On Being Human

HEADS OF AGENCY INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION JOINT STATEMENT

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:17:38 GMT

In Paris, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin is joined at the 2008
meeting of the International Space Station Heads of Agency by Guy
Bujold, Canadian Space Agency president; Jean-Jacques Dordain,
European Space Agency director-general; Anatolii N. Perminov, Russian
Federal Space Agency head; and Keiji Tachikawa, Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency president. Credit: ESA/S. Corvaja
&rsaquo; View Full Resolution PARIS -- The heads of the International
Space Station (ISS) agencies from Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and
the United States met at European Space Agency (ESA) Headquarters in
Paris on July 17, 2008, to review ISS cooperation. As part of their
discussions, they noted the significantly expanded capability that
the ISS now provides for on-orbit research and technology development
activities and as an engineering test bed for flight systems and
operations that are critical to future space exploration initiatives.
These activities improve the quality of life on Earth by expanding
the frontiers of human knowledge.

The Heads of Agency also noted the Partners' significant
accomplishments since their last meeting in January 2007, including
the delivery of Node 2 (Harmony), two new laboratories (the ESA
Columbus Module and the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo), and Dextre,
Canada's two-armed special purpose dexterous manipulator. In addition
to the completion of six challenging ISS assembly missions with the
U.S. Space Shuttle, the Heads of Agency recognized the maiden flight
of the European Automated Transfer Vehicle, the establishment of the
global ISS ground operation control center network with the addition
of new European and Japanese ISS operations centers and the
successful flights of Russian Soyuz and Progress vehicles. The
Partners emphasized the critical importance of expanded operations of
Russian Soyuz and Progress vehicles for ISS total crew
transportation, rescue and cargo delivery.

The Heads of Agency reviewed current ISS development, configuration
and operations activities across the partnership. They considered
implementing plans to maximize the benefits from the increase to a
six-person crew in 2009 and discussed efforts to ensure that
essential space transportation capabilities (both crew and cargo)
will be available across the partnership for the life of the program.
The Partners acknowledged the need for the additional Russian modules
to be provided in 2009 and 2010 that will maximize six-person ISS
operations and utilization.

The Heads of Agency discussed their respective ongoing activities to
enhance upmass and downmass transportation capabilities required for
a robust utilization of the ISS and for preparing capabilities for
the future. These include Japan's H-2 Transfer Vehicle in the next
year, the U.S. Commercial Orbital Transportation Services and the
U.S. Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle; together with the current
operational vehicles, the U.S. Shuttle (up to 2010), Russian Soyuz
and Progress, and ESA Automated Transfer Vehicle. These capabilities
will respond to the ISS operations and utilization requirements. They
also noted new initiatives such as the ESA plan for an Automated
Transfer Vehicle-Advanced Return Vehicle system for downmass from the
ISS and the Russia-ESA joint preparatory activities on an advanced
Crew Space Transportation System. The Heads of Agency expressed their
interest in making these capacities available for the benefit of the
whole partnership and can provide sustainability of the ISS and
prepare for future exploration endeavors.

As the partnership moves closer to completion of ISS assembly, the
Heads of Agency reaffirmed their common interest in utilizing the
space station to its full capacity for a period meaningful for
stakeholders and users. The Partners noted that a continuation of
operations beyond 2015 would not be precluded by any significant
technical challenges. Recognizing the substantial programmatic
benefits to continued ISS operations and utilization beyond the
current planning horizon, the Heads of Agency committed to work with
their respective governments to assess support for such a goal.

For the latest about the International Space Station, visit the
Internet at:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

G8 going great for Prime Minister

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:11:35 GMT

From the Prime Minister's Website

July 9, 2008
TOYAKO, JAPAN

At the close of the 2008 G8 Summit today, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the leaders of eight of the world’s leading economic powers had made substantive progress on several critical economic, political and environmental issues facing the world, including what the Prime Minister termed a “breakthrough” agreement on the urgent challenge of global warming.

