
Dr. Stephen Hawking, a professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge, left, and his daughter Lucy Hawking talk about their co-authored children's book "George's Secret Key to the Universe" Monday, April 21, 2008, at George Washington University's Morton Auditorium in Washington. Stephen Hawking also delivered a speech entitled "Why we should go into space" during a lecture that is part of a series honoring NASA's 50th Anniversary, Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul. E. Alers)

A Cooper's hawk walks through underbrush at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a border with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The bird is one of more than 330 native and migratory bird species, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles that call Kennedy and the wildlife refuge home.

A Red-shouldered hawk soars in clear skies above NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a border with the 140,000-acre Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. More than 330 native and migratory bird species, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles call Kennedy and the wildlife refuge home.

View from a Chase Plane; HS3 Science Flight 8 Wraps Up The chase plane accompanying NASA's Global Hawk No. 872 captured this picture on Sept. 19 after the Global Hawk completed science flight #8 where it gathered data from a weakening Tropical Storm Edouard over the North Atlantic Ocean. Credit: NASA -- The Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) is a five-year mission specifically targeted to investigate the processes that underlie hurricane formation and intensity change in the Atlantic Ocean basin. HS3 is motivated by hypotheses related to the relative roles of the large-scale environment and storm-scale internal processes. Read more: espo.nasa.gov/missions/hs3/mission-gallery <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

Dr. Stephen Hawking, a professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge, delivers a speech entitled "Why we should go into space" during a lecture that is part of a series honoring NASA's 50th Anniversary, Monday, April 21, 2008, at George Washington University's Morton Auditorium in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul. E. Alers)

Dr. Stephen Hawking, a professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge, delivers a speech entitled "Why we should go into space" during a lecture that is part of a series honoring NASA's 50th Anniversary, Monday, April 21, 2008, at George Washington University's Morton Auditorium in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul. E. Alers)

Dr. Stephen Hawking, a professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge, delivers a speech entitled "Why we should go into space" during a lecture that is part of a series honoring NASA's 50th Anniversary, Monday, April 21, 2008, at George Washington University's Morton Auditorium in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul. E. Alers)

Dr. Stephen Hawking, a professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge, delivers a speech entitled "Why we should go into space" during a lecture that is part of a series honoring NASA's 50th Anniversary, Monday, April 21, 2008, at George Washington University's Morton Auditorium in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul. E. Alers)

Dr. Stephen Hawking, a professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge, delivers a speech entitled "Why we should go into space" during a lecture that is part of a series honoring NASA's 50th Anniversary, Monday, April 21, 2008, at George Washington University's Morton Auditorium in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul. E. Alers)

Dr. Stephen Hawking, a professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge, delivers a speech entitled "Why we should go into space" during a lecture that is part of a series honoring NASA's 50th Anniversary, Monday, April 21, 2008, at George Washington University's Morton Auditorium in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul. E. Alers)

Dr. Stephen Hawking, a professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge, delivers a speech entitled "Why we should go into space" during a lecture that is part of a series honoring NASA's 50th Anniversary, Monday, April 21, 2008, at George Washington University's Morton Auditorium in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul. E. Alers)

The NASA Wallops T-34 chase aircraft intercepted Global Hawk 872 on its descent to runway 28 at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Va. This photo of the Global Hawk was taken from the chase plane after finishing its third science flight. For more information about NASA's HS3 mission, visit: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/HS3" rel="nofollow">www.nasa.gov/HS3</a> Credit: NASA/ Brea Reeves <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

NASA image acquired October 23, 2009. At NASA’s Dryden Research Center in California, a group of engineers, scientists, and aviation technicians have set up camp in a noisy, chilly hangar on Edwards Air Force base. For the past two weeks, they have been working to mount equipment—from HD video cameras to ozone sensors—onto NASA’s Global Hawk, a remote-controlled airplane that can fly for up to 30 hours at altitudes up to 65,000 feet. The team is gearing up for the Global Hawk Pacific campaign, a series of four or five scientific research flights that will take the Global Hawk over the Pacific Ocean and Arctic regions. The 44-foot-long aircraft, with its comically large nose and 116-foot wingspan is pictured in the photograph above, banking for landing over Rogers Dry Lake in California at the end of a test flight on October 23, 2009. The long wings carry the plane’s fuel, and the bulbous nose is one of the payload bays, which house the science instruments. For the Global Hawk Pacific campaign, the robotic aircraft will carry ten science instruments that will sample the chemical composition of air in the troposphere (the atmospheric layer closest to Earth) and the stratosphere (the layer above the troposphere). The mission will also observe clouds and aerosol particles in the troposphere. The primary purpose of the mission is to collect observations that can be used to check the accuracy of simultaneous observations collected by NASA’s Aura satellite. Co-lead scientist Paul Newman from Goddard Space Flight Center is writing about the ground-breaking mission for the Earth Observatory’s Notes from the Field blog. NASA Photograph by Carla Thomas. <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe. To learn more about this image go to: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=43291" rel="nofollow">earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=43291</a>

