Send a postcard to the ISS

Send a Seasonal Greeting to the Crew Onboard the International Space Station!

Soaring high above the Earth, the crew of the International Space Station has beamed down season's greetings that will air on NASA Television starting Friday, Dec. 12. The public can return the extraterrestrial good will and send greetings to the crew.

Follow this link to send a postcard of your own

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Astronaut Carl Walz Leaves NASA

Dec. 04, 2008

Veteran Astronaut Carl Walz Leaves NASA

Photo Credit: NASA

HOUSTON -- NASA astronaut Carl Walz is leaving the agency to take a job in the private sector. Walz most recently served as director for the Advanced Capabilities Division in the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. In the division, he played a key role in developing technologies that will lead to greater capabilities in robotic and human exploration of the solar system. He oversaw work in many fields, including nuclear power and propulsion, human adaptation to spaceflight, and lunar exploration. Many of these programs will help humans return to the moon and develop a sustained presence there. "NASA owes a great debt to Carl Walz for his service as an astronaut and the expertise and perspective he has shared with us in the Advanced Capabilities Division," said Doug Cooke, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. "The legacy of his leadership will be strongly felt in the next generation of manned space missions."

A veteran of four space shuttle missions and one International Space Station expedition, Walz spent 231 days in space. He and fellow astronaut Dan Bursch held the U.S. spaceflight endurance record of 196 days in space until April 2007. Expedition 4, his last mission, launched aboard space shuttle Endeavour in December 2001. Walz, one of the station's earliest inhabitants, set up equipment and experiments for the orbiting laboratory. He also completed two spacewalks during the mission, one in a Russian Orlan suit to outfit the Russian-supplied docking compartment and one in a U.S. spacesuit to prepare the station for its first truss segment. His spacewalks lasted a total of 11 hours, 52 minutes.

A retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, Walz also flew on STS-51 in September 1993, STS-65 in July 1994 and STS-79 in September 1996. Walz and the STS-51 crew deployed the U.S. Advanced Communications Technology Satellite and the Shuttle Pallet Satellite.

He also took a seven-hour spacewalk to evaluate tools for the Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission during that flight. During STS-65, Walz and the crew worked in the second International Microgravity Laboratory spacelab module and conducted more than 80 materials and life sciences experiments. That mission completed 236 orbits of Earth, traveling 6.1 million miles and setting a new flight duration record for the shuttle program.

On STS-79, the seven-member crew docked with the Russian Mir station and set a record for docked mass in space. That mission also completed a crew transfer, provided vital supplies to the Mir, and conducted important research and technology demonstrations. NASA selected Walz as an astronaut in January 1990. In addition to his flights, he served in a variety of technical and management positions within the Astronaut Office in Houston.

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Official NASA Biography

Carl E. Walz (Colonel, USAF, Ret.)NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)

PERSONAL DATA: Born September 6, 1955, in Cleveland, Ohio. Married to the former Pamela J. Glady of Lyndhurst, Ohio. They have two children. He enjoys piano and vocal music, sports.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Charles F. Brush High School, Lyndhurst, Ohio, in 1973; received a bachelor of science degree in physics from Kent State University, Ohio, in 1977, and a master of science in solid state physics from John Carroll University, Ohio, in 1979.

ORGANIZATIONS: American Legion, Kent State University Alumni Association, John Carroll University Alumni Association, Association of Space Explorers.

SPECIAL HONORS: Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kent State University. Awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal with one Oak Leaf, the USAF Legion of Merit, the USAF Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf, the USAF Commendation Medal, and the USAF Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster. Distinguished Graduate from the USAF Test Pilot School, Class 83A. Inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. Awarded four NASA Space Flight Medals, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, NASA Exceptional Service Medal, Distinguished Alumnus Award, Kent State University, 1997, Alumni Award, John Carroll University, 2002, Diocesan Award, Catholic Diocese of Houston/Galveston 2002, Gagarin Award, National Aeronautic Association, 2003.