“There is a new consensus on climate change,” said Prime Minister Harper. “The United States and Russia have joined with us this year and now all G8 countries agree on the goal of a 50 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Moreover, G8 leaders have also accepted our longstanding argument that the post-2012 global climate change framework must include all major emitters.”

G8 leaders also participated in the Major Economies Meeting which allowed for a constructive discussion between major developed and developing economies that will help lay the groundwork for a post-2012 global framework on climate change.

Following animated discussions, including a forceful intervention by the Prime Minister, the G8 leaders also issued a strong statement criticizing the Government of Zimbabwe for subverting democracy and ignoring the will the Zimbabwean people. “We have added the G8’s powerful voice to the global condemnation of the fraudulent election and the illegitimacy of the Mugabe regime,” Prime Minister Harper said.

In a further display of solidarity following discussions about the mission in Afghanistan, G8 leaders endorsed the Prime Minister’s call for the international community to “redouble our efforts to build competent, effective, credible Afghan governance and security institutions, and to deal with the problems of the Afghan-Pakistan border.”

The Toyako Summit addressed many other important global issues, including aid for Africa, energy security and food aid. “Canada can and is making major contributions in all these areas,” Prime Minister Harper said, “including the doubling of Canada’s overall international aid between 2001 and 2010, and the doubling of our aid to Africa to $2.1 billion in 2008-2009.”

Legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent dies at 71

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:31:34 GMT

PARIS - Legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent, who reworked the rules of fashion by putting women into elegant pantsuits that came to define how modern women dressed, died Sunday evening, a longtime friend and associate said. He was 71.

Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent's business partner for four decades, said he had died at his Paris home following a long illness.

A towering figure of 20th century fashion, Saint Laurent was widely considered the last of a generation that included Christian Dior and Coco Chanel and made Paris the fashion capital of the world, with the Rive Gauche, or Left Bank, as its elegant headquarters.

In the fast-changing world of haute couture, Saint Laurent was hailed as the most influential and enduring designer of his time. From the first YSL tuxedo and his trim pantsuits to see-through blouses, safari jackets and glamorous gowns, Saint Laurent created instant classics that remain stylish decades later.

"I am saddened by the loss of such a legendary talent," designer Tommy Hilfiger said in an e-mailed statement to The Associated Press. "He was a creative genius who changed the world of fashion forever."

Berge praised Saint Laurent as the man who marked "the second half of the 20th century" in fashion.

"Chanel gave women freedom" in the first half, and Saint Laurent "gave them power," he said on France-Info radio. Saint Laurent was a "true creator," going beyond the aesthetic to make a social statement, Berge said.

"In this sense he was a libertarian, an anarchist and he threw bombs at the legs of society. That's how he transformed society and that's how he transformed women."

When Saint Laurent announced his retirement in 2002 at age 65 and the closure of the Paris-based haute couture house he had founded 40 years earlier, it was mourned in the fashion world as the end of an era. His ready-to-wear label, Rive Gauche, which was sold to Gucci in 1999, still has boutiques around the world.

In October 2006, Saint Laurent slipped and fell outside a Paris restaurant during Fashion Week, suffering slight scratches but reminding fans of the perennially fragile designer's advancing age.

Saint Laurent was born Aug. 1, 1936, in Oran, Algeria, where his father worked as a shipping executive. He first emerged as a promising designer at the age of 17, winning first prize in a contest sponsored by the International Wool Secretariat for a cocktail dress design.

A year later in 1954, he enrolled at the Chambre Syndicale school of haute couture, but student life lasted only three months. He was introduced to Christian Dior, then regarded as the greatest creator of his day, and Dior was so impressed with Saint Laurent's talent that he hired him on the spot.

When Dior died suddenly in 1957, Saint Laurent was named head of the House of Dior at the age of 21. The next year, his first solo collection for Dior - the "trapeze" line - launched Saint Laurent's stardom. The trapeze dress - with its narrow shoulders and wide, swinging skirt - was a hit, and a breath of fresh air after years of constructed clothing, tight waists and girdles.

In 1960, Saint Laurent was drafted into military service - an experience that shattered the delicate designer, who by the end of the year was given a medical discharge for nervous depression.

