ELV Update
SIRTF was mated to the Boeing Delta II rocket on Saturday. There will then be an interface verification test to assure that electrical and mechanical connections have been properly established, followed by a spacecraft state of health check. Launch is on track for April 18. GALEX will be re-mated to the Pegasus on Monday, April 14. A flight simulation will follow and the fairing will be installed around GALEX April 14. Launch is now targeted for April 26.

ISS Spacewalk Today
International Space Station crew members, Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit, will be undertaking a spacewalk today. The 6½-hour spacewalk is scheduled to begin about 8:30 a.m. EDT, with NASA Television coverage slated to start at 7 a.m. Spacewalk tasks include reconfiguring power connections, providing a second power source for one of the Station's control moment gyroscopes, securing thermal covers on quick disconnect fittings for the Station's thermal control system, and releasing a light stanchion on one of the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) carts.

Take a spin on the Segway Human Transporter during EEAW
Come to the Environmental Policy Booth during Environmental and Energy Awareness Week, April 22-23, and sign up to drive a Segway (HT). What is it you say? It is the first self-balancing, electric-powered transportation device. The device is narrower than a standard doorway and is clean and quiet. There are zero emissions. With dimensions no larger than the average adult body and the ability to emulate human balance, the Segway HT uses the same space as a pedestrian, and can go wherever a person can walk. The Segway HT will allow people at home and at work to go farther, move more quickly, and increase the amount they can carry anywhere they currently walk.

For commercial settings, it is ideally suited for large-scale manufacturing plants and warehousing operations, travel and tourism, public safety, corporate and campus transportation, as well as mail, package and product delivery.

NASA Science News
Last week astronauts onboard the International Space Station studied strange magnetic fluids that might one day flow in the veins of robots, silence noisy appliances, help buildings resist earthquakes, and much more. Read the full story at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/02apr_robotblood.htm.

Reminder
Chili Cookoff Entries for the 2003 All-American Picnic are due by Friday, April 11, and there will be a meeting of the teams sometime thereafter to work out the details and review the rules. Entries are limited to the first 15 teams and each should be sponsored by a KSC or CCAFS organization. For the Official Rules & Entry Form go to the Web site http://kscpicnic.ksc.nasa.gov/food.htm or e-mail John.T.Jackson-2@nasa.gov for a copy.