EXPERIENCE: From 1979 to 1982, Walz was responsible for analysis of radioactive samples from the Atomic Energy Detection System at the 1155th Technical Operations Squadron, McClellan Air Force Base, California. The subsequent year was spent in study as a Flight Test Engineer at the USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, California. From January 1984 to June 1987, Walz served as a Flight Test Engineer to the F-16 Combined Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base, where he worked on a variety of F-16C airframe avionics and armament development programs. From July 1987 to June 1990, he served as a Flight Test Manager at Detachment 3, Air Force Flight Test Center.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in January 1990, Walz is a veteran of four space flights, and has logged a total of 231 days in space. He was a mission specialist on STS-51 (1993), was the Orbiter flight engineer (MS-2) on STS-65 (1994), was a mission specialist on STS-79 (1996), and served 196 days in space as flight engineer (FE-1) on ISS Expedition-Four (2001-2002). Carl also served as the Director for the Advanced Capabilities Division in the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C. He was responsible for a broad range of activities to include Human Research, Technology Development, Nuclear Power and Propulsion and the Lunar Robotic Exploration Programs to support the Vision for Space Exploration. He retired from NASA on December 5, 2008 to pursue interests in the private sector.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE:

STS-51 Discovery (September 12-22, 1993). During the mission, the five member crew deployed the U.S. Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS), and the Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS) with NASA and German scientific experiments aboard. Walz also participated in a 7-hour space walk (EVA) to evaluate tools for the Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. The mission was accomplished in 9 days, 22 hours, and 12 minutes.

STS-65 Columbia (July 8-23, 1994). STS-65 flew the second International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2) spacelab module, and carried a crew of seven. During the 15-day flight the crew conducted more than 80 experiments focusing on materials and life sciences research in microgravity. The mission completed 236 orbits of the Earth, traveling 6.1 million miles, setting a new flight duration record for the Shuttle program.

STS-79 Atlantis (September 16-26, 1996). On STS-79 the six member crew aboard Atlantis docked with the Russian MIR station, delivered food, water, U.S. scientific experiments and Russian equipment, and exchanged NASA long duration crewmembers. During the mission, the Atlantis/Mir complex set a record for docked mass in space. STS-79 was the first flight of the double Spacehab module, and landed at KSC after 10 days 3 hours and 13 minutes.

Expedition 4 (December 5, 2001 to June 19 2002). The Expedition-4 crew launched on December 5, 2001 aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-108, and docked with the International Space Station on December 7, 2001. During their 196 days in space, the Expedition-4 crew of three (two American astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut) performed flight tests of the station hardware, conducted internal and external maintenance tasks, robotic control tasks, and conducted numerous experiments in a variety of scientific disciplines. Wearing the Russian Orlan spacesuit, Walz logged 6 hours of EVA time with Commander Yury Onufrienko as they continued the outfitting of the Russian-supplied Docking Compartment (DC). In addition, Walz logged 5 hours 52 minutes of EVA time in the U.S. EMU spacesuit in his second spacewalk with flight engineer Dan Bursch, preparing the ISS for the S0 truss, delivered by the STS-110 crew. The Expedition-4 crew also performed a Soyuz relocation from the FGB nadir to the DC nadir hatch to prepare for the arrival of a new Soyuz capsule. The Expedition-4 crew returned to Earth aboard STS-111, with Endeavour landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on June 19, 2002.

DECEMBER 2008

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2009 Space Station Calendar

International Space Station 2009 Calendar Available Online

HOUSTON -- As part of NASA's celebration of the 10th anniversary of the International Space Station, the agency is providing a special 2009 calendar to teachers and the public. The calendar contains photographs taken from the space station. It highlights historic NASA milestones and fun facts about this international construction project of unprecedented complexity that began in 1998. The calendar can be downloaded and printed by visiting:
http://www.nasa.gov/station

"We hope this calendar will inspire the next generation of explorers and provide interesting and challenging information for educators, students and anyone interested in space," said International Space Station Program Manager Mike Suffredini at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "As we near the completion of space station assembly, we are doubling the crew size, increasing our knowledge and operational experience, and continuing our quest of exploration and discovery."