Bouts of depression marked his career. Berge, the designer's longtime business partner and former romantic partner, was quoted as saying that Saint Laurent was born with a nervous breakdown.

Saint Laurent returned to the spotlight in 1962, opening his own haute couture fashion house with Berge. The pair later started a chain of Rive Gauche ready-to-wear boutiques.

Life Magazine hailed his first line under his own label as "the best collection of suits since Chanel."

Berge has said that Saint Laurent's gift to fashion was that he empowered women after Chanel had freed them.

Nowhere was Saint Laurent's gift more evident than the valedictory fashion show that marked his retirement in January 2002.

Forty years of fashion were paraded in a 300-piece retrospective that blurred the boundaries of time, mixing his creations of yesterday and today in one stunning tribute to the endurance of Saint Laurent's style. He also designed costumes for heater and film.

There was the simple navy blue pea coat over white pants, which the designer first showed in 1962 when he opened his couture house and kept as one of his hallmarks.

His "smoking," or tuxedo jacket, of 1966 remade the tux as a high fashion statement for both sexes. It remained the designer's trademark item and was updated yearly until he retired.

Also from the 60s came Beatnik chic - a black leather jacket and knit turtleneck with high boots - and sleek pantsuits that underlined Saint Laurent's statement on equality of the sexes. He showed that women could wear "men's clothes," which when tailored to the female form became an emblem of elegant femininity.

"More than any other designer since Chanel, YSL represented Paris as the style leader," The Independent of London wrote in an editorial after Saint Laurent's retirement. "By putting a woman in a man's tuxedo, he changed fashion forever, in a style that never dated."

In his own words, Saint Laurent said he felt "fashion was not only supposed to make women beautiful, but to reassure them, to give them confidence, to allow them to come to terms with themselves."

Some of his revolutionary style was met with resistance. There are famous stories of women wearing Saint Laurent pantsuits who were turned away from hotels and restaurants in London and New York.

One scandal centred on the designer himself, when he posed nude and floppy-haired for a photographer in 1971, wearing only his trademark thick black glasses, to promote his perfume.

Saint Laurent's rising star was eternalized in 1983, when the Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted a show to his work, the first ever to a living designer.

Subsequent shows at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and in Beijing made him a French national treasure, and he was awarded the Legion d'Honneur in 1985.

When France basked in the glory of its 1998 World Cup soccer final, it was Saint Laurent who took centre field pre-kick off with an on-field retrospective at the Stade de France.

In 1999, Saint Laurent sold the rights of his label to Gucci Group NV, ceding control of his Rive Gauche collection, fragrances, cosmetics and accessories for US$70 million cash and royalties.

Industry insiders cited friction between Saint Laurent and Gucci's creative director, Tom Ford, as a likely factor in the fashion guru's decision to retire three years later. Ford stepped down in 2003.

When he bowed out of fashion in 2002, Saint Laurent spoke of his battles with depression, drugs and loneliness, though he gave no indication that those problems were directly tied to his decision to stop working.

"I've known fear and terrible solitude," he said. "Tranquilizers and drugs, those phoney friends. The prison of depression and hospitals. I've emerged from all this, dazzled but sober."

Space Shuttle Discovery Lift Off Successful

Sat, 31 May 2008 21:44:50 GMT

NASA May 31
5:11 p.m. EDT
Space shuttle Discovery rocketed into space safely this evening to begin a 14-day mission to attach a new scientific module to the International Space Station. Launch came at 5:02 p.m. EDT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and set Discovery on a trajectory to intercept the space station in two days.

Seven astronauts flew Discovery into space, led by Commander Mark Kelly. The pilot for the mission is Ken Ham. Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike Fossum, Gregory Chamitoff and Japan's Akihiko Hoshide are the mission specialists for the flight. Chamitoff will trade places on the station with astronaut Garrett Reisman.

