Office.

-end-

NASA Administrator Statement on the Death of Robert Seamans

baalke@earthlink.net — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:57:55 GMT

June 30, 2008

David Mould
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1898

RELEASE: 08-163

NASA ADMINISTRATOR STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF ROBERT SEAMANS

WASHINGTON -- The following is a statement from NASA Administrator
Michael Griffin regarding the death Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., NASA
deputy administrator from 1965 to 1968:

"Robert Seamans was one of the early leaders in launching NASA's
efforts to explore the new frontier of space. As NASA's associate
administrator and then deputy administrator, Bob, as a top manager
and consummate engineer, was instrumental in the decision making,
planning and program execution that enabled the United States to meet
President Kennedy's goal of landing men on the moon. He will be
remembered as one of the great pioneers and leaders of America's
space program."

-end-

Astronaut James Reilly Leaves NASA

baalke@earthlink.net — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:57:06 GMT

June 30, 2008

Michael Curie
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4715

Kylie Clem
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

RELEASE: 08-162

ASTRONAUT JAMES REILLY LEAVES NASA

HOUSTON -- Veteran space shuttle astronaut James Reilly has left NASA
to accept a position in the private sector. Reilly flew on three
space shuttle missions to two space stations.

"Jim Reilly performed superbly as an astronaut over the course of his
career at NASA," Astronaut Office chief Steve Lindsey said. "His
technical, operational and people skills contributed directly to the
success of the space shuttle and International Space Station
programs. He was a key leader in the Astronaut Office and will be
missed."

Reilly's spaceflight experience includes more than 853 hours in
space.
He has conducted five spacewalks, totaling more than 31 hours.

Selected as an astronaut in 1994, Reilly first flew in January 1998
aboard shuttle Endeavour's STS-89 mission, the eighth shuttle mission
to visit the Russian space station Mir. He next flew in 2001 on
STS-104 aboard shuttle Atlantis, performing three spacewalks during
that flight to install the joint airlock on the International Space
Station. Reilly again flew on Atlantis in 2007 on STS-117, performing
two spacewalks for construction and repair of the International Space
Station.

For more biographical information about Reilly, visit:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/reilly.html

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

-end-

Phoenix Scrapes 'Almost Perfect' Icy Soil for Analysis

baalke@earthlink.net — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:56:25 GMT

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/phoenix...ArticleID=1771

Phoenix Scrapes 'Almost Perfect' Icy Soil for Analysis
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
July 01, 2008

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander enlarged the "Snow White" trench and
scraped
up little piles of icy soil on Saturday, June 28, the 33rd Martian
day,
or sol, of the mission. Scientists say that the scrapings are ideal
for
the lander's analytical instruments.

The robotic arm on Phoenix used the blade on its scoop to make 50
scrapes in the icy layer buried under subsurface soil. The robotic arm
then heaped the scrapings into a few 10- to 20-cubic centimeter piles,
or piles each containing between two and four teaspoonfuls. Scraping
created a grid about two millimeters deep.

The scientists saw the scrapings in Surface Stereo Imager images on
Sunday, June 29, agreed they had "almost perfect samples of the
interface of ice and soil," and commanded the robotic arm to pick up
some scrapings for instrument analysis.

The scoop will sprinkle the fairly fine-grained material first onto
the
Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA). The instrument has tiny ovens
to bake and sniff the soil to assess its volatile ingredients, such as
water. It can determine the melting point of ice.

Phoenix's overall goals are to: dig to water frozen under subsurface
soil, touch, examine, vaporize and sniff the soil and ice to discover
the history of water on Mars, determine if the Martian arctic soil
could
support life, and study Martian weather from a polar perspective.

The Phoenix mission is led by Peter Smith of the University of Arizona
with project management at JPL and development partnership at Lockheed
Martin, located in Denver. International contributions come from the
Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the
universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark; Max Planck Institute,
Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. More about the
Phoenix Mars Lander is online at http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix and
http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu.

Media contacts:
Guy Webster 818-354-6278
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

Dwayne Brown 202-358-1726
NASA Headquarters, Washington

Sara Hammond 520-626-1974
University of Arizona, Tucson