NASA announced Thursday
that members of the general public from around the world will have a chance
to suggest a new name for the cutting edge Gamma-ray Large Area Space
Telescope, otherwise known as GLAST, observatory before it launches in
mid-2008. The satellite will observe some of the most powerful forces known
in the universe.
"The idea is to give people a chance to come up with a name that will
fully engage the public in the GLAST mission," said Steve Ritz, the
mission's project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, Md.
The mission's scientific objectives are to:
- Explore the most extreme environments in the universe, where nature
harnesses energies far beyond anything possible on Earth
- Search for signs of new laws of physics and what composes the
mysterious dark matter
- Explain how black holes accelerate immense jets of material to
nearly light speed
- Help crack the mysteries of the stupendously powerful explosions
known as gamma-ray bursts
- Answer long-standing questions about a broad range of phenomena,
including solar flares, pulsars and the origin of cosmic rays
"We're looking for name suggestions that will capture the excitement of
GLAST's mission and call attention to gamma-ray and high-energy astronomy.
We are looking for something memorable to commemorate this spectacular new
astronomy mission," said Alan Stern, associate administrator for Science at
NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We hope someone will come up with a name
that is catchy, easy to say and will help make the satellite and its
mission a topic of dinner table and classroom discussion."
Suggestions for the mission's new name can be an acronym, but it is not
a requirement. Any suggestions for naming the telescope after a scientist
may only include names of deceased scientists whose names are not already
used for other NASA missions. All suggestions will be considered. The
period for accepting names closes on March 31, 2008. Participants must
include a statement of 25 words or less about why their suggestion would be
a strong name for the mission. Multiple suggestions are encouraged.
To submit a suggestion for the mission name, visit: http://glast.sonoma.edu/glastname
Anyone who drops a name into the "Name That Satellite!" suggestion box
on the Web page can choose to receive a "Certificate of Participation" via
return e