Atlantis' bittersweet blastoff / Inspections hit cable snag

      NEWSALERT: Saturday, May 15, 2010 @ 2032 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
          The latest news from Spaceflight Now


++++++++++
AGI Users' Conference: We're Coming to You!

AGI is taking its technology on the road in 2010. We'll be making st ops
in 18 states around the U.S. Each free, one-day event includes hands-on
software demos, virtual expert sessions, developer kiosks and user
discussions. Register today at http://uc.agi.com
++++++++++


ASTRONAUTS RESORT TO PLAN B FOR INSPECTING ATLANTIS
---------------------------------------------------
The Atlantis astronauts spent all day dealing with a snag, literally, on
the inspection boom's tilting instruments used to scan the shuttle's
carbon composite nose cap and wing leading edge panels. A pinched cable
forced the crew to use a different, fixed digital camera instead.

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/status.html

STS-132 VIDEO ARCHIVE:
http://spaceflightnowplus.com/index.php?k=STS-132&s=date

HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO COVERAGE:
http://spaceflightnowplus.com/hd/sts132/


BITTERSWEET BLASTOFF SNEDS ATLANTIS BACK INTO SPACE
---------------------------------------------------
Beginning what's potentially its final voyage before retirement after 25
years of spaceflight, shuttle Atlantis unleashed seven million pounds of
Earth-shaking thrust when countdown clocks struck zero at 2:20 p.m. EDT
Friday and rocketed toward Sunday's intercept with the International Space
Station. The 12-day flight with an all-veteran crew will install a new
Russian mini module and perform spacewalks to tackle outdoor improvements
around the complex.

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/100514launch/

PHOTO GALLERY: CLOSE-UP VIEWS OF LIFTOFF
http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/remotes/

PHOTO GALLERY: LAUNCH AS SEEN FROM PRESS SITE
http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/press/


SEA LAUNCH PREPARES TO REORGANIZE AFTER BANKRUPTCY
--------------------------------------------------
Sea Launch's plans to emerge from bankruptcy under majority Russian
ownership are still subject to court and regulatory approval, but company
leaders say they expect to resume commercial missions early next year.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1005/14sealaunch/


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+++

--
Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling
--
Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Web: http://lyra.freewebsites.com/
--
Information: http://www.clubbz.com/club/2895/LOWESTOFT---3054/Lowestoft%20And%20Great%20Yarmouth%20Regional%20Astronomers%20(Lyra

Saying goodbye to the shuttles...

NEWSALERT: Thursday, May 13, 2010 @ 1702 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Spaceflight Now


+++++++++
2010 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction

Experience the glitz and glamour of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's
U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Gala on June 4, 2010 alongside hero
astronauts and inductees! SPACE is limited, so reserve yours now at
http://www.astronautscholarship.org/2010ahof_induction.html
+++++++++


SAYING GOODBYE TO SHUTTLES IS FUTURE'S ONLY CERTAINTY
-----------------------------------------------------
And then there were three. Just three flights remain for the space
shuttle, a sobering reminder of the tumultuous times surrounding America's
space program.

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/100512future/

STS-132 VIDEO ARCHIVE:
http://spaceflightnowplus.com/index.php?k=STS-132&s=date

HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO COVERAGE:
http://spaceflightnowplus.com/hd/sts132/


ATLANTIS LAUNCH COVERAGE
------------------------
Join us for unrivaled coverage of the final scheduled launch of space
shuttle Atlantis. Get up to the minute reports in our Mission Status
Center and our live webcast hosted by Miles O'Brien gets underway at
9:30am EST (1330 GMT).

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/status.html


ARIANESPACE SETS DATE FOR NEXT LAUNCH AFTER INQUIRIES
-----------------------------------------------------
After a month-long review of nagging problems with the Ariane 5 rocket's
helium pressurization system, the commercial workhorse is scheduled to
return to flight May 21 with two communications satellites, Arianespace's
top executive said Wednesday.

http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v194/100513review/


APOLLO LEGENDS QUESTION COMMERCIALIZED SPACEFLIGHT
--------------------------------------------------
Apollo 17 commander Eugene Cernan, the last man on the moon, told
lawmakers Wednesday the Obama administration's plan to shift near-term
manned spaceflight from NASA to private industry could result in a 10-year
gap between the end of the shuttle program and the debut of reliable
commercial rockets.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1005/12hearing/


MISSION PREVIEW: ATLANTIS TO LAUNCH RUSSIAN MINI MODULE
-------------------------------------------------------
The shuttle Atlantis' three-spacewalk flight to the International Space
Station will install a new Russian module, a backup Ku-band dish antenna
and six massive batteries. This is our 5,300-word mission preview.

