NASA Digest, Vol 50, Issue 6

	July 21, 2017  MEDIA ADVISORY M17-086 NASA Television Coverage Set for Next International Space Station Crew Launch Expedition 52 flight engineers Paolo Nespoli of ESA, left, Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos, and Randy Bresnik of NASA pose for a photograph outside the Soyuz simulator. Credits: NASA/ Bill Ingalls Three new crew members for the International Space Station are scheduled to launch on Friday, July 28. Live launch coverage will begin at 10:45 a.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency's website. NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of ESA (European Space Agency) will launch at 11:41 a.m. (9:41 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Expedition 52/53 crew will spend more than four months together aboard the orbital complex before returning to Earth in December. Video of prelaunch activities from the crew's activities in Baikonur will air July 24-27 on NASA TV. After launching, the trio will travel for six hours in the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft before docking to the space station's Rassvet module at 6 p.m. NASA TV coverage of the docking will begin at 5:15 p.m. Hatches between the Soyuz and station will open at approximately 7:40 p.m. The arriving crew will be welcomed onboard by Expedition 52 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos and Flight Engineers Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer of NASA. Coverage of hatch opening and welcoming ceremonies will begin at 7 p.m. The soon-to-be six crew members of Expedition 52 will continue work on hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science aboard the International Space Station. Keep up with the International Space Station, and its research and crews, at: https://www.nasa.gov/station Get breaking news, images and features from the station on Instagram and Twitter at: http://instagram.com/iss and https://twitter.com/Space_Station
	Press Contacts Kathryn Hambleton Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 kathryn.hambleton@nasa.gov Dan Huot Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 daniel.g.huot@nasa.gov

	July 21, 2017  RELEASE 17-063 NASA Recommends Safety Tips to View the August Solar Eclipse A total solar eclipse, which is when the Moon completely covers the Sun, will occur across 14 states in the continental U.S. on Aug 21, 2017. Credits: NASA More than 300 million people in the United States potentially could directly view the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse, and NASA wants everyone who will witness this celestial phenomenon to do so safely. That Monday, a partial eclipse will be visible in every state. A total solar eclipse, which is when the Moon completely covers the Sun, will occur across 14 states in the continental U.S. along a 70-mile-wide (112-kilometer-wide) swath of the country. It's common sense not to stare directly at the Sun with your naked eyes or risk damaging your vision, and that advice holds true for a partially eclipsed Sun. But, only with special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, you can safely look directly at the Sun.  NASA recommends that people who plan to view the eclipse should check the safety authenticity of viewing glasses to ensure they meet basic proper safety viewing standards. Eclipse viewing glasses and handheld solar viewers should meet all the following criteria: ·      Have certification information with a designated ISO 12312-2 international standard ·      Have the manufacturer's name and address printed somewhere on the product ·      Not be used if they are older than three years, or have scratched or wrinkled lenses ·      Not use homemade filters, or be substituted for ordinary sunglasses -- not even very dark ones -- because they are not safe for looking directly at the Sun "While NASA isn't trying to be the eclipse safety glasses 'police,' it's our duty to inform the public about safe ways to view what should be a spectacular sky show for the entire continental United States," said Alex Young, associate director for science in the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "It's important that individuals take the responsibility to check they have the proper solar eclipse viewing glasses. With the eclipse a month away today, it's prudent to practice ahead of time." An alternative method for safe viewing of the partially-eclipsed Sun is with a pinhole projector. With this method, sunlight streams through a small hole – such as a pencil hole in a piece of paper, or even the space between your fingers – onto a makeshift screen, such as a piece of paper or the ground. It's important to only watch the screen, not the Sun. Never look at the Sun through the pinhole -- it is not safe. NASA has coordinated with medical and science professionals to provide additional safety information. For details, visit: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety More than 6,800 libraries across the U.S. are distributing safety-certified glasses. Many are working with scientists to hold viewing events and activities before and during the eclipse. For a listing of participating libraries, visit: https://www.starnetlibraries.org/2017eclipse NASA Television is offering a special live program, "Eclipse Across America: Through the Eyes of NASA" with real-time coverage of the event from coast to coast. The nearly four-hour program will include unprecedented images of the Aug. 21 eclipse from numerous spacecraft -- including the International Space Station – high-altitude aircraft and balloons, and ground observations. Each will offer a unique vantage point for the eclipse. Additionally, the broadcast will include live coverage of activities in parks, libraries, stadiums, festivals and museums across the nation, and on social media. To watch the Aug. 21 NASA TV eclipse broadcast online and access interactive web content and views of the eclipse from these assets, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/eclipselive
	Press Contacts Dwayne Brown / Laurie Cantillo Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 / 202-358-1077 dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov / laura.l.cantillo@nasa.gov Karen Fox Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 301-286-6284 karen.c.fox@nasa.gov