NASA’s Global Hawk aircraft was deployed to Florida from Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards, CA. on Oct. 6 to monitor and take scientific measurements of Hurricane Matthew. The unmanned Global Hawk will gather scientific data in support of NOAA’s Sensing Hazards with Operational Unmanned Technology (SHOUT) mission.

QSRA (NASA-715) takeoff and landing trials onboard the USS Kitty Hawk

QSRA (NASA-715) takeoff and landing trials onboard the USS Kitty Hawk

QSRA (NASA-715) takeoff and landing trials onboard the USS Kitty Hawk

View of individuals and Dr. Stephen Hawking during visit. Photos were taken in Building 9NW.

NASA’s Global Hawk aircraft deploys a dropsonde during a test flight over the Dryden Aeronautical Test Range in August 2015. The small, tube-shaped sensor will transmit data on temperature, humidity, and wind speed, which will be used to help improve weather model forecasts

ISS006-E-50419 (2003) --- This digital still camera image of Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout, North Carolina, with a Soyuz vehicle docked to the orbital outpost in the foreground was taken by Expedition 6 crewmember Don Pettit during his 5 1/2 month stay on the International Space Station (ISS). The largest inland body of water is Pamlico Sound. Kitty Hawk, on North Carolina's Outer Banks is also visible. On Dec. 17, 2003, the world celebrates a century of human flight with the anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first flight at Kitty Hawk. The brothers used the Outer Banks' prevailing winds and a 90-foot hill (Kill Devil Hill) to successfully demonstrate powered flight.

NASA's Global Hawk 872 soared over Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base, CA, during an instrument checkout flight for the 2014 ATTREX mission over the western Pacific Ocean. The aircraft carried 13 science instruments to measure moisture and chemical composition of the stratosphere during the campaign.

A Cooper's hawk takes flight from the branches of a small tree at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a border with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. More than 330 native and migratory bird species, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles call Kennedy and the wildlife refuge home.

A Cooper's hawk perches on branch of a small tree at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a border with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. More than 330 native and migratory bird species, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles call Kennedy and the wildlife refuge home.

NASA's Global Hawk 872 lifted off the runway at Edwards Air Force Base during a checkout flight of instruments for the 2014 ATTREX mission over the western Pacific Ocean. Yellow and black pods housing the Hawkeye cloud particle probe instruments being used during the mission can be seen underneath the wings.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the brush near the NASA News Center at Kennedy Space Center a mockingbird protects its territory from a young hawk perched on a branch below. The birds are two of more than 330 native and migratory bird species, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles that call Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge home. Photo credit: NASA/Chris Chamberland

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the brush near the NASA News Center at Kennedy Space Center a young hawk perches in a branch while a mockingbird sits above, protecting its territory. The birds are two of more than 330 native and migratory bird species, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles that call Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge home. Photo credit: NASA/Chris Chamberland

The first of two NASA Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles supporting the Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) mission landed at 7:39 a.m. today, Aug. 14, 2013, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va. During August and September, NASA will fly the two Global Hawks over the Atlantic Ocean to study tropical storms and the processes that underlie hurricane formation and intensification. The aircraft are equipped with instruments to survey the overall environment of the storms and peer into the inner core of hurricanes to study their structure and processes. For more information, visit: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/HS3. " rel="nofollow">www.nasa.gov/HS3. </a> Photo Credit: NASA Wallops Keith Koehler NASA Wallops Flight Facility <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- - Three osprey fledglings are ready to test their wings from the nest at the NASA News Center parking lot. Ospreys select nesting sites of opportunity, from trees and telephone poles to rocks or even flat ground. In the United States they are found from Alaska to Florida and the Gulf Coast. Osprey nests are found throughout the Kennedy Space Center and nearby Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Known as a fish hawk, ospreys often can be seen flying overhead with a fish in their talons.

