posted 12-22-2008 01:21 PM               

Presidential Inaugural Committee Invites NASA to March in 56th Inaugural Parade

Today, in keeping with its commitment to hold inaugural events that celebrate our common values and reflect the diversity and history of our great nation, President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden's Inaugural Committee officially extended an offer to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to march in the 56th Inaugural Parade. Members of NASA will join representatives from across the country and our Armed Forces in the historic parade down Pennsylvania Avenue following President-elect Obama's swearing-in ceremony on the steps of the Capitol.

"I am honored to invite these talented groups and individuals to participate in the Inaugural Parade," said President-elect Obama. "These organizations embody the best of our nation's history, diversity and commitment to service. Vice President-elect Biden and I are proud to have them join us in the parade."

Organizations wishing to participate in the parade submitted an application to the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (AFIC), which then assisted the Presidential Inaugural Committee in reviewing all of the groups' applications. All told, 1,382 organizations applied to participate, setting a new standard for interest in marching in the parade.

Congress enacted the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 to provide research into flight within and outside Earth's atmosphere and to ensure the United States conducts its activities in space for peaceful purposes and for the benefit of humanity. More than 50 years later, NASA continues to live up to that mandate and the American tradition of pioneering and expanding the realm of what is possible through space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research.

The STS-126 Endeavour crew completed a 16-day journey of more than 6.6 million miles. Chris Ferguson commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Donald Pettit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Sandra Magnus. Magnus remained aboard the Station, replacing Expedition 18 Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff, who returned to Earth on Endeavour after more than five months on the station.

The mission featured important repair work and prepared the International Space Station to house six crew members on long-duration missions beginning next year. The new station equipment includes a water recovery system, additional sleeping quarters, a second toilet and an exercise device. During four spacewalks, the crew serviced the station's two Solar Alpha Rotary Joints, which allow its solar arrays to track the sun, and installed new hardware that will support future assembly missions. STS-126 was the 124th space shuttle mission, the 22nd flight for Endeavour and the 27th shuttle visit to the station.

In addition to the Endeavor crew, the NASA contingent will include a small pressurized rover. That vehicle is one concept for a new generation of lunar rovers that astronauts will take with them when they return to the moon by 2020. The rovers are being tested at sites around the country that have terrain similar to what might be encountered on the moon. The rover could provide astronauts' main mode of transportation on the moon and would allow them the flexibility to work inside it without the restrictions imposed by spacesuits. The adaptable vehicle features wheels that enable "crab style" movements to help the vehicle maneuver through difficult spots, and a cantilevered cockpit to enhance the drivers' visibility of the terrain ahead. Early concepts also provide an exercise ergometer that allows crews to exercise and charge the vehicle's batteries simultaneously.

A list of the NASA personnel that will accompany the rover is still in formation.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee was assisted in its selection process by a group of experienced military musicians, who utilized their expertise to help assess the presentation skills of marching bands, musical acts and drill teams.

posted 01-16-2009 01:50 PM               

56th Inauguration Features NASA Astronauts, Lunar Rover, Panoramic Photos and Live Twitter

NASA astronauts who recently returned from a trip to the International Space Station will join representatives from across the country and the nation's armed forces in the 56th Inaugural Parade.

The NASA contingent will include a next-generation lunar rover that astronauts will use for future exploration of the moon. The parade will travel down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington on Jan. 20 following swearing-in ceremonies for President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph Biden. Many of the participating astronauts — Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Eric Boe, mission specialists Donald Pettit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Greg Chamitoff — flew on space shuttle Endeavour in November 2008 on the STS-126 mission.

Astronaut Mike Gernhardt will drive the rover. Astronaut Rex Walheim, wearing a spacesuit, will ride with him. The Lunar Electric Rover is a concept vehicle about the size of a pickup truck that NASA is evaluating for use when humans return to the moon. The rover can house two astronauts for as long as 14 days. The vehicle has many unique features, including the ability to move its six pairs of wheels in any combination of forward and sideways motions, enabling it to scramble over rough terrain.

NASA will record video during the parade from a camera mounted on the lunar rover. A member of the lunar rover team will provide live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed throughout the event.

NASA photographers and videographers will document the agency's participation in the inaugural activities. Images will be posted online at the agency's Web site when they become available.

posted 01-19-2009 12:50 AM               

Forty years of astronauts, moon craft in the Presidential Inaugural Parade

On January 20, 1969, NASA rolled out one of its recent space-flown astronaut crews and an example of the spacecraft developed for its future moon missions for the new President of the United States, who was sworn into office that morning.

