Free Spirit!

Spirit has met many challenges over 5 years on Mars, from solar panels caked with dust to a broken right front wheel. Now she faces one of her toughest challenges yet, a ‘sand trap’ filled with soft, loose sand laced with rocks. JPL engineers are working around the clock to free her by sending commands to the test rover, deliberately stuck in the sand of the JPL testing facility.

Download the “Free Spirit” updates: videos, podcasts and images that capture the dramatic efforts to free the rover and send her on to new discoveries. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed, or follow the story on Facebook.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/freespirit/

NASA PLAYS AUDIO "TIME CAPSULE" OF HISTORIC APOLLO 11 MISSION

HOUSTON -- NASA will provide a unique audio "time capsule" in
observance of the 40th anniversary of the first human landing on the
moon. Audio from the entire Apollo 11 mission will be replayed and
streamed on the Internet at exactly the same time and date it was
broadcast in 1969.

The audio retrospective will begin at 6:32 a.m. CDT Thursday, July 16,
two hours before the spacecraft launched. The audio will continue
through splashdown of the mission at 11:51 a.m. CDT Friday, July 24,
and recovery of the crew shortly afterward. The Web stream will
feature the communications between the astronauts and ground teams,
and commentary from Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in
Houston.

To listen to the replay, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/apollo11_radio


For historical information about Apollo 11, visit:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/apollo/apollo11


NASA's Apollo 40th anniversary Web site provides easy access to
various agency resources and multimedia about the program and the
history of human spaceflight, including a gallery of Apollo
multimedia features. The site is online at:


http://www.nasa.gov/apollo40th

"Hubble's Next Discovery -- You Decide"

In 1609, Galileo Galilei turned his telescope on the night sky for the first time, profoundly changing our view of our place in the universe. In recognition of this, 2009 has been designated the International Year of Astronomy (IYA). IYA is a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society, while marking the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope.

In celebration of the IYA, you have the opportunity to vote for the next object the Hubble Space Telescope will observe. From now through March 1st, the world can participate in "Hubble's Next Discovery -- You Decide", and vote for an object Hubble has never observed before. In addition, educators can participate in a related classroom activity called the “Hubble Collage Activity.”

For more information about “Hubble’s Next Discovery – You Decide,” visit the Amazing Space Web site.

“What I Can See!” Campaign

2009 celebrates the 400^th anniversary of the invention of the telescope. In hopes of raising awareness about astronomy, we have set the goal of getting 150,000 people to look through a telescope in 2009. This is approximately the population of Springfield, Missouri. We will offer a star party once a month where anyone can come down and look through a telescope, then register as a participant in the project. This is a community building event, so feel free to bring down your telescope and “WOW” your neighbors with everything you know, or come down and look through a neighbor’s telescope and be “WOWED!” The Springfield Astronomical Society has partnered with DCS to offer their expertise and knowledge, and to make sure everyone has a chance to see all the amazing objects in our universe! Star Party on Patio Free, admission applies for entering the museum. Can't make it to one of our organized events? That's ok! Use your telescope at your convenience and log your expereince by commenting here! Tell us what you saw!