Nearly 100,000 copies of the calendar will be delivered to schools in all 50 states. The calendars are distributed through NASA education programs and NASA-affiliated education networks such as the NASA Central Operation of Resources for Educators, NASA Education Resource Centers, NASA Explorer Schools and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education of Alexandria, Va. For more information about NASA's education programs, visit:
http://education.nasa.gov

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STS-119 NASA Space Shuttle Update

Dec. 10, 2008

NASA Sets Briefings to Preview Next Space Shuttle Mission

HOUSTON -- NASA will discuss the next space shuttle mission during a daylong series of media briefings from NASA's Johnson Space Center beginning at 8 a.m. CST, Friday, Jan. 9. The briefings will be broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's Web site. Questions also will be taken from participating NASA locations. Space shuttle Discovery's mission to the International Space Station is targeted for launch Feb. 12 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The 14-day mission will deliver the final set of solar arrays and the last segment of the station's backbone. The crew will perform four spacewalks during the 10 days the shuttle is docked to the station. Following the briefings, members of the shuttle crew will be available for a series of round-robin interviews.

Media planning to attend and participate in the interviews must contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 by 5 p.m. on Jan. 6. Journalists who are foreign nationals, regardless of citizenship, must contact Johnson to arrange credentials no later than 5 p.m. on Dec. 19. Lee Archambault will command Discovery's mission, which is designated STS-119. Tony Antonelli will serve as the pilot.

The mission specialists are Joseph Acaba, John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will replace Expedition 18 Flight Engineer Sandra Magnus, who will return to Earth with the STS-119 crew. Wakata will serve as a flight engineer for Expeditions 18 and 19 and will return to Earth on shuttle mission STS-127.

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv For the latest information about the STS-119 mission and its crew,

visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle For more information about the International Space Station, visit:

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STS-125 Launch Date Announced

Dec. 04, 2008

NASA Sets Target Shuttle Launch Date for Hubble Servicing Mission

HOUSTON -- NASA announced Thursday that space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope is targeted to launch May 12, 2009. The final servicing mission to Hubble was delayed in September when a data handling unit on the telescope failed. Since then, engineers have been working to prepare a spare for flight. They expect to be able to ship the spare, known as the Science Instrument Command and Data Handling System, to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in spring 2009.

STS-125 is an 11-day flight featuring five spacewalks to extend Hubble's life into the next decade by refurbishing and upgrading the telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments and swapping failed hardware. Scott Altman will command STS-125, with Gregory C. Johnson serving as pilot. Mission specialists are veteran spacewalkers John Grunsfeld and Mike Massimino, and first-time space fliers Andrew Feustel, Michael Good and Megan McArthur. The manifest has been adjusted to reflect current planning.

The next space shuttle mission, STS-119, is targeted for launch on Feb. 12, 2009. Preparations continue for the STS-127 mission, currently targeted for launch in May 2009. That launch will be further assessed and coordinated with NASA's international partners at a later date. STS-128 is targeted for August 2009, and STS-129 is targeted for November 2009.

All target launch dates are subject to change.

STS-125 Crew Portrait

Astronaut Crews for Future Space Shuttle Missions

Astronaut Crews for Future Space Shuttle Missions

December 05, 2008

NASA Assigns Astronaut Crews for Future Space Shuttle Missions

WASHINGTON -- NASA has assigned the crews for space shuttle missions STS-130 and STS-131. The STS-130 mission will deliver a third connecting module to the International Space Station and a seven-windowed cupola to be used as a control room for robotics. The STS-131 mission will deliver research and science experiment equipment, a new sleeping area and supplies to the station in a logistics module carried in the shuttle's payload bay. Marine Col. George Zamka will command the shuttle Endeavour during STS-130, targeted for launch in December 2009. Air Force Col. Terry Virts, Jr., will serve as the pilot. Mission specialists are NASA astronauts Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Behnken, Nicholas Patrick, Kathryn Hire and Stephen Robinson. Virts will be making his first trip to space. Navy Capt. Alan Poindexter will command the shuttle Atlantis during STS-131, targeted for launch in February 2010. Air Force Lt. Col. James P. Dutton, Jr., will serve as the pilot. Mission specialists are NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio, Clayton Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Naoko Yamazaki. Dutton, Metcalf-Lindenburger and Yamazaki will be making their first trip to space.