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/100512preview/


RESPECTING ATLANTIS AS THE SHUTTLE FACES RETIREMENT
---------------------------------------------------
Whether it was launching satellites to orbit our planet and even other
worlds, breathing new life into humanity's telescope, fostering
international relationships or building a laboratory in the sky, the space
shuttle Atlantis has been a workhorse for mankind over the past 25 years.

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/100511atlantis/


DOES SHUTTLE ATLANTIS HAVE ONE EXTRA FLIGHT IN HER?
---------------------------------------------------
Could space shuttle Atlantis get a reprieve from retirement and fly again
next year to truck a load of supplies to the International Space Station?

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/100512sts135/


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Sign up to Spaceflight Now's Twitter feed
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+++

--
Good Clear Skies
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Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling
--
Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Web: http://lyra.freewebsites.com/
--
Information: http://www.clubbz.com/club/2895/LOWESTOFT---3054/Lowestoft%20And%20Great%20Yarmouth%20Regional%20Astronomers%20(Lyra

Runaway Star

A heavy runaway star is rushing away from a nearby stellar nursery at more than 250,000 miles an hour, a speed at which one could travel to the our moon and back in two hours. This is the most extreme case of a very massive star that has been kicked out of its home by a group of even heftier siblings.

The homeless star is on the outskirts of the 30 Doradus Nebula, a raucous stellar breeding ground in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud. The stellar nusery is seen at the center of this image. The finding bolsters evidence that the most massive stars in the local universe reside in 30 Doradus, making it a unique laboratory for studying heavyweight stars. Also called the Tarantula Nebula, 30 Doradus is roughly 170,000 light-years from Earth.

Tantalizing clues from three observatories, including the Hubble Space Telescope's newly installed Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS), and some old- fashioned detective work, suggest that the star may have traveled about 375 light-years from its suspected home, a giant star cluster called R136. Nestled in the core of 30 Doradus, R136 contains several stars topping 100 solar masses each.

Visit Hubble Hubble Catches Heavyweight Runaway Star for more information.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, C. Evans (Royal Observatory Edinburgh), N. Walbom (STScI), and ESO

--
Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling
--
Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Web: http://lyra.freewebsites.com/
--
Information: http://www.clubbz.com/club/2895/LOWESTOFT---3054/Lowestoft%20And%20Great%20Yarmouth%20Regional%20Astronomers%20(Lyra

[BAA 00495] Reminder for Next meeting of the BAA & George Alcock Memorial Lecture

======================================================================
BAA electronic bulletin No. 00495            http://www.britastro.org/
======================================================================

I would like to remind you that the next meeting of the BAA including the
George Alcock Memorial Lecture will be on Wednesday 26th May 2010 in the new
lecture room, Burlington House.

Programme
17:30 - OM & notices
17:40 - Guy Hurst - George Alcock Memorial Lecture - "Visual observing
successes without a telescope"
18:25 - Michael F Bode - "The Explosions of Novae"
19:10 - Richard McKim Observations of Mars
19:35 - Richard Miles Sky Notes
20:00 - Close

Doors open at 17.00 with tea in the library on the 2nd floor The meeting will
start at 17.30 and is due to finish by 20:00

Hope to see you there

Hazel

Hazel Collett
Meeting Secretary

======================================================================
BAA electronic bulletins service.      E-mail: circadmin@britastro.org
Bulletin transmitted on Wed May 12 21:14:46 BST 2010
(c) 2010 British Astronomical Association    http://www.britastro.org/
======================================================================

--
Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling
--
Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Web: http://lyra.freewebsites.com/
--
Information: http://www.clubbz.com/club/2895/LOWESTOFT---3054/Lowestoft%20And%20Great%20Yarmouth%20Regional%20Astronomers%20(Lyra

A tribute to Atlantis / Soyuz moves for shuttle / Voyager 2

     NEWSALERT: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 @ 1656 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
         The latest news from Spaceflight Now


++++++++++
AGI Users' Conference: We're Coming to You!

