From: LARRY KLAES (ljk4_at_msn.com)
Date: Fri Nov 07 2003 - 12:34:47 PST
----- Original Message -----
From: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Sent: Friday, November 07, 2003 3:11 PM
To: ljk4_at_msn.com
Subject: Two Cosmic Explorers Named 'Best of What's New'
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News Release: 2003-148 November 7, 2003
Two Cosmic Explorers Named 'Best of What's New'
Two recently launched NASA missions won "Best of What's New" awards
from Popular Science magazine. The two missions, the Space Infrared
Telescope Facility and Galaxy Evolution Explorer, which both probe the
far reaches of our universe, are among the winners featured in the
magazine's special December issue.
>From thousands of products and developments, the magazine staff chose
the top 100 technological innovations, in 12 categories, that could
change the way we think about the future. The two NASA missions are
being honored in the Aviation and Space category.
The Space Infrared Telescope Facility, launched August 25, 2003,
studies the universe in infrared wavelengths, while Galaxy Evolution
Explorer, launched April 28, 2003, uses ultraviolet detectors.
Examining the cosmos at various wavelengths reveals different objects
and phenomena. The Space Infrared Telescope Facility completed NASA's
suite of Great Observatories, including the Hubble Space Telescope,
Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and Chandra X-ray Observatory.
The Space Infrared Telescope Facility pierces cosmic dust to study
celestial objects too cool, too dust-enshrouded or too far away to be
seen otherwise. It will observe galaxies, stars, and dusty discs
around nearby stars, which may be "planetary construction zones."
"I'm delighted to receive this honor on behalf of our entire team,
which has worked diligently to ensure the mission will gather
revolutionary science data and beautiful images," said Project Manager
Dave Gallagher, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Galaxy Evolution Explorer will scrutinize a million galaxies across 10
billion years of cosmic history. The data will help astronomers
determine when the stars we see in our nighttime sky had their
origins. The mission will help scientists understand how the Milky Way
and other galaxies were formed.
"We're honored to be recognized by Popular Science, and look forward
to sharing the exciting views of the universe arriving daily from the
spacecraft," said Galaxy Evolution Explorer Project Manager Dr. James
Fanson, also of JPL.
JPL manages the Space Infrared Telescope Facility mission for NASA's
Office of Space Science, Washington, and conducts flight operations.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., was responsible
for building the Infrared Array Camera.
The Space Infrared Telescope Facility Science Center at the California
Institute of Technology, Pasadena, will handle all aspects of science
operations, including data processing. Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Company, Sunnyvale, Calif., is responsible for spacecraft design and
development, and observatory systems engineering, integration and
testing. Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation, Boulder, Colo.,
is responsible for the design and development of the cryo-telescope
assembly and integration of the science-instrument cold assemblies
into the cryostat, and is subcontractor for two science instruments.
Caltech leads the Galaxy Evolution Explorer mission and also is
responsible for science operations and data analysis. JPL, a division
of Caltech, manages the mission and built the science instrument. The
mission was developed under NASA's Explorers Program, managed by
Goddard. The mission's international partners include South Korea and
France.
Information about the Space Infrared Telescope Facility and the Galaxy
Evolution Explorer is available on the Internet at:
http://sirtf.caltech.edu http://sirtf.caltech.edu/
http://www.galex.caltech.edu http://www.galex.caltech.edu/
For information about NASA on the Internet, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov http://www.nasa.gov/
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