Happy 55th Birthday NASA!

The space agency was founded today in 1958!
On July 29, 1958, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, leading to the birth of NASA on Oct. 1, 1958. 

Let's Look to the Future!
In honor of NASA's 55th Anniversary Mashable put together this great infographic that shows NASA's planned expeditions through 2030!
 

NASA's Planned Missions Through 2030
Illustration by Bob Al-Greene

  View Full Size version at: http://mashable.com/2013/07/29/nasa-55th-anniversary/

U.S. Politician Strongly Supports NASA Manned Mars Mission!

House Ranking Member Donna F. Edwards Introduces Legislation to Authorize NASA, Cites Need to Return Agency to Path of Greatness with 
One Clear Goal: "Mars!"

"NASA is critical to the Nation and its economic strength. 

This Authorization bill is a vitally important opportunity to set the policy direction and authorize the funding needed to ensure America's global leadership in space" said Congresswoman Edwards. She added, "Unfortunately, in the past few years, NASA has been asked to do more despite being provided with fewer resources. This is intolerable as NASA is the Nation's crown jewel for spurring innovation, highly-skilled and good paying jobs, and inspiring the next generation of scientists. This fiscally responsible bill puts NASA back on track to greatness and provides flexibility in how the agency is to implement engineering and scientific details." — Rep. Donna F. Edwards

The Future of Civil Space Exploration - CSIS - July 8, 2013
Featuring: The Honorable Donna F. Edwards (MD-4)
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Space, 
House Committee on Science, Space and Technology
Website: DonnaEdwards.house.gov
She is the first African-American woman to represent Maryland in the U.S. Congress and a dedicated NASA supporter. After working for Lockheed Martin in the Spacelab program at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, she attended and earned a J.D. from Franklin Pierce Law Center in New Hampshire.


Rep. Edwards Speaks at CSIS Event in Washington, DC

CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies
CSIS Website: CSIS.org
Event Introduction and moderation by:
James A. Lewis
Senior Fellow and Director, Technology and Public Policy Program, CSIS
"Investments in the nation’s space program have spurred innovation and inspired future generations to look to the next frontier. Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards discusses the importance of federal investment in civilian space activities and the role of NASA as a driver for inspiration, innovation, and economic growth.

Congresswoman Edwards touches on the technological developments derived from the historic Apollo missions and the case for the United States to maintain a robust, globally competitive space program.

She discusses the need to establish a unifying vision for deep space exploration, outlining the challenges and benefits of a mission to Mars. Her remarks are  followed by a discussion with James Andrew Lewis, senior fellow and director of the Technology and Public Policy Program at CSIS, and a Q&A session.

Congresswoman Edwards represents Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, comprising portions of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties. She serves on the Science, Space and Technology Committee and is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Space."

Rep. Edwards and Bartlett at Kennedy Space Center

Rep. Edwards Meets NASA & JAXA ISS Astronauts

Rep. Edwards & Shuttle Discovery STS-119 Crew

NASA Administrator Dr. Charles Bolden C-SPAN Q&A

NASA Administrator Dr. Charles Bolden C-SPAN Q&A
On June 30, 2013, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden was interviewed on the one-hour C-SPAN program, "Q&A." The program covered his upbringing in the segregated South, his military service in Vietnam, and various political issues related to today's NASA space policy. Dr. Bolden is the first African American to head the space agency on a permanent basis.

Charles Frank Bolden, Jr. (born August 19, 1946) is a retired United States Marine Corps Major General, and a former NASA astronaut, space shuttle commander and pilot of four shuttle flights between 1986-1994.

A 1968 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he became a Marine aviator and test pilot. After his service as an astronaut, he became Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen at the Naval Academy.

On May 23, 2009, President Barack Obama announced the nomination of Bolden as NASA Administrator and Lori Garver as Deputy NASA Administrator. Bolden was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 15, 2009.
Credit: SpaceKSCBlog & Wikipedia

Official NASA Biography
Administrator Bolden's Speeches

Space Shuttle Commander & Pilot

#NASA #Administrator #Bolden #Leader #Veteran #African #American 

Simply Stunning Views of the Earth from Space!

The ISS Image Frontier - "Making the invisible visible" from Christoph Malin on Vimeo.

NASA Astronaut Dr. Don Pettit, Ph.D. is a passionate and innovative photographer. Cinematographer Christoph Malin has put together this amazing timelapse video footage from the International Space Station (ISS) further documenting Dr. Pettit's work and shedding light on his great creativity.

ISS Star Trails

Aurora Visible from ISS

Italy & Mediterranean Sea from ISS

The Friends of NASA Tribute to Carl Sagan

The Sagan Series by Reid Gower  

WATCH - Carl Sagan: 'The Frontier' on YouTube
WATCH - Carl Sagan: 'The Humans' on YouTube

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." 

– Carl Sagan (1934-1996)

Learn more about Carl Sagan:

CarlSagan.com

Wikipedia Bio

CARL SAGAN was the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University. He played a leading role in the American space program since its inception. He was a consultant and adviser to NASA since the 1950's, briefed the Apollo astronauts before their flights to the Moon, and was an experimenter on the Mariner, Viking, Voyager, and Galileo expeditions to the planets. He helped solve the mysteries of the high temperatures of Venus (answer: massive greenhouse effect), the seasonal changes on Mars (answer: windblown dust), and the reddish haze of Titan (answer: complex organic molecules). 

For his work, Dr. Sagan received the NASA medals for Exceptional Scientific Achievement and (twice) for Distinguished Public Service, as well as the NASA Apollo Achievement Award. Asteroid 2709 Sagan is named after him. He was also awarded the John F. Kennedy Astronautics Award of the American Astronautical Society, the Explorers Club 75th Anniversary Award, the Konstantin Tsiolkovsky Medal of the Soviet Cosmonauts Federation, and the Masursky Award of the American Astronomical Society, ("for his extraordinary contributions to the development of planetary science…")

As a scientist trained in both astronomy and biology, Dr. Sagan has made pioneering contributions to the study of planetary atmospheres, planetary surfaces, the history of the Earth, and exobiology.

He was cofounder and President of The Planetary Society, the largest space-interest group in the world.

Dr. Sagan is known around the world for his popular science books and for the award-winning 1980 television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, which he narrated and co-wrote.