AGI is taking its technology on the road in 2010. We'll be making stops
in 18 states around the U.S. Each free, one-day event includes hands-on
software demos, virtual expert sessions, developer kiosks and user
discussions. Register today at http://uc.agi.com
++++++++++


RESPECTING ATLANTIS AS THE SHUTTLE FACES RETIREMENT
---------------------------------------------------
Whether it was launching satellites to orbit our planet and even other
worlds, breathing new life into humanity's telescope, fostering
international relationships or building a laboratory in the sky, the space
shuttle Atlantis has been a workhorse for mankind over the past 25 years.

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/100511atlantis/

STS-132 VIDEO ARCHIVE:
http://spaceflightnowplus.com/index.php?k=STS-132&s=date

HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO COVERAGE:
http://spaceflightnowplus.com/hd/sts132/


DOES SHUTTLE ATLANTIS HAVE ONE EXTRA FLIGHT IN HER?
---------------------------------------------------
Could space shuttle Atlantis get a reprieve from retirement and fly again
next year to truck a load of supplies to the International Space Station?

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/100512sts135/


STATION CREW CLEARS THE PATH FOR SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION
------------------------------------------------------
The International Space Station residents moved their Soyuz capsule from
one docking port to another Wednesday morning, freeing up the spot where
space shuttle Atlantis' astronauts will install the new Rassvet module
next Tuesday.

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/100512soyuz/


MANAGERS OPTIMISTIC VOYAGER 2 CAN BE RESTORED
---------------------------------------------
The Voyager 2 spacecraft hurtling toward the edge of the solar system is
no longer returning useful science data, NASA announced last week, but
officials are optimistic they can fix the formatting glitch believed to be
causing the problem.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1005/11voyager2/


COUNTDOWN CLOCKS START TICKING FOR FRIDAY'S LAUNCH
--------------------------------------------------
The countdown began Tuesday for launch of the shuttle Atlantis at 2:20
p.m. EDT Friday on its final planned mission. Weather forecasters are
predicting favorable conditions at the Kennedy Space Center.

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/100511count/


+++
GET OUR LIVE UPDATES FROM TWITTER!
Sign up to Spaceflight Now's Twitter feed
and get text message updates on your cell phone.
http://twitter.com/spaceflightnow/
+++

--
Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling
--
Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Web: http://lyra.freewebsites.com/
--
Information: http://www.clubbz.com/club/2895/LOWESTOFT---3054/Lowestoft%20And%20Great%20Yarmouth%20Regional%20Astronomers%20(Lyra

"This Week In Space" returns / Get to know Atlantis' astronauts

      NEWSALERT: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 @ 1418 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
          The latest news from Spaceflight Now


===========================================
Looking for a job out of this world?
The top jobs and the best talents in
the space industry are on Space Careers.

http://www.space-careers.com/?id=sfn

Space Careers, a one-stop reference source
for employment in the space industry.
===========================================


THIS WEEK IN SPACE
------------------
Counting down to the last scheduled launch of shuttle Atlantis, a space
robot race between the U.S. and Japan, plans to bring a piece of Mars to
Earth, and attack of the Zombie Sat!

http://spaceflightnow.com/twis/


SHUTTLE ATLANTIS CREW IS SIX HUMOROUS ASTRONAUTS
------------------------------------------------
The six jovial guys who will take space shuttle Atlantis on the orbiter's
final scheduled voyage are an entertaining bunch and having fun is one
their mission priorities.