PRIME MINISTER HARPER AND UKRAINE PRESIDENT VICTOR YUSHCHENKO HAIL STRONG CANADA-UKRAINE RELATIONS

Wed, 28 May 2008 13:27:09 GMT

From the Prime Minister's Web Site

May 26, 2008
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today met with Ukraine President Victor Yushchenko as the latter began a three day official visit to Canada. After their meeting, the President delivered an historic address to a joint session of Parliament.

“I wish to thank President Yushchenko for his informative and inspiring address and also for his warm and candid discussion during our meetings,” Prime Minister Harper said. “The President’s visit provides the opportunity to renew and strengthen the deep bonds of friendship between Canada and Ukraine.”

The two leaders discussed a range of bilateral and international issues, including:

the further development of political and commercial ties between the two nations;

Ukraine's future in NATO and Canada’s firm support for her bid for a Membership Action Plan;

and cooperation in the UN Mission in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Harper added that Ukraine can expect Canada’s full support as it continues its post-Communist evolution into a free and democratic nation.

PHEONIX HAS LANDED

Sun, 25 May 2008 23:59:30 GMT

visit www.nasa.gov for all the details.

A very exciting moment in our time. Congratulations to the Pheonix Team.

NASA TV AIRS HIGH-DEF DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SPACE STATION ASTRONAUT

Wed, 21 May 2008 23:12:58 GMT

HOUSTON -- NASA Television will provide a high-definition glimpse of
life in space with a special Video File to be broadcast beginning May
22.

During his final weeks aboard the International Space Station,
astronaut Garrett Reisman has filmed many daily activities in orbit
that are anything but routine. A compilation of Reisman's video
diaries will be broadcast in high definition, or HD, beginning at 4
p.m. CDT, Thursday, May 22. The footage also will air Friday, May 23,
and Tuesday, May 27, from 5 to 8 a.m., 12 to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m.
each day.

The special NASA TV Video File also will be broadcast in
standard-definition on NASA TV immediately following the regularly
scheduled daily Video File broadcasts.

NASA GIVES 'GO' FOR SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH ON MAY 31

Tue, 20 May 2008 12:56:04 GMT

From NASA News

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA senior managers completed a review Monday
of space shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight and selected May 31
as the official launch date for the STS-124 mission. Commander Mark
Kelly and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off to the
International Space Station at 5:02 p.m. EDT.

Discovery's 14-day flight will carry the largest payload so far to the
station and includes three spacewalks. It is the second of three
missions that will launch components to complete the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. The crew will install Kibo's
large Japanese Pressurized Module and Kibo's robotic arm system.
Discovery also will deliver new station crew member Greg Chamitoff
and bring back Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who will end a
three-month stay aboard the outpost.

Discovery's launch date was announced after the conclusion of Monday's
Flight Readiness Review. During the meeting, top NASA and contractor
managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and
determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures
are ready for flight.

Commander Kelly will be joined on STS-124 by Pilot Ken Ham and Mission
Specialists Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike Fossum, Chamitoff and
Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. For more information about the
STS-124 mission, including images and interviews with the crew,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Microsoft Tech·Ed North America 2008 Developers Conference

Sun, 18 May 2008 17:35:15 GMT

This year, for the first time in the United States, Tech·Ed offers a premier technical education conference just for developers. Don’t miss the excitement on Tuesday, June 3, when we kick off the event with a Keynote address from Bill Gates.

For four days, you and 5,000 of your peers will experience more than 615 learning opportunities covering the latest Microsoft technologies. To begin, take a look at the 16 Technical Tracks. Then check out the Session Catalog and design your own personalized schedule. Don't miss this first-rate educational Microsoft event for developers!

PM HAILS NATION’S HIGHEST MILITARY DECORATION AS NOW ‘TRULY CANADIAN’

Fri, 16 May 2008 17:40:45 GMT

Something notable from The Prime Minister's Office for this year's Victoria Day Weekend.

May 16, 2008
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Governor General Michaëlle Jean today unveiled Canada’s newly minted Victoria Cross medal at a formal ceremony at Rideau Hall.