On December 17, 1903, two brothers from Dayton, Ohio, named Wilbur and Orville Wright, were successful in flying an airplane they built. Their powered aircraft flew for 12 seconds above the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, making them the first men to pilot a heavier-than-air machine that took off on its own power, remained under control, and sustained flight.

A NASA remotely piloted Global Hawk aircraft completes a flight in February 2015 to support the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s El Niño Rapid Response field campaign. The mission, called the Sensing Hazards Operational Unmanned Technology, gathered El Niño storm data over the Pacific Ocean. The flight originated from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

NASA's Global Hawk flew over Tropical Storm Nadine on Sept. 26, 2012 at 3 p.m. EDT and captured this photo from the camera located in the belly if the aircraft as it flew over the northern edge of the storm. Credit: NASA <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagrid.me/nasagoddard/?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

A red-shouldered hawk sits on a tree branch while snacking on a snake at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge encompasses 140,000 acres that are a habitat for more than 331 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. The marshes and open water of the refuge provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl, as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds, as well as a variety of insects.

A red-shouldered hawk sits on a tree branch while snacking on a snake at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge encompasses 140,000 acres that are a habitat for more than 331 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. The marshes and open water of the refuge provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl, as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds, as well as a variety of insects.

A red-shouldered hawk sits on a tree branch while snacking on a snake at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge encompasses 140,000 acres that are a habitat for more than 331 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. The marshes and open water of the refuge provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl, as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds, as well as a variety of insects.

A red-shouldered hawk sits on a tree branch at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge encompasses 140,000 acres that are a habitat for more than 331 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. The marshes and open water of the refuge provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl, as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds, as well as a variety of insects.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- One of three osprey fledglings spreads its wings, anticipating flight. The nest is in the NASA News Center parking lot, across from the Vehicle Assembly Building, with its 209-foot-high American flag painted on the south side. Ospreys select nesting sites of opportunity, from trees and telephone poles to rocks or even flat ground. In the United States they are found from Alaska to Florida and the Gulf Coast. Osprey nests are found throughout the Kennedy Space Center and nearby Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Known as a fish hawk, ospreys often can be seen flying overhead with a fish in their talons.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- One of three osprey fledglings exercises its wings, anticipating flight. The nest is in the NASA News Center parking lot, across from the Vehicle Assembly Building, with its 209-foot-high American flag painted on the south side. Ospreys select nesting sites of opportunity, from trees and telephone poles to rocks or even flat ground. In the United States they are found from Alaska to Florida and the Gulf Coast. Osprey nests are found throughout the Kennedy Space Center and nearby Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Known as a fish hawk, ospreys often can be seen flying overhead with a fish in their talons.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- One of three osprey fledglings exercises its wings, anticipating flight. The nest is in the NASA News Center parking lot, across from the Vehicle Assembly Building, with its 209-foot-high American flag painted on the south side. Ospreys select nesting sites of opportunity, from trees and telephone poles to rocks or even flat ground. In the United States they are found from Alaska to Florida and the Gulf Coast. Osprey nests are found throughout the Kennedy Space Center and nearby Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Known as a fish hawk, ospreys often can be seen flying overhead with a fish in their talons.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A pair of ospreys perform an aerial dance around their nest near the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The bird at right is carrying a fish in its talons, the sole source of its diet. The osprey, also called fish hawk, is well adapted for capturing fish, which make up its entire diet. The soles of the birds' feet are equipped with sharp, spiny projections that give the bird a firm grip on its slippery prey. Nests of ospreys are bulky masses of sticks and debris placed in a tree, on rocks, flat ground or telephone poles. Many nests exist around the Launch Complex 39 Area at the center. The bird is one of more than 500 species of birds that co-exist at the center and the surrounding Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smelgelsky

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – An osprey carries its food in its talons as it flies to its nest near the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The osprey, also called fish hawk, is well adapted for capturing fish, which make up its entire diet. The soles of the birds' feet are equipped with sharp, spiny projections that give the bird a firm grip on its slippery prey. Nests of ospreys are bulky masses of sticks and debris placed in a tree, on rocks, flat ground or telephone poles. Many nests exist around the Launch Complex 39 Area at the center. The bird is one of more than 500 species of birds that co-exist at the center and the surrounding Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smelgelsky

