NASA's Launch Program Recognized For Government Innovation

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A NASA program supporting innovative approaches to sustainability challenges has received an Innovations in American Government Award from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO)  

NASA's LAUNCH program is among the top 25 federal programs recognized by the Kennedy School's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. The award promotes excellence and creativity in the public sector. LAUNCH and the other Top 25 programs represent the top 5 percent of all applications received for the award.

NASA and founding partners the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. State Department and Nike created LAUNCH in 2010 to identify, showcase and accelerate innovative approaches to specific sustainability challenges faced by human spaceflight, as well as communities and nations on Earth. LAUNCH searches for visionaries whose world-class ideas, technologies or programs show great promise for making tangible impacts to exploring beyond low-Earth orbit and on society.

The challenge currently under way, LAUNCH: System Challenge 2013, will identify 10 game-changing innovations that could enable fabric systems to enhance global economic growth, drive human prosperity and replenish the planet's resources. The challenge seeks creative innovations in the materials from which fabrics are made, with a focus on positive social and environmental impact in space and on Earth. Fabrics and the materials from which they are made are important for designing new spacecraft and spacesuits that will protect astronauts traveling to destinations far beyond Earth. Innovations presented at the LAUNCH: System Challenge 2013 forum may lead to new, stronger, lighter and more affordable fabrics that will benefit NASA as it sends humans deeper into our solar system. NASA will host the forum Sept. 26-28 at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

For more information about LAUNCH, visit:
http://www.launch.org/

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov

SOURCE NASA

View the original article here

Deputy Administrator Garver Visits NASA's Gulf Coast Facilities

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Deputy Administrator Lori Garver will visit NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and testing facilities at the agency's Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Miss., Friday, May 3.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO)

These facilities are critical to the construction and testing of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Commercial Crew Program. Michoud and Stennis also are important to partnerships with private industry, which is helping maximize the use of NASA facilities.

At 9 a.m. CDT, Garver will visit Michoud to observe progress being made to support the SLS and Orion spacecraft programs. She will be available for media interviews after her tour.

Garver next will travel to Stennis for a 1:30 p.m. tour of commercial crew testing facilities and the B-2 test stand, which is being restored in preparation for testing of the SLS core stage. Media representatives are invited to join Garver on the tour.

Reporters who want to attend the Michoud event must contact Chip Howat at carl.j.howat@nasa.gov or 504-214-6745 by no later than 8 a.m., Friday. Media must report to 13800 Old Gentilly Road, Bldg. 101 visitor's lobby, by 8:30 a.m. for access to the facility. Official media credentials with photo identification are required for access.

Reporters who want to attend the Stennis event must contact Rebecca Strecker at rebecca.a.strecker@nasa.gov or 228-688-3249 by no later than noon, Thursday, May 2. Journalists should plan to arrive by 12:30 p.m. on Friday.

For more information about NASA's SLS, Orion and Commercial Crew programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration

SOURCE NASA

View the original article here

NASA's Twitter Account Wins Back-To-Back Shorty Awards

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA's official Twitter feed, @NASA, has won its second consecutive Shorty award for the best government use of social media.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO)

The Shorty Award honors the best of social media across sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Foursquare and others. NASA took the prize Monday at the fifth annual Shorty Awards ceremony in New York.

The @NASA acceptance tweet was, "We're sharing the universe 1 tweet at a time. Be inspired! Follow @NASA & RT if you love science & space. #ShortyAwards."

"Our success stems from inspiring content that connects with people," said David Weaver, NASA's associate administrator for communications. "Our story of science and innovation resonates with everyone. Social media enables us to reach people directly like never before."

The Shorty Awards also recognized NASA's @MarsCuriosity account as Foursquare Mayor of the Year. Curiosity, a robotic rover, has been using the mobile application Foursquare since October 2012 to check in at locations it has been exploring on Mars. Users on Foursquare can keep up with Curiosity as it checks in at key locations and posts photos and tips.

Including Monday's two awards and last year's Twitter account recognition, NASA now has five Shorty Awards. The agency also won in 2009 for its use of Twitter for the Mars Phoenix Lander mission, and astronaut Doug Wheelock was awarded the Real Time Photo of the Year in 2011 for his "Moon from Space" picture.

NASA uses almost 500 social media accounts to communicate its mission to a wide range of followers. The @NASA twitter account has 3.8 million followers, the most in the federal government. NASA also maintains presences on Facebook, Google+, Flickr, and other popular platforms. NASA Socials, formerly known as NASA Tweetups, allow social media followers to attend functions and interact with NASA's engineers, astronauts and scientists.

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield's Twitter account, @Cmdr_Hadfield, also was recognized Monday with the Shorty for the Best in Science category. To follow Hadfield on Twitter, visit:
http://www.twitter.com/cmdr_hadfield

To find out more about Mars Curiosity and NASA on Foursquare, visit: http://www.foursquare.com/NASA

For more information about the Shorty Awards:
http://shortyawards.com

To view all of NASA's social media sites, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/connect

SOURCE NASA

View the original article here