Until now the Victoria Cross, Canada’s highest military decoration, was minted in Britain. All future medals awarded to Canadians will be minted in Canada. Though the design is faithful to the original design commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1856, Canada’s Victoria Cross includes a number of small but significant Canadian design and content features. “Today the Victoria Cross becomes fully, truly Canadian,” Prime Minister Harper said.

The original inscription, “For Valour,” has been changed to the Latin “Pro Valore,” on Canada’s Victoria Cross. “We are using the ancient language employed by our English and French ancestors to express the universal ideal that they shared,” said the Prime Minister. Other uniquely Canadian elements include metal from the 1867 Confederation medal, as well as metals from each of Canada’s regions.

Ninety-four Canadians have won the Victoria Cross for displaying extraordinary courage, endurance and sacrifice in battle. The last living recipient, Second World War veteran Smoky Smith, died just over a year ago.

Every day, in military missions at home and abroad, Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen are putting their lives on the line for us”, said Prime Minister Harper. “Someday, somewhere, one of those men or women will do something so brave, so gallant, so exceptional, that he or she will join the legendary cadre of the Canadian Forces who wear the pride of a nation on their chests”.

Canada’s Victoria Cross was produced through a collaboration of the Departments of National Defence, Veterans Affairs, and Natural Resources, the Royal Canadian Mint and Rideau Hall.

NASA Administrator, Michael Griffin Makes TIME's 100 Most Influential People

Fri, 02 May 2008 17:19:27 GMT

Mike Griffin, 58, had wanted to be administrator of NASA since the inception of the agency. To him, the appeal of the job was never about position or title but about the fact that space fired his imagination. It still does, and now, thanks to him, manned exploration of the moon and Mars is becoming a real possibility.

image Credit NASA

With advanced degrees in half a dozen fields and experience managing military and civilian space programs, he was the ideal choice when President George W. Bush needed a new NASA administrator to manage the moon-Mars initiative he announced in 2004. Mike made it immediately clear that he would do things differently. With four simple words—"Just call me Mike"—he began restructuring NASA into the kind of openly communicative and inspired organization it once was. A true engineer in the broadest sense, he understands systems—whether they are rockets, satellites, airplanes or the U.S. Congress. Not only can he quote you the history of a technical concept, but he can also derive the theory for you.

NASA is dead serious about having footprints back on the moon by 2020, and even now the metal is being cut on the new ships that will fly those missions. Mike Griffin—a true rocket scientist—is precisely the kind of person who will see that the job gets done.

By Marsha Ivins (Ivins is an astronaut and a veteran of five space-shuttle missions)

On a personal note, I have gained so much knowledge about space and science through the dedicated efforts of NASA administration; openly and generously sharing the experiences of all NASA missions with the general public. Michael Griffin, has helped forge the future of space habitation and travel as well as encourage the average person to be a part of new discoveries and vital information on any given day. He is a visionary, I deeply respect and admire. Congratulations to Dr. Griffin, for the honor. It is well desrved.

SEND YOUR NAME TO THE MOON WITH NEW LUNAR MISSION

Fri, 02 May 2008 14:04:33 GMT

Excerpt from NASA news Letter

WASHINGTON -- NASA invites people of all ages to join the lunar
exploration journey with an opportunity to send their names to the
moon aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, spacecraft.

The Send Your Name to the Moon Web site enables everyone to
participate in the lunar adventure and place their names in orbit
around the moon for years to come. Participants can submit their
information at http://www.nasa.gov/lro, print a certificate and have
their name entered into a database. The database will be placed on a
microchip that will be integrated onto the spacecraft. The deadline
for submitting names is June 27, 2008.

"Everyone who sends their name to the moon, like I'm doing, becomes
part of the next wave of lunar explorers," said Cathy Peddie, deputy
project manager for LRO at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Md. "The LRO mission is the first step in NASA's plans to
return humans to the moon by 2020, and your name can reach there
first. How cool is that?"

The orbiter, comprised of six instruments and one technology
demonstration, will provide the most comprehensive data set ever
returned from the moon. The mission will focus on the selection of
safe landing sites and identification of lunar resources. It also
will study how the lunar radiation environment could affect humans.