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/100510crew/

The crew arrived at launch site last night:
http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/status.html


STS-132 VIDEO ARCHIVE:
http://spaceflightnowplus.com/index.php?k=STS-132&s=date

HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO COVERAGE:
http://spaceflightnowplus.com/hd/sts132/


VENUS PROBE AND SOLAR SAIL JOIN H-2A ROCKET FOR LAUNCH
------------------------------------------------------
An interplanetary weather satellite bound for Venus and a device to test
new propulsion techniques were trucked across Japan's island space center
Sunday to meet the H-2A rocket that will launch the payloads into space
next week.

http://spaceflightnow.com/h2a/akatsuki/100510vab/


FIRST SOYUZ ROCKETS PUT TOGETHER IN SOUTH AMERICA
-------------------------------------------------
After unpacking two Soyuz rockets from shipping crates, Russian workers at
the Guiana Space Center are testing and assembling the boosters before
moving the vehicle to the launch pad this summer.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1005/10soyuz/


NASA TESTS LAUNCH ABORT SYSTEM FOR SPACE CAPSULES
-------------------------------------------------
In a spectacular $220 million test, NASA fired a new astronaut escape
system rocket in New Mexico Thursday, boosting a dummy crew module more
than a mile up in just 20 seconds to demonstrate how a future manned
spacecraft could be pulled to safety in the event of a catastrophic on-pad
rocket failure.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1005/06padabort1/

+++
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Sign up to Spaceflight Now's Twitter feed
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+++

--
Good Clear Skies
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Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling
--
Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Web: http://lyra.freewebsites.com/
--
Information: http://www.clubbz.com/club/2895/LOWESTOFT---3054/Lowestoft%20And%20Great%20Yarmouth%20Regional%20Astronomers%20(Lyra

What’s Up for May? Constellation stories.

Hello and welcome. I'm Jane Houston Jones at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Before artificial lights were common, many cultures saw pictures in the way stars were arranged in the night sky.

The earliest star catalogs are over 6 thousand years old. But the stories and pictures are even older.

Cave paintings in southwest France show a great bull and dots which look like what we call the Pleiades and Hyades star clusters.

These paintings go back over 15 thousand years.

In Australia many aboriginal groups see the dark nebula next to the Southern Cross constellation as the head of the great, flightless bird the emu. Hi s neck, body and legs are formed from dust lanes in the Milky Way.

Greek mythology tells of Orion the hunter. But other cultures have their own stories and starshapes.

In Australia, Orion appears upside-down.

The belt stars of Orion represent 3 brothers of the Kingfish clan in a traditional Australian tale. They were lifted to the sky for breaking the law.

The Ojibway and Cree First Nations of Manitoba, Canada, see this group of stars as Nanabush or Wesakaychak, who is known for his teaching and trickster abilities.

Here he appears as the shapeshifter Mistapew the giant.

Here he is pointing to the Hole in the Sky, the cluster we know as the Pleaides. His outstretched arm is represented by the star Aldebaran.

The Cree people call the Pleaides stars Mahtootisan Assiniuk, the Sweat Lodge Rocks.

The constellation Mahtootisan, the Sweat Lodge, is part of the legend of how Stonechild was instructed to build a domed sweat lodge over the sweat lodge rocks.

When heated, the spirits of the rocks are released.

The Milky Way is called the Summer Birds' Path by the Cree, because it traces the path of migratory birds.

The Cree see Niska the goose flying down the Summer Birds' Path.

Others see this constellation as Cygnus the swan.

Future generations will have a hard time seeing the constellations described in our legends because the lights of modern cities blot out the stars. So when you visit our parks and open spaces, look up!

If you are young, ask the elders in your family about stories they learned about the night sky. You just might uncover star tales and legends that otherwise would be lost.

You can see NASA's images of stars, planets, constellations and more at photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov

And you can learn more about NASA missions at www.nasa.gov

That's all for this month. I'm Jane Houston Jones.

--
Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling
--
Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Web: http://lyra.freewebsites.com/
--
Information: http://www.clubbz.com/club/2895/LOWESTOFT---3054/Lowestoft%20And%20Great%20Yarmouth%20Regional%20Astronomers%20(Lyra

NASA Announces Shuttle Prelaunch Events and Countdown Details

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has set the schedule for news conferences, events and operating hours at the Kennedy Space Center press site for space shuttle Atlantis' upcoming launch.

Atlantis' STS-132 mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to lift off at 2:20 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 14. The mission is the last scheduled flight for Atlantis. Including STS-132, there are only three remaining shuttle missions scheduled before the fleet is retired. Detailed lists of countdown milestones, news briefing times and participants, and hours of operation for Kennedy's news center and media credentialing office are available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news

A NASA blog will provide countdown updates beginning at 9 a.m. on May 14. Originating from Kennedy, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to launch. During the mission, visitors to NASA's shuttle website can read about the crew's progress and watch the mission's three spacewalks live.

