NASA Summer of Innovation Mini Grants – Selections Announced

The NASA Office of Education is pleased to announce the selected sites for the second and final phase of applications for the Summer of Innovation Mini-Grant opportunity in partnership with the National Space Grant Foundation for 2011. The Oregon Space Grant extends congratulations to all of the fine programs selected for funding, particularly those in Oregon, including:

Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, OR
Friends of Saturday Academy in Portland, OR

For a complete list of all programs funded in both rounds of the 2011 ummer of Innovation Mini-Grant opportunity, please visit the following website: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/summer/home/mini-grant-opps.html

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NASA Dawn Spacecraft Returns Close-Up Image of Asteroid Vesta

The first close-up image of asteroid Vesta from NASA's Dawn mission.

(from NASA.gov)

PASADENA, Calif. — NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has returned the first close-up image after beginning its orbit around the giant asteroid Vesta. On Friday, July 15, Dawn became the first probe to enter orbit around an object in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

The image taken for navigation purposes shows Vesta in greater detail than ever before. When Vesta captured Dawn into its orbit, there were approximately 9,900 miles (16,000 kilometers) between the spacecraft and asteroid. Engineers estimate the orbit capture took place at 10 p.m. PDT Friday, July 15 (1 a.m. EDT Saturday, July 16).

Read more at NASA’s website: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/dawn/news/dawn20110718.html

STS-135 Final Shuttle Landing – Watch Live online July 21, 2011

Watch the final space shuttle landing live online.

The final mission in NASA’s space shuttle program will come to an end on July 21, 2011 at 5:56am EST when space shuttle Atlantis lands at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. View special coverage of the shuttle landing and the end of the space shuttle program at NASA’s website:
http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/135_splash/index.html

Visitors can watch the live webcast of the landing, read about the final mission’s activities, access tweets from astronauts, and read NASA’s plans for the future. Join us in a celebration of the many accomplishments made possible during the space shuttle program!