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the osprey prepares to land on a pole with its meal in its talons. The osprey, also called fish hawk, is well adapted for capturing fish, which make up its entire diet. The soles of the birds' feet are equipped with sharp, spiny projections that give the bird a firm grip on its slippery prey. Nests of ospreys are bulky masses of sticks and debris placed in a tree, on rocks, flat ground or telephone poles. Many nests exist around the Launch Complex 39 Area at the center. The bird is one of more than 500 species of birds that co-exist at the center and the surrounding Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smelgelsky

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – An osprey flies high near the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida returning to its nest nearby. The osprey, also called fish hawk, is well adapted for capturing fish, which make up its entire diet. The soles of the birds' feet are equipped with sharp, spiny projections that give the bird a firm grip on its slippery prey. Nests of ospreys are bulky masses of sticks and debris placed in a tree, on rocks, flat ground or telephone poles. Many nests exist around the Launch Complex 39 Area at the center. The bird is one of more than 500 species of birds that co-exist at the center and the surrounding Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smelgelsky

A hawk perches on a tree branch at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Kennedy shares a border with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres of land, water and marshes. Within the refuge, many species of birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians and mammals can be found.

A hawk sits on a tree branch at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Kennedy shares a border with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres of land, water and marshes. Within the refuge, many species of birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians and mammals can be found.

The above-the-fuselage engine and V-tail distinguish one of NASA's two Global Hawk unmanned aircraft parked on the ramp at the Dryden Flight Research Center.

A ground crewman maneuvers one of NASA's Global Hawk unmanned science aircraft into Hangar 4801 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.

In its new white-and-blue NASA livery, an early development model of the Global Hawk unmanned aircraft rests on the ramp at the Dryden Flight Research Center.

This Global Hawk unmanned aircraft is one of two that are used by NASA for Earth science missions and by Northrop Grumman for follow-on developmental testing.

One of NASA's two Global Hawk unmanned aircraft shows off its new blue-and-white livery shortly after being repainted in the Edwards Air Force Base paint hangar.

The bulbous nose of one of NASA's Global Hawk unmanned aircraft sports a blue-and-white paint scheme after repainting in the Edwards Air Force Base paint shop.

One of NASA's Global Hawk unmanned science aircraft displays its bulbous nose while parked on the ramp at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.

NASA's two Global Hawks, one sporting a NASA paint scheme, the other in its prior Air Force livery, are shown on the ramp at the Dryden Flight Research Center.

JPL's HAMSR instrument flew above Hurricane Matthew on Oct. 7 aboard a NASA Global Hawk aircraft. Right: atmospheric temperatures overlaid atop ground-based radar and satellite visible images. Reds are areas without clouds; blues show ice and heavy precipitation. Upper left: Global Hawk visible image. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21094

The bulbous nose of one of NASA's two Global Hawk unmanned high-altitude aircraft houses communications and sensor payloads on Earth science missions.

One of NASA's two Global Hawk high-altitude unmanned science aircraft displays its contours outside its hangar at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center.

One of NASA's two Global Hawk unmanned high-altitude aircraft shows off its blue-and-white livery in front of its hangar at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center.

This image from NASA EarthKAM is of Hawke Bay, one of the 12 local government regions of eastern North Island, New Zealand. It includes larger cities, such as Hastings and Napier.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, noted physicist Stephen Hawking, in the wheelchair, is ready to get onboard a modified Boeing 727 aircraft owned by Zero Gravity Corp. for his first zero-gravity flight. Zero Gravity Corp. is a commercial company licensed to provide the public with weightless flight experiences. At right is Peter Diamandis, founder of the Zero Gravity Corp. Behind Hawking is Nicola O'Brien, a nurse practitioner who is Hawking's aide. Hawking developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease in the 1960s, a type of motor neuron disease which would cost him the loss of almost all neuromuscular control. At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The media surround noted wheelchair-bound physicist Stephen Hawking after his arrival at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility for his first zero-gravity flight. Behind Hawking, at left, is Space Florida president Steve Kohler. In the center, striding toward Hawking, is Zero Gravity Corp. founder Peter Diamandis. The flight will be aboard a modified Boeing 727 aircraft owned by Zero Gravity, a commercial company licensed to provide the public with weightless flight experiences. Hawking developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease in the 1960s, a type of motor neuron disease which would cost him the loss of almost all neuromuscular control. At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, noted physicist Stephen Hawking, in the wheelchair, arrives at the runway for his first zero-gravity flight. The flight will be aboard a modified Boeing 727 aircraft owned by Zero Gravity Corp., a commercial company licensed to provide the public with weightless flight experiences. At left is Peter Diamandis, founder of the Zero Gravity Corp. Behind Hawking is Nicola O'Brien, a nurse practitioner who is Hawking's aide. Hawking developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease in the 1960s, a type of motor neuron disease which would cost him the loss of almost all neuromuscular control. At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A red-tailed hawk hunts for its dinner near the Headquarters Building on NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the United States, the red-tailed hawk is commonly called a "chicken hawk." Kennedy coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1963 as an overlay of the center. The 140,000-acre refuge is habitat to more than 320 species of birds. For more information, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland/. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Gray

