| *** DECEMBER 2008 *** |
| AIRBORNE OBSERVATORY VISIT, LUNAR IMAGE RESTORATION HIGHLIGHT 2008 |
| ...High profile visits by the world's largest airborne observatory and the California governor, opening the new NASA Lunar Science Institute at Ames, restoration of an iconic image of the moon taken during the Apollo era, and the return of airships to Moffett Field, were among the top stories for NASA Ames Research Center in 2008. Airborne Observatory visit: An estimated 3,500 people toured the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), the largest airborne astronomical observatory in the world, during a rare visit to Ames on Jan. 14, 2008. The observatory consists of a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a 2.5-meter (98-inch) diameter telescope mounted in a chamber behind a retractable door on the left side of the aircraft. Science operations are scheduled to begin in 2009... |
| GOOGLE LUNAR X PRIZE TO ANNOUNCE 'MYSTERY TEAM' AT NASA AMES |
| ...The X PRIZE Foundation will reveal the identities of a "Mystery Team" competing for the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE during a media briefing hosted at NASA's Ames Research Center... The Google Lunar X PRIZE is an international competition among privately funded teams to land a robotic craft on the moon. The craft must be capable of completing several mission objectives, including roaming the lunar surface for at least 500 meters and sending video, images and data back to Earth. ...Media briefing to announce members of the "Mystery Team" who will be competing for the Google Lunar X PRIZE. ...NASA Exploration Center located at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. The Exploration Center is the large white dome located near the main gate to Ames. |