Today in Space

NASA bids a fond farewell to the Spirit Mars Exploration Rover which last communicated with Earth on May 22nd. The last attempt to reach the long-lived rover will occur on Wednesday, according to NASA officials. Previously, no communication has been received from Spirit since Sol 2210 (March 22, 2010). Spirit travelled over 7,730.50 meters (4.80 miles).during the course of her five-year life on Mars. Her mission was originally designed to last 90 days. Spirit's twin Opportunity is still carrying out her active Martian exploration. The next generation Mars Rover dubbed 'Curiosity' is slated to launch in November.

The fireball viewed over Macon, Ga on May 20th was tracked by two NASA all sky cameras, one located in Chickamauga, Ga., and the other at the Tellus Science Museum in the town of Cartersville, Ga. Analysis of the video data from these cameras enabled the Meteoroid Environment Office to estimate the trajectory, speed, mass and orbit of the meteor. More information on these cameras and a log of recent meteor events can be found at: http://fireballs.ndc.nasa.gov.

NASA's administrator Charles Bolden announced today that the next spacecraft to take humans into deep space will be based on designs originally planned for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle. Those plans now will be used to develop a new spacecraft known as the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV). Lockheed Martin Corp. will continue working to develop the MPCV for a manned launch in 2016 under the provisions of the NASA Authorization Act of 2010. The spacecraft will carry four astronauts for 21-day missions and be able to land in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast.

Today's Moon Phase

Atlanta's Sky Tonight

Satellite Sighting: Where is the International Space Station now?

Send your Face in Space onboard NASA's last shuttle mission.