LRO will also create a comprehensive atlas of the moon's features and
resources that will be needed as NASA designs and builds a planned
lunar outpost. The mission will support future human exploration
while providing a foundation for upcoming science missions. LRO is
scheduled for launch in late 2008.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is being built at Goddard. The
mission also will be managed at the center for NASA's Explorations
Systems Mission Directorate in Washington.

Send Your Name to the Moon is a collaborative effort among NASA, the
Planetary Society in Pasadena, Calif., and the Johns Hopkins Applied
Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md.

To send your name to the moon, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/lro

Happy Birthday to Me

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:21:32 GMT

Today is my birthday and we are enjoying my new sony ericsson 5 mega pixel camera phone. I am busy working on videos for the Vancouver Film School contest on youtube. Check it out, you may also enter and win a full scholarship. I have already been accepted to the school beginning march 2009 and thrilling to know that my future as a filmmaker is becoming a reality. Please view the new videos on the page with fantastic soundtracks by Matt Milne.

The Queen Celebrated her 82nd Birthday

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:16:49 GMT

I have been so busy with life and plans that I am late on puttting up this blog. Here it is anyway in remembrance of our great Monarch.

April 21st marked Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's 82nd Birthday. Here's a youtube video featuring that day.

Hawking at 3:00 Today

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:13:23 GMT

Professor Stephen Hawking of the University of Cambridge will be the featured speaker at a lecture that is part of a series honoring NASA's 50th anniversary. The title of Hawking's lecture is "Why we should go into space." The event will be held at the George Washington University's Morton Auditorium at 3 p.m. EDT. Admission is by invitation only, but reporters are welcome to attend.

NASA television will broadcast the event live on the Web at:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Astronauts Land Safely 295 miles Away From Expected Site

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:15:12 GMT

Commander Peggy Whitson and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko of the 16th International Space Station crew landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan around 4:30 a.m. EDT Saturday after 192 days in space.

All three people aboard the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft were reported to be in good condition after their re-entry and landing.

The landing was approximately 295 miles from the expected landing site, delaying the recovery forces’ arrival to the spacecraft by approximately 45 minutes.

The Soyuz is scheduled to undock at about 1:05 a.m. Saturday

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 03:34:39 GMT

Hatches between Expedition 16's Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft and the International Space Station were closed around 10:09 p.m. EDT Friday after goodbyes between members of the two crews.

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko left the station after 190 days aboard. With them was Korean spaceflight participant So-yeon Yi, who launched to the station April 8 with the Expedition 17 crew.

That crew, Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko is beginning a six-month stay aboard the orbiting laboratory. With them is astronaut Garrett Reisman, who served with E16 during the last few weeks of its increment, and remains aboard as an E17 flight engineer for the early part of its stay.

The Soyuz is scheduled to undock at about 1:05 a.m. Saturday and do its deorbit burn at about 3:40 a.m. to begin the re-entry through the Earth's atmosphere. Landing is set for about 4:30 a.m. on the steppes of Kazakhstan.

NASA TURNS GREEN WITH NATIONWIDE EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:37:12 GMT

Excerpt from NASA Latest News Release

NASA centers across America will roll out the green
carpet April 22 to celebrate Earth Day and reporters are invited to
hear first hand about the agency's contributions to understanding and
protecting our environment.

NASA Earth research missions study all aspects of our planet, from its
oceans, land surfaces and atmosphere, to its biosphere and
cryosphere. NASA is a world leader in studying the cause and effects
of climate change now and in the future. NASA research contributes to
improved air and water quality and promotes healthier lands and
wildlife habitats. The agency operates dedicated Earth science
spacecraft and conducts research with instruments aboard other
national and international satellites. NASA plans several new
missions in the next few years, with two launching in 2008. Decision
makers around the world use NASA Earth science data to support policy
making and resource management decisions.

With the world's largest contingent of dedicated Earth scientists and
engineers, NASA will host interactive activities that span a variety
of topics.