Zamka was born in Jersey City, N.J., and grew up in several cities including Medellin, Colombia. He received a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master's degree in engineering management from the Florida Institute of Technology. He served as the pilot on STS-120.

Virts was born in Baltimore and considers Columbia, Md., his hometown. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master's degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Behnken recently flew as a mission specialist on STS-123. Behnken holds bachelor's degrees in mechanical engineering and physics from Washington University in St. Louis. He also has master's and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Behnken was born in Creve Coeur, Mo.

STS-130 will be the second flight for Nicholas Patrick, who flew as a mission specialist on STS-116. Patrick was born in North Yorkshire in the United Kingdom and considers London and Rye, N.Y., his hometowns. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering from the University of Cambridge and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Hire will again serve as a mission specialist on her second spaceflight. Her first was STS-90. She holds a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master's degree in space technology from the Florida Institute of Technology. She was born in Mobile, Ala.

Stephen Robinson is a veteran of three spaceflights. Flying on STS-85, STS-95 and STS-114, he has logged more than 830 hours in space. He was born in Sacramento, Calif., and holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical and aeronautical engineering from the University of California and master's and doctorate degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.

STS-131 will be the second spaceflight for Poindexter, who served as the pilot on STS-122. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering. He also has a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. He was born in Pasadena, Calif. Dutton joined NASA in 2004. His hometown is Eugene, Ore. He has a bachelor's degree in astronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the University of Washington in Seattle.

Mastracchio flew as a mission specialist on STS-106 and STS-118. He was born in Waterbury, Conn., and earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of Connecticut. He also has master's degrees in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and physical science from the University of Houston.

Anderson spent 152 days on the space station, as a flight engineer on Expedition 15. He launched to the station as part of the STS-117 crew and returned on the STS-120 mission. Anderson's hometown is Omaha, Neb. He has a bachelor's degree in physics from Hastings College, Neb., and a master's degree in aerospace engineering from Iowa State University.

Metcalf-Lindenburger was selected as an astronaut in 2004. She was born in Colorado Springs, Colo., and considers Fort Collins her hometown. She has a bachelor's degree in geology from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash. Wilson was born in Boston. This will be her third spaceflight. She flew as a mission specialist on STS-121 and STS-120. Wilson received a bachelor's degree in engineering science from Harvard University and a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas.

Yamazaki was born in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. She holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Tokyo. Yamazaki was selected by National Space Development Agency of Japan (currently JAXA) as one of three astronaut candidates in 1999 and joined NASA's astronaut candidates for training in 2004.

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Space Image DVD's


Latest additions to our website offerings are the full range of Retro Space Image DVD's.

Discs for each mission will be added overtime. See below current titles:

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STS-126 Lands at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

STS-126 Safe Return






With commander Chris Ferguson and pilot Eric Boe at the controls, space shuttle Endeavour descended to a smooth landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The STS-126 crew members concluded their successful mission to the International Space Station when the shuttle touched down at 4:25 p.m. EST.


Endeavour arrived at the station Nov. 16, delivering equipment that will help allow the station to double its crew size to six. In addition, the STS-126 astronauts delivered Expedition 18 Flight Engineer Sandra Magnus, who replaced Greg Chamitoff, now a mission specialist who returned to Earth aboard Endeavour.


STS-126 is the 124th shuttle mission and 27th shuttle flight to visit the space station.


STS 126 Crew Portrait


STS-126 Mission Patch


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