The NASA Constellation Program announced Altair as the name of the Lunar Surface Access Module ( LSAM ) on December 13, 2007.

* In April 2011, HP Enterprise Services announced that it has been chosen for a single-award firm-fixed-price, indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity contract worth up to $ 2. 5 billion by NASA.

On July 31, 2008, NASA announced that the Phoenix lander confirmed the presence of water on Mars, as predicted in 2002 based on data from the Odyssey orbiter.

On April 12, 2011, NASA announced that Space Shuttle Discovery, the most traveled orbiter in the fleet, would be added to the collection once the Shuttle fleet was retired.

After more than twenty organizations submitted proposals to NASA for the display of an orbiter, NASA announced that Enterprise will go to New York's Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, Discovery will go the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum, Atlantis will remain in the Visitor Complex at Kennedy Space Center, and Endeavour will go to the California Science Center in Los Angeles ,.

NASA has announced the discovery of an Earth Trojan.

* After having analyzed the data from the LCROSS lunar impact, in 2009 NASA announced that the discovery of a " significant " quantity of water in the Moon's Cabeus crater.

After the safe return of Gemini III, NASA announced new spacecraft would not be named.

The shuttle program was formally launched on January 5, 1972, when President Nixon announced that NASA would proceed with the development of a reusable space shuttle system.

On October 31, 2006, NASA announced approval of the launch of the space shuttle, Atlantis, the fifth and final shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, scheduled for August 28, 2008.

On March 17, 2010 Phil Stooke, a professor at the University of Western Ontario announced that he had located Lunokhod 2's final resting place in photographs made by the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter ( LRO ).

Also in 2008, it was announced that former Director Henry McDonald was a 60th Anniversary Class of the NASA Ames Hall of Fame for providing, "... exceptional leadership and keen technical insight to NASA Ames as the Center re-invented itself in the late 1990s.

On June 4, 2008 Google announced it had leased from NASA, at Moffett Field, for use as office space and employee housing.

In late 2008, NASA announced that it had discovered opal deposits on Mars.

On February 22, 2008, 17 years 4 months after the launch of the spacecraft, ESA and NASA announced that mission operations for Ulysses would be likely to cease within a few months.

On April 12, 2008 NASA announced that the end date will be July 1, 2008.

Glenn states in his memoir that he had no idea that NASA was willing to send him back into space when NASA announced the decision.

On November 27, 2010, NASA announced the discovery of a tenuous atmosphere — exosphere.

On March 6, 2008, NASA announced that Rhea may have a tenuous ring system.

A second journalist-in-space program, in which NASA green-lighted Miles O ' Brien to fly on the space shuttle, was scheduled to be announced in 2003.

NASA has announced that Hadfield will become the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station, leading Expedition 35, when he blasts off in December 2012.

* 1959 – Project Mercury: NASA announces the selection of the United States ' first seven astronauts, whom the news media quickly dub the " Mercury Seven ".

* April 9 – NASA announces its selection of seven military pilots to become the first U. S. astronauts ( later known as the Mercury Seven ).

The Council of Chief State School Officers, a non-profit organization of public officials in education, was chosen by NASA to coordinate the selection process.

He served as Administrative and Operations Officer with the squadron through their work-up cycle, receiving notice of his NASA selection while embarked on Enterprise for her final pre-deployment at sea period.

During this period, Conrad was invited to take part in the selection process for the first group of astronauts for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) ( the " Mercury Seven ").

Slayton resigned his Air Force commission in 1963 and worked for NASA in a civilian capacity as head of astronaut selection.

Prior to his selection by NASA in 1978, Hawley was a post-doctoral research associate at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in La Serena, Chile.

He was completing a residency in anesthesiology at the University of Pennsylvania when notified of his selection by NASA for the astronaut candidate program.

When informed by NASA of his selection for astronaut training, he was assigned to the test directors section of Marine Air Control Squadron 3, a unit responsible for the testing and evaluation of the Marine Tactical Data System.

He was an instructor at the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, when advised of his selection by NASA.

From 1988 until his selection by NASA in 1992, he worked on the development of new astronaut and robot-compatible tools for performing maintenance on Space Station Freedom.

After attending the USAF Test Pilot School in 1983, he remained at Edwards AFB, California, as an F-16C test pilot and Chief of the 57th Fighter Weapons Wing Operating Location until his NASA selection.

He was stationed with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, at the time of his selection by NASA.

After a year of training following his selection by NASA in January 1990, Dr. Jones became an astronaut in July 1991.

After selection in 1989 as a Payload Specialist by the Italian Space Agency ( ASI ) and NASA, he became a staff member of ASI and was assigned to the NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, for training.

In July 1996, CNES announced his selection as an astronaut candidate and assigned him to attend NASA ’ s Astronaut Candidate Training in Houston, Texas.

He was assigned as head of the NASA Astronaut Corps in June 1969, responsible for the selection of flight crews for projects Apollo and Skylab.

He was serving as aide-de-camp for the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, when advised of his selection by NASA in May 1980.

His technical assignments included: scientific equipment operator for high altitude research on the WB-57F aircraft ( 1980 – 1981 ); astronaut medical support for the first four Shuttle missions ( 1980 – 1982 ); astronaut office representative for Extravehicular Mobility Unit ( spacesuit ) and Extravehicular Activity ( EVA ) procedures and development, including thermal vacuum testing of the suit ( 1981 – 1984 ); astronaut office representative for the Payload Assist Module ( PAM-D ) procedures and development ( 1982 – 1983 ); astronaut office representative for Shuttle Mission Simulator ( SMS ) development ( 1983 ); support crewman for STS-8 ; CAPCOM for STS-8 and STS-9 ; Remote Manipulator System ( RMS ) hardware and software development team ( 1983 ); Manned Maneuvering Unit ( MMU ) development team ( 1983 ); Deputy Director of NASA Government-furnished and Contractor-furnished Equipment ( 1982 – 1983 ); Chief of Astronaut Public Appearances ( 1985 – 1987 ); Head, Astronaut Office Space Station Manned Systems Division, and Health Maintenance Facility ( 1987 – 1989 ); Astronaut Office representative on space crew selection and retention standards for Space Station ( 1989 – 1991 ).

His active involvement and enthusiastic support were critical for HESSI ’ s selection by NASA as the sixth Small Explorer ( SMEX ) mission.

* Prof. Farouk El-Baz is an Egyptian American scientist who worked with NASA to assist in the planning of scientific exploration of the Moon, including the selection of landing sites for the Apollo missions and the training of astronauts in lunar observations and photography.

The topics explored in the novel include naval warfare in the Pacific, air combat in the Korean War ( something Michener had already explored in The Bridges at Toko-Ri ), test pilot life at ' Pax River ', astronaut selection and training, the role of the media in promoting the space program as a national achievement, and the development of the Gemini and Apollo spacecraft, the rise of the military-industrial complex and the evolution of NACA into NASA.

Farouk El-Baz (, Egyptian Arabic: ) ( born January 2, 1938 ) is an Egyptian American scientist who worked with NASA to assist in the planning of scientific exploration of the Moon, including the selection of landing sites for the Apollo missions and the training of astronauts in lunar observations and photography.