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A successful hunting expedition near the Headquarters Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida produces a snake for dinner for this red-tailed hawk. In the United States, the red-tailed hawk is commonly called a "chicken hawk." Kennedy coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1963 as an overlay of the center. The 140,000-acre refuge is habitat to more than 320 species of birds. For more information, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland/. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Gray

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A snake becomes part of the diet of a red-tailed hawk, hunting near the Headquarters Building on NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the United States, the red-tailed hawk is commonly called a "chicken hawk." Kennedy coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1963 as an overlay of the center. The 140,000-acre refuge is habitat to more than 320 species of birds. For more information, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland/. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Gray

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A red-tailed hawk closes in on a snake during its hunting expedition near the Headquarters Building on NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the United States, the red-tailed hawk is commonly called a "chicken hawk." Kennedy coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1963 as an overlay of the center. The 140,000-acre refuge is habitat to more than 320 species of birds. For more information, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland/. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Gray

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A snake makes a fine dinner for a red-tailed hawk, hunting near the Headquarters Building on NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the United States, the red-tailed hawk is commonly called a "chicken hawk." Kennedy coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1963 as an overlay of the center. The 140,000-acre refuge is habitat to more than 320 species of birds. For more information, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland/. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Gray

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Perched on a utility pole at Kennedy Space Center, this hawk-like bird is likely a young Short-Tailed Hawk, whose range is Central to South Florida. Its habitat is chiefly cypress and mangrove swamps. Its diet includes rodents, lizards and insects

QSRA (NASA-715) takeoff and landing trials onboard the USS Kitty Hawk

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, noted physicist Stephen Hawking, in the wheelchair, arrives at the runway for his first zero-gravity flight. The flight will be aboard a modified Boeing 727 aircraft owned by Zero Gravity Corp., a commercial company licensed to provide the public with weightless flight experiences. At left is Peter Diamandis, founder of the Zero Gravity Corp. At center is Nicola O'Brien, a nurse practitioner who is Hawking's aide. Hawking developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease in the 1960s, a type of motor neuron disease which would cost him the loss of almost all neuromuscular control. At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, a modified Boeing 727 aircraft owned by Zero Gravity Corp. is ready to take off with its well-known passenger, physicist Stephen Hawking. Zero Gravity Corp. is a commercial company licensed to provide the public with weightless flight experiences. Hawking will be making his first zero-gravity flight. Hawking developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease in the 1960s, a type of motor neuron disease which would cost him the loss of almost all neuromuscular control. At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, noted physicist Stephen Hawking, in the wheelchair, arrives at the runway for his first zero-gravity flight. The flight will be aboard a modified Boeing 727 aircraft owned by Zero Gravity Corp., a commercial company licensed to provide the public with weightless flight experiences. At left is Peter Diamandis, founder of the Zero Gravity Corp. At center is Nicola O'Brien, a nurse practitioner who is Hawking's aide. Hawking developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease in the 1960s, a type of motor neuron disease which would cost him the loss of almost all neuromuscular control. At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, a modified Boeing 727 aircraft owned by Zero Gravity Corp. takes off with its well-known passenger, physicist Stephen Hawking. Zero Gravity Corp. is a commercial company licensed to provide the public with weightless flight experiences. Hawking will be making his first zero-gravity flight. Hawking developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease in the 1960s, a type of motor neuron disease which would cost him the loss of almost all neuromuscular control. At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Noted physicist Stephen Hawking (center) returns to the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility after a zero gravity flight. At his side is Nicola O'Brien, a nurse practitioner who is Hawking's aide. At far left on the truck's tail gate is Peter Diamandis, founder of the Zero Gravity Corp. that provided the flight aboard its modified Boeing 727. Hawking suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Well-wishers greet noted physicist Stephen Hawking (in the wheelchair) at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility after a zero gravity flight. Next to him at left are Peter Diamandis, founder of the Zero Gravity Corp. that provided the flight aboard its modified Boeing 727, and Nicola O'Brien, a nurse practitioner who is Hawking's aide. Hawking suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Well-wishers greet noted physicist Stephen Hawking (in the wheelchair) at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility after a zero gravity flight. Next to him at left are Peter Diamandis, founder of the Zero Gravity Corp. that provided the flight aboard its modified Boeing 727, and Nicola O'Brien, a nurse practitioner who is Hawking's aide. Hawking suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The media surround noted wheelchair-bound physicist Stephen Hawking after his arrival at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility for his first zero-gravity flight. Behind Hawking, at left, are Zero Gravity Corporation founder Peter Diamandis and Space Florida president Steve Kohler. The flight will be aboard a modified Boeing 727 aircraft owned by Zero G, a commercial company licensed to provide the public with weightless flight experiences. Hawking developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease in the 1960s, a type of motor neuron disease which would cost him the loss of almost all neuromuscular control. At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