NASA also will mark the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 8 Earthrise
photograph, which was credited for inspiring environmental movements
in the late 1960s and 1970s. Bill Anders, the Apollo 8 astronaut who
took the famous "Earthrise" photo, will be available for live NASA
Television interviews from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT on Earth Day.
Joining Anders will be a NASA scientist to discuss present day NASA
Earth science research. Media interested in arranging for live
interviews with Anders should contact Al Feinberg on 202-358-1058 by
4 p.m. EDT Friday, or DC Agle at 818-393-9011 by 7 p.m. EDT Monday.

NASA TV also will air a special hour-long High-Definition TV broadcast
of Earth views taken in HD by astronauts on past space shuttle and
space station missions. The HD broadcast will air on the morning of
Friday, April 18, from 6 to 8 a.m. EDT, and replay during the same
time on Monday, April 21. On Earth Day, the HD broadcast will air
from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. EDT. The footage also will be broadcast on
standard NASA TV during the regular Video File hours those days. For
information on how to receive the special HD broadcast, and
information about NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

To commemorate Earth Day on NASA's Web site, http://www.nasa.gov, the
agency will feature several new items, including the 10 most
outstanding Earth views taken by astronauts aboard the space station.
Web features also will highlight a breathtaking series of nighttime
images of city lights from orbit gathered by astronaut Don Pettit,
who lived aboard the station in 2003. Pettit narrates the imagery,
which he gathered using a special mechanism he developed to steady
the camera and track cities as the station flew overhead at five
miles per second. The site also will provide opportunities for
visitors to share their opinions.

Stephen Hawking "Why We Should Go Into Space"

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:37:02 GMT

Excerpt From NASA Latest News Release
WASHINGTON -- On Monday, April 21, Professor Stephen Hawking of the University of Cambridge will be the featured speaker at a lecture that is part of a series honoring NASA's 50th anniversary. The title of Hawking's lecture is "Why we should go into space." The event will be held at the George Washington University's Morton Auditorium at 3 p.m. EDT. Admission is by invitation only, but reporters are welcome to attend.

NASA television will broadcast the event live on the Web at:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Expedition 16 Welcomes Expedition 17 Aboard I.S.S.

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:54:37 GMT

Commander Sergei Alexandrovich Volkov and cosmonaut Oleg Dmitrievich Kononenko of the 17th International Space Station crew docked their Soyuz TMA-12 with the orbiting laboratory's Pirs Docking Compartment at 8:57 a.m. EDT Thursday, marking the beginning of their six-month stay aboard.

With Volkov, a lieutenant colonel in the Russian Air Force, and Kononenko was spaceflight participant So-yeon Yi. She is a South Korean flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

Yi will return to Earth with Expedition 16 crew members Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko in their Soyuz TMA-11 on April 19. Expedition 16 launched to the station Oct. 10.
See more on I.S.S. Mission Page

We look forward to celebrating Commander Peggy Whitson and

Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko back on Earth.

God Bless and congratulations on an elegant arrival.

Photo Album: RECYCLING Stuff for fun

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 17:52:51 GMT

RECYCLING Stuff for fun

Envirogirl is a TVO kids feature thatheld a contest for kids

to build a house that was to be made by recycling stuff at home

Sophia is only 5 so I wanted to exclude glue and paint

We had lots of stuff collected

Styrofoam collected and cut into shapes

Boxes of old pen and mechanical pencil parts

can be used for many things

Plastic from toy and hardware packaging

Packaging from toys and hard wear is high quality plastic

Reusing Common contairs

More Photos...

Photo Album: Commander Peggy A. Whitson Returns

Fri, 02 May 2008 17:37:00 GMT

Commander Peggy A. Whitson Returns

NASA_ex16_whitson_holds record

NASA_Farewell to expedition 16 crew

NASA_Malenchencko_Whitson_Reisman

NASA_STS-123 and Expedition 16 Crew

STS-123 Farewell

Commander Peggy Whitson waves

Photo Album: STS-123 Space Shuttle Endeavour

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:43:11 GMT

STS-123 Space Shuttle Endeavour

STS-123

NASA_STS-123_Endeavour_rssrollback

NASA_123-launch-425

NASA_STS-123_Robert Behnken_Mike Foreman_Complete EVA 5

Mission Specialist Mike Foreman_on OBSS

NASA_STS-123 and Expedition 16 Crew

NASA_STS-123_Rick Linnehan installing Dextre

STS-123_MS Léopold Eyharts_Pilot Gregory Johnsn

NASA_STS-123_Endeavour Crew

NASA_STS-123_Landing_03262008

More Photos...