A similar scene will unfold on Tuesday, 40 years later to the day, as the space agency takes part in the inaugural parade honoring President Barack Obama. It will be only the second time in four decades when humans who have orbited the planet have been included in the procession stretching the distance between the U.S. Capitol Building and the White House in Washington, DC.

posted 01-19-2009 10:55 AM               

TV Worldwide release

TV Worldwide's 3rd Live "eNaugural" Webcast to Send Video Greetings to U.S. Troops From Inaugural Ball Attendees

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin to Co-Host Webcast From Virginia's Black Tie and Blue Dominion Ball at National Air and Space Museum to Feature Event for U.S. Troops Online Globally, 9:00 PM ET, January 19 via USVets TV

TV Worldwide, the Internet's first TV network, announced today that it has been selected to produce the third quadrennial "eNaugural" webcast, live from the Virginia Black Tie and Blue Dominion Ball as part of the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama, Monday, January 19 beginning at 9:00 PM ET at the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport. Building on the success of TV Worldwide's production of the 2001 and 2005 eNaugural webcasts from Inaugural Balls, the webcast will again be featured on TV Worldwide's Internet TV Channel for veterans, USVets.TV, offering interviews, behind-the-scenes and Ball live entertainment coverage featuring the Commodores and other performers, for global on-line participation from U.S. troops stationed overseas, who will receive video e-mail greetings from event attendees. Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, TV Worldwide board member and company co-founder, will again serve as Honorary Co-Host.

The eNaugural webcast is made possible thanks to support from Base Technologies, Inc. and Newtek. Newtek's "Tricaster" will be used for the live webcast. The webcast will also highlight the work of veteran and troop support group partners frequently featured on USVets TV including Operation Interdependence, Thanks USA and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

"We're pleased to again be selected to webcast from this unique premier event and welcome the opportunity to bring the Inaugural Ball experience to the world, including our dedicated service men and women overseas who can't attend the 2009 Inauguration events," stated Dave Gardy, Chairman and CEO of TV Worldwide.

The Virginia Black Tie and Blue Dominion Ball is produced by 3PE productions. At press time, Honorary and Invited Guests include Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, former Virginia Governor and Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, Attorney General-Designate Eric Holder, and U.S. Army Major General Roger Nadeau. Other celebrity guests include Actor Giancarlo Esposito, Actress Jasmine Guy, former Washington Redskins stars, Charles Mann, Brian Mitchell and NFL Hall-of-Famer Art Monk.

The event eNaugural webcast, along with the video e-mails will be compressed and archived for later viewing, at tvworldwide.com and USVets.TV, as TV Worldwide did for the 2000 and 2005 eNaugural webcast events. Participants should have the Windows Media Player installed prior to the event and should log on by 9:00 PM on January 19th. Depending on scheduling, event content may begin to appear live on-line as early as 8PM ET.

posted 01-20-2009 10:44 AM               

If successful, it will be the first high-resolution commercial color image of an inaugural event taken from space, said Mark Brender, a spokesman for GeoEye, the Dulles, Va., company that owns and operates two commercial imaging satellites.

The company's IKONOS and GeoEye-1 satellites will snap images of the Mall at 10:33 a.m. and 11:19 a.m. respectively Tuesday.

Both satellites orbit roughly 423 miles above Earth's surface at 17,000 miles per hour.

The newer, more capable GeoEye-1 will be closer -- about 199 miles west of Washington. IKONOS will be over the Atlantic Ocean, about 435 miles east of the nation's capital, Brender said.

posted 01-20-2009 03:35 PM               

"Congratulations on a new president and a new administration," Fincke told flight controllers on Earth after Obama officially became the 44th U.S. president.

posted 01-20-2009 05:05 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
...the first inauguration to be captured in color from space.

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posted 01-20-2009 06:40 PM               

President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden watch as the NASA Lunar Electric Rover stops in front of the Presidential reviewing stand on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls. Click above photo to enlarge.

posted 01-20-2009 07:02 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by KSCartist:
I wish to believe that the Inaugural Parade Committee was saving the "best for last."

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posted 01-21-2009 10:44 PM               

NASA TV was also at the parade. Here was their view of the rover presentation.