As Atlantis' flight concludes, the NASA blog will detail the spacecraft's return to Earth. For NASA's launch blog and continuous mission updates, visit:

 

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
NASA will make live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed throughout the shuttle launch countdown, mission and landing. To access the feed, go to the NASA.gov homepage or visit:
http://www.twitter.com/nasa

For NASA Television streaming video, scheduling and downlink information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

 

Airspace, Road, Bridge and Waterway Closures for STS-132

 

 

Launch Date: May 14, 2010
Launch Vehicle: Space shuttle Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39A
Launch Window: 2:15 - 2:26 p.m. EDT
Targeted Launch Time: 2:20:07 p.m. EDT

NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AREA AVIATION FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS

What: Cape Canaveral Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR)

When: Friday, May 14 from 7:15 a.m. EDT until no later than 2:56 p.m.

Where: General aviation and VFR operations are prohibited within a 30-nautical-mile radius of Launch Pad 39A from the surface to (but not including) 18,000 feet (located on the Melbourne VOR/DME 004-degree radial at 30.6 nautical miles). Pilots should obtain NOTAM information regarding affected airports.

Aeronautical Chart in Use: Orlando Class B terminal area and Jacksonville sectional

Additional airspace restrictions: Within an airspace radius between 30 and 40 nautical miles of Pad 39A, a discrete transponder code must be obtained and clearance granted from air traffic control before entering this airspace. Continuous radio communications must be maintained. All VFR aircraft are restricted to 180 knots or less unless a variance is granted by air traffic control. Pilots should obtain NOTAM information to determine the affected airports within this radius before departure.

NOTAM Information: St. Petersburg Flight Service Station
Telephone: 1-800-992-7433
Radio frequencies: 123.6 MHz (Titusville), 122.6 MHz (Melbourne)

Radio Communications: FAA Orlando Approach Control
Titusville/Cocoa area: 134.950 MHz
Melbourne area: 132.650 MHz
South Volusia County: 125.350 MHz
Space Coast Regional Airport control tower: 118.9 MHz

PUBLIC ACCESS ROAD CLOSURES:

- The Cape Canaveral National Seashore, also called Playalinda Beach, will close for launch on Monday, May 10, at 6 p.m. and will reopen after launch. The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge will close on Thursday, May 13, at 6 p.m. and will reopen after launch.

- State Road 406 east to State Road 3, and State Road 3 from the Haulover Canal bridge south to County Road 402 leading to Titusville will be open to badged personnel only beginning on Thursday, May 13, at 6 p.m.. These roads will close to all vehicle traffic on Friday, May 14, at 2:10 p.m. until after a successful launch is confirmed.

- State Road 3 from the Gate 2 News Media Pass and Identification Building to State Road 405 NASA Causeway via Space Commerce Way will be closed for launch to unauthorized vehicles beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, May 14. NASA Causeway between the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will also close starting at that time. The roads will reopen two hours after launch.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AREA BOATING RESTRICTIONS

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Beginning at 6 a.m. on Monday, May 10, which is L-4 days to launch, and continuing through launch, a general exclusion zone will be in effect three miles offshore from the Haulover Canal, on the northern end of Kennedy Space Center, and southward to Port Canaveral. Four hours prior to launch, all ocean-going traffic will be restricted from entering an area measured from nine statute miles north and south of the launch pad and extending 64 nautical miles east into the ocean. An additional three-mile-wide exclusion zone will be extended eastward along the flight path of the space shuttle.

INDIAN RIVER: Restrictions apply from the NASA Causeway north to Haulover Canal and east of the Indian River's main channel. Restrictions are in effect four days prior to launch beginning at 6 a.m. on Monday, May 10.

MOSQUITO LAGOON: This area south of Haulover Canal in the Mosquito Lagoon is off limits to all boats four days prior to launch beginning at 6 a.m. on Monday, May 10.

BANANA RIVER: Security limits begin at the Banana River Barge Canal south of Kennedy which is located immediately above State Road 528 and extends north. The area includes KARS Park on Merritt Island. This restriction is effective four days prior to launch beginning at 6 a.m. on Monday, May 10.