Photo Album: Canada's Legendary Jeff Healey

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:32:42 GMT

Canada's Legendary Jeff Healey

Young Jeff Healey

Jeff Healey Band _Poster

Jeff Healey Band

Jeff Healey Band_Beauty music

Jeff Healey Band_BW

Jeff Healey Band_Cover To Cover

Jeff Healey Poster

Jeff Healey_artist

Jeff Healey_Black and White

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Photo Album: My Father_Alexis Ivan Lubimiv

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:20:40 GMT

My Father_Alexis Ivan Lubimiv

Alexis Lubimiv @1940

Alexis Lubimiv @1940_02

Alexis Lubimiv_and friend@1938

Alexis Lubimiv_Europe@1941

Alexis Lubimiv_Poland@1940

Alexis Lubimiv_05

Jacqueline McLellan@1948

Alexis Lubimiv @1964

Alexis Lubimiv_02

Alexis Lubimiv_and Peppe

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Photo Album: February 19- Atlantis There and Back

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:07:39 GMT

February 19- Atlantis There and Back

Atlantis on Launch Pad

STS-122 astronauts arrive at KSC

The crew of STS-122 arrive at NASA's Kennedy Space Center

STS-122 Commander Steve Frick- M-113-armored personnel carrier

NASA astronaut Alan Poindexter

STS-122 crew members in clean room gear

Pilot Alan Poindexter steps off the shuttle training aircraft

STS-122 crew members

Mission Specialist Leland Melvin

crew of space shuttle Atlantis practice countdown procedures

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Photo Album: February 19 - Birthday Honours for The Duke of York

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:33:15 GMT

February 19 - Birthday Honours for The Duke of York

Duke of York_48th Birthday_02192008

Queen Elizabeth II in Jaipur 1960 the year Prince Andrew was born.

Andrew Windsor_Duke of York

Handsome Duke of York when in Military Service

Duke of York and HRH Prince Harry on Parade

After serving for 22 years in the Royal Navy, The Duke of York is now the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment

UKTI-04072007-Duke ofYork as Trade Industry Representative

2006 www.thedukeofyork.org

2006 Duke of York More photos to follow....

Prince Andrew greets former PM Tony Blair

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Photo Album: December 25 Queen Elizabeth II - Christmas Blessing

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:05:30 GMT

December 25 Queen Elizabeth II - Christmas Blessing

Then - Queen Elizabeth II Christmas Day 1957

and now 50 years later on HD TV

Queen Elizabeth II Christmas Day 2007

PIC00022

PIC00023

Queen Elizabeth II Christmas Day 2007

Photo Album: February 18 Hello Helicopters

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 22:28:54 GMT

February 18 Hello Helicopters

Pres GW Bush and Gov Schwarzeneggar_Robinson Heli Cal

The British Royal helicopter

Bellhelicopter_H6S1054

Bellhelicopter_H6S1099

Bellhelicopter_ADV0300

Bellhelicopter_H5W9287

Bellhelicopter_ASE0770

Bellhelicopter_ASE0794

Bellhelicopter_ASE0880

Bellhelicopter_ASE1880

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Photo Album: February 14 Valentine Wishes For Space Station

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:05:32 GMT

February 14 Valentine Wishes For Space Station

107197main_atl-meds

202522main_group_whtroom-m

Blue Roses

ESA_Columbus Lab_ISS

ESA_Hans Schlegel

Florist.com_medley

Florist.com_Red Log Stem Roses

NASA_Administtrator Michael Griffin_STS-122 Launch_500

Orange Rose Bouquet

Pastel Roses

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