The mural was created to celebrate the achievements of Wilbur and Orville Wright and to commemorate a century of powered flight. Central to the composition is the 1903 Wright Flyer. "On Dec. 17, 1903, the Wright brothers inaugurated the aerial age with their successful first flights of a heavier-than-air flying machine at Kitty Hawk, N.C. This airplane, known as the Wright Flyer, sometimes referred to as the Kitty Hawk Flyer, was the product of a sophisticated four-year program of research and development conducted by Wilbur and Orville Wright beginning in 1899. During the Wrights' design and construction of their experimental aircraft, they also pioneered many of the basic tenets and techniques of modern aeronautical engineering, such as the use of a wind tunnel and flight testing as design tools. Their seminal accomplishment encompassed not only the breakthrough first flight of an airplane, but also the equally important achievement of establishing the foundation of aeronautical engineering." Dr. Peter Jakab, Curator of Aviation, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003", documents many significant achievements in aeronautics and space flight from the dawn of powered flight to the present. Historic aircraft and spacecraft serve as the backdrop, highlighting six figures representing the human element that made these milestones possible. These figures stand, symbolically supported by the words of Wilbur Wright, "It is my belief that flight is possible…" The quote was taken from a letter written to his father on September 3rd, 1900, announcing Wilbur's intention to make "some experiments with a flying machine" at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. "This year, Bob is helping us commemorate the Centennial of Flight with a beautiful mural slated for placement in our Dryden Flight Research Center that documents the history of flight from the Wright Flyer to the International Space Station. We should

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A red-tailed hawk, a snake draping from its beak, seeks a quiet place near the Headquarters Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to enjoy its dinner. In the United States, the red-tailed hawk is commonly called a "chicken hawk." Kennedy coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1963 as an overlay of the center. The 140,000-acre refuge is habitat to more than 320 species of birds. For more information, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland/. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Gray