All boating restrictions will be lifted one hour after launch. Boating interests should monitor U.S. Coast Guard Radio transmitting on Marine Channel 16 from Port Canaveral.

For the latest information about Atlantis' STS-132 mission and crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle  

 

- end -

--
Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling
--
Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Web: http://lyra.freewebsites.com/
--
Information: http://www.clubbz.com/club/2895/LOWESTOFT---3054/Lowestoft%20And%20Great%20Yarmouth%20Regional%20Astronomers%20(Lyra

Hellas Planitia

This image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter covers a small portion of the northwest quadrant of Hellas Planitia on Mars. With a diameter of about 1,400 miles and a depth reaching the lowest elevations on Mars, Hellas is one of the largest impact craters in the solar system.

The area has a number of unusual features, which are thought to be quite old because of the high crater density. The crater inside Hellas has been filled with material, which may be related to volcanic activity on the basin's northwestern rim. It also might be related to the presence water and water ice. However, there is evidence elsewhere that the ground here is rich with ice.

HiRISE will be used to investigate this in more detail when the basin is free from atmospheric dust.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/International Research School of Planetary Sciences

--
Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling
--
Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Web: http://lyra.freewebsites.com/
--
Information: http://www.clubbz.com/club/2895/LOWESTOFT---3054/Lowestoft%20And%20Great%20Yarmouth%20Regional%20Astronomers%20(Lyra

JPL Open House to Feature Hubble Camera, New Visitor Center

JPL OPEN HOUSE TO FEATURE HUBBLE CAMERA, NEW VISITOR CENTER

The full version of this story with accompanying images is at:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2010-154&cid=release_2010-154

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., invites the public to a close-up look at JPL's
past, present and future at its annual Open House on Saturday, May 15, and Sunday, May 16, from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The event, themed "Worlds Beyond," features displays and demonstrations from
numerous space missions, and a first look at JPL's recently renovated von Karman Visitor Center.

On special display will be the JPL-built Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, retrieved from
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope last year by space-walking astronauts.  The instrument,
affectionately known as the "Camera that Saved Hubble," is on loan from the Smithsonian
Institution's National Air and Space Museum.  The camera captured many of Hubble's iconic space
images.

Other Open House highlights include: seeing JPL's next spacecraft bound for Mars, Mars Science
Laboratory, under construction in the lab's largest "clean room;" life-size rover models in a "Mars"
test bed; and JPL's Microdevices Lab, where engineers and scientists use tiny technology to
revolutionize space exploration. Visitors can also see the sun through solar-safe telescopes, and learn
how NASA instruments help scientists better understand global climate change.

JPL Open House provides a memorable experience for adult and kids, with plenty of hands-on
activities, and opportunities to talk with scientists and engineers. Selected locations at Open House
will be featured live online on Ustream TV at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasajpl on Sat., May
15, at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. Pacific time (1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. Eastern time).  Each time
slot will feature a new location at the top of each hour.

JPL is located at 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, Calif., 91109.  Admission to Open House is
free.  Parking is also free, but is limited.  To get to JPL, take the Berkshire Avenue/Oak Grove Drive
exit from the 210 Freeway in La Canada/Flintridge. All visitors should wear comfortable shoes -- no
buses will be provided from JPL parking lots. JPL will provide vans for mobility-challenged guests.

Vehicles entering NASA/JPL property are subject to inspection. Visitors cannot bring these items to
NASA/JPL: weapons, explosives, incendiary devices, dangerous instruments, alcohol, illegal drugs,
pets, all types of skates including skateboards, Segways and bicycles. No bags, backpacks or ice
chests are allowed, except small purses and diaper bags.

Media wishing to cover the event should RSVP to Courtney O'Connor at
Courtney.M.O'Connor@jpl.nasa.gov or at 1-818-354-2274.

- end -

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Good Clear Skies
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Astrocomet
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Colin James Watling
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Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
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Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
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Web: http://lyra.freewebsites.com/
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Information: http://www.clubbz.com/club/2895/LOWESTOFT---3054/Lowestoft%20And%20Great%20Yarmouth%20Regional%20Astronomers%20(Lyra