2008 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
2008 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
2008 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
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Media,<br />
Education &<br />
Outreach<br />
<strong>NASA</strong> Earth <strong>Science</strong> activities<br />
continue to generate a high<br />
level of interest by the media<br />
and general public, and the<br />
<strong>Airborne</strong> <strong>Science</strong> <strong>Program</strong><br />
often finds itself at the front line of this<br />
interest. This is due not only to the curiosity<br />
we all have about understanding the state<br />
of the planet, but also in the tangible, and<br />
visceral, appeal aircraft and aviation have on<br />
the public. To support and respond to this<br />
interest, the airborne team actively works with<br />
the public affairs offices at the <strong>NASA</strong> centers<br />
and Headquarters to prepare and distribute<br />
press releases, conduct press conferences and<br />
interviews, and update public access web sites,<br />
so that the science data and operations are<br />
accessible to both the scientific community<br />
and the public. Moreover, we continuously<br />
reach out to the local communities, wherever<br />
our travels may take us, to show them what<br />
<strong>NASA</strong> is doing and how the unique scientific<br />
assets at our disposal are contributing to the<br />
study of our planet.<br />
Media<br />
As in past years, media coverage of airborne<br />
science was significant and included television,<br />
radio, internet, and newspaper stories, not<br />
to mention a couple of fascinating “from the<br />
field” blogs. There are now even ‘You Tube’<br />
videos posted from the cockpits of several of<br />
the <strong>NASA</strong> planes. Coverage was particularly<br />
intensive for the ARCTAS mission and the<br />
California wildfire support flights.<br />
<strong>NASA</strong> issued two press releases for<br />
ARCTAS, one in April and one in June. In<br />
addition, press events and interviews were<br />
conducted during both deployments, which<br />
generated a lot of coverage. In the U.S.,<br />
articles on the mission appeared in the<br />
New York Times, Washington Post, Christian<br />
<strong>Science</strong> Monitor, <strong>Science</strong> Daily, the Anchorage<br />
Daily News, and the St. Louis Post Dispatch.<br />
In Canada, several TV and radio interviews<br />
were conducted, including an interview for<br />
the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation<br />
(CBC) North Radio One from Yellowknife<br />
in the Northwest Territories. Due to the<br />
concern regarding fires during the summer,<br />
and the importance for protection of<br />
people and property, coverage by CBC, was<br />
especially extensive. In addition to Canada,<br />
news articles were also published in several<br />
countries, including Mexico, Nicaragua,<br />
Germany, Austria, and Italy (Fig. 48, p. 109).<br />
Coverage of the California wildfires was<br />
also extensive. Visits to <strong>NASA</strong> Ames by<br />
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger<br />
and Director of Homeland Security Michael<br />
Chertoff were covered by nearly every<br />
Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area<br />
107