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Noted physicist Stephen Hawking (center) returns to the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility after a zero gravity flight. At far left is Peter Diamandis, founder of the Zero Gravity Corp. that provided the flight aboard its modified Boeing 727. Hawking suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Peter Diamandis (left), founder of the Zero Gravity Corp., and noted physicist Stephen Hawking move away from Zero G's modified Boeing 727 on the runway at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. Hawking enjoyed his first zero gravity flight provided by Zero G. At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A Rough-legged hawk stares at the landscape from a perch in a tree in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. This type of hawk is rarely seen in Florida, ranging from northern Alaska through Manitoba and Newfoundland and wintering from California east to Virginia. The 92,000-acre refuge, which shares a boundary with the Kennedy Space Center, is habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A Rough-legged Hawk fans its wings as it gently lands in a tree in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. This type of hawk is rarely seen in Florida, ranging from northern Alaska through Manitoba and Newfoundland and wintering from California east to Virginia. The 92,000-acre refuge, which shares a boundary with the Kennedy Space Center, is habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. — Noted physicist Stephen Hawking greets the media after his arrival at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility for his first zero-gravity flight. The flight will be aboard a modified Boeing 727 aircraft owned by Zero Gravity Corp., a commercial company licensed to provide the public with weightless flight experiences. Hawking developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease in the 1960s, a type of motor neuron disease which would cost him the loss of almost all neuromuscular control. At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Noted physicist Stephen Hawking arrives at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility for his first zero-gravity flight. The flight will be aboard a modified Boeing 727 aircraft owned by Zero Gravity Corp., a commercial company licensed to provide the public with weightless flight experiences. Hawking developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease in the 1960s, a type of motor neuron disease which would cost him the loss of almost all neuromuscular control. At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, Space Florida president Steve Kohler (left) talks to the media about physicist Stephen Hawking's (in the wheelchair) first zero-gravity flight. The flight will be aboard a modified Boeing 727 aircraft owned by Zero Gravity Corp., a commercial company licensed to provide the public with weightless flight experiences. At right is Peter Diamandis, founder of the Zero Gravity Corp. Hawking developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease in the 1960s, a type of motor neuron disease which would cost him the loss of almost all neuromuscular control. At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This immature red-shouldered hawk on the roadside at Kennedy Space Center appears to be eyeing the photographer. The red-shouldered hawk's range extends from Minnesota and New Brunswick south to the Gulf Coast and on the Pacific Coast from northern California to Baja California. This hawk is often found in lowlands, especially swampy woods and bogs. It feeds on small snakes, frogs, insects and small mammals. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 92,000 acres that are a habitat for more than 331 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. The marshes and open water of the refuge provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl, as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds, as well as a variety of insects.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, Peter Diamandis, founder of the Zero Gravity Corp., talks to the media about physicist Stephen Hawking's (in the wheelchair) first zero-gravity flight. The flight will be aboard a modified Boeing 727 aircraft owned by Zero Gravity Corp., a commercial company licensed to provide the public with weightless flight experiences. Hawking developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease in the 1960s, a type of motor neuron disease which would cost him the loss of almost all neuromuscular control. At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This immature red-shouldered hawk on the roadside at Kennedy Space Center appears to be eyeing the photographer. The red-shouldered hawk's range extends from Minnesota and New Brunswick south to the Gulf Coast and on the Pacific Coast from northern California to Baja California. This hawk is often found in lowlands, especially swampy woods and bogs. It feeds on small snakes, frogs, insects and small mammals. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 92,000 acres that are a habitat for more than 331 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. The marshes and open water of the refuge provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl, as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds, as well as a variety of insects.
Sim Ops 2002 R&D report images; SHARP (Slender Hypersonic Aerodynamic Research Probe) CTV Crew Transfer Vehicle) CGI image created by V Hawke & C Tang (Eloret Corp)

Construction of the new NASA Ames Green Building dubbed Sustainability Base located on the Ames Research Center campus at Moffett Field, CA. Hawk flying over looking for lunch.

Julio Treviño, lead operations engineer for NASA’s Global Hawk SkyRange project, stands in front of an F/A-18 mission support aircraft at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

Students examine the Global Hawk Fairing Load Test at the Experimental Fabrication Shop at NASA’s Armstrong Research Flight Center in Edwards, California. The students are from the engineering club from Palmdale High School in Palmdale, California.

Artists Bob and Louise McCall in their Paradise Valley, Arizona studio, in front of "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight 1903-2003." The mural was created to celebrate the achievements of Wilbur and Orville Wright and to commemorate a century of powered flight. Many of the epic flights represented in the painting took place in the skies over NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. An equally important goal of this celebration is to encourage the values that have characterized 100 years of aviation history: ingenuity, inventiveness, persistence, creativity and courage. These values hold true not just for pioneers of flight, but also for all pioneers of invention and innovation, and they will remain an important part of America's future. "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003", documents many significant achievements in aeronautics and space flight from the dawn of powered flight to the present. Historic aircraft and spacecraft serve as the backdrop, highlighting six figures representing the human element that made these milestones possible. These figures stand, symbolically supported by the words of Wilbur Wright, "It is my belief that flight is possible…" The quote was taken from a letter written to his father on September 3rd, 1900, announcing Wilbur's intention to make "some experiments with a flying machine" at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. "This year, Bob is helping us commemorate the Centennial of Flight with a beautiful mural slated for placement in our Dryden Flight Research Center that documents the history of flight from the Wright Flyer to the International Space Station. We should all take note, I think, that in the grand scheme of things, one hundred years is a very short period of time. In that blink of an eye we've gone from Kitty Hawk to Tranquility Base and now look forward to our rovers traversing the surface of Mars. Despite the challenges we face, the future we envision, like the future depicted in the artwork of Bo

