2008 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program

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