First Light Newsletter - January 2008

First Light eNewsletter
January 2008



Explorer 1: America's First Spacecraft

On Jan. 31, 1958, the JPL-designed and -built Explorer 1 soared into space. The spacecraft, a quick response to the Soviet's Sputnik, lofted the United States into the Space Age.

Visit JPL's Explorer 1 site to learn about the historic event, watch archival video footage, and take an interactive peek inside the satellite.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/explorer (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/explorer)



Explorer 1: Beginning of the Space Age Debuts Jan. 31, 6 p.m. (Pacific)

(Click the events link (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/explorer/media/info.php) for more viewing times on Discovery HD Theater and KCET/Los Angeles.)


Now Playing on the JPL Web


Keeping an Eye on Space Rocks

Asteroids swinging near Earth and Mars have been in the news recently. Animations and interactive features help explain what near-Earth objects are, and why scientists track them.
+ Go to interactive (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/neo/index.cfm)


The Challenges of Getting to Mars: Cruise Phases
The next mission to Mars is fast-approaching the red planet. Phoenix is scheduled to land in the north polar
region of Mars in May. A new video shows how the mission team is keeping Phoenix on its path for the eight-month journey.
+ Play video (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/videos/phoenix/phx20080124/)

Explore New Worlds Virtually
How are scientists searching for planets beyond our solar system? The PlanetQuest site , sporting a newlook, offers in-depth information, interactives and
an online New Worlds Atlas. You can also download toa widget to keep up with current planet count.
+ Visit PlanetQuest (http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/)

You can find more features at www.jpl.nasa.gov (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov)



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