Artist Bob McCall signs the Centennial of Flight Mural in his Paradise Valley, Arizona Studio. The mural was created to celebrate the achievements of Wilbur and Orville Wright and to commemorate a century of powered flight. Many of the epic flights represented in the painting took place in the skies over NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. An equally important goal of this celebration is to encourage the values that have characterized 100 years of aviation history: ingenuity, inventiveness, persistence, creativity and courage. These values hold true not just for pioneers of flight, but also for all pioneers of invention and innovation, and they will remain an important part of America's future. "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003", documents many significant achievements in aeronautics and space flight from the dawn of powered flight to the present. Historic aircraft and spacecraft serve as the backdrop, highlighting six figures representing the human element that made these milestones possible. These figures stand, symbolically supported by the words of Wilbur Wright, "It is my belief that flight is possible…" The quote was taken from a letter written to his father on September 3rd, 1900, announcing Wilbur's intention to make "some experiments with a flying machine" at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. "This year, Bob is helping us commemorate the Centennial of Flight with a beautiful mural slated for placement in our Dryden Flight Research Center that documents the history of flight from the Wright Flyer to the International Space Station. We should all take note, I think, that in the grand scheme of things, one hundred years is a very short period of time. In that blink of an eye we've gone from Kitty Hawk to Tranquility Base and now look forward to our rovers traversing the surface of Mars. Despite the challenges we face, the future we envision, like the future depicted in the artwork of Bob McCall, is a future of boundless possibility. "

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This young red-shouldered hawk perches on a roadside pole inside NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The habitat of these hawks is deciduous woodlands, especially near standing water, frequently found in lowlands such as swampy woods and bogs. They range throughout the eastern half of the United States. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island Wildlife Nature Refuge. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the Refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

The Moon tree, planted on July 20, 2004 at NASA Stennis, is a descendant of seeds carried to the Moon and back by the late Apollo 14 astronaut and longtime Mississippi Coast resident, Stuart Roosa, as he orbited the Moon in the command module, “Kitty Hawk.”

iss070e015193 (Oct. 29, 2023) --- The gleaming Atlantic coast of North Carolina, from the cities of Kitty Hawk (far left) to Wilmington (far right), is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 261 miles above the eastern United States.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- An osprey perches on a treetop at Kennedy Space Center. This long-winged "fish hawk" inhabits lakes, rivers and seacoasts, surviving solely on fish which it captures from the water, grasping them in its talons when they near the surface. They range from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida and the Gulf Coast

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This Red-Shouldered Hawk, perched on a utility pole at Kennedy Space Center, keeps an eye out for prey. Ranging from Central to South Florida, its diet includes rodents, lizards and insects. Its habitat is chiefly cypress and mangrove swamps

Bob Mccall and NASA Dryden Director Kevin Petersen stand by "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003", in the artist's studio in Paradise Valley, Arizona. The mural was created to celebrate the achievements of Wilbur and Orville Wright and to commemorate a century of powered flight. Many of the epic flights represented in the painting took place in the skies over NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. An equally important goal of this celebration will be to encourage the values that have characterized 100 years of aviation history: ingenuity, inventiveness, persistence, creativity and courage. These values hold true not just for pioneers of flight, but also for all pioneers of invention and innovation, and they will remain an important part of America's future. "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003", documents many significant achievements in aeronautics and space flight from the dawn of powered flight to the present. Historic aircraft and spacecraft serve as the backdrop, highlighting six figures representing the human element that made these milestones possible. These figures stand, symbolically supported by the words of Wilbur Wright, "It is my belief that flight is possible…" The quote was taken from a letter written to his father on September 3rd, 1900, announcing Wilbur's intention to make "some experiments with a flying machine" at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. "This year, Bob is helping us commemorate the Centennial of Flight with a beautiful mural slated for placement in our Dryden Flight Research Center that documents the history of flight from the Wright Flyer to the International Space Station. We should all take note, I think, that in the grand scheme of things, one hundred years is a very short period of time. In that blink of an eye we've gone from Kitty Hawk to Tranquility Base and now look forward to our rovers traversing the surface of Mars. Despite the challenges we face, the future we envision, like the fu

JPL's High-Altitude Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR) instrument captured this look inside Hurricane Matthew's spiral clouds on Oct. 7, 2016, flying on a NASA Global Hawk unmanned aircraft. Red colors show cloud bands without precipitation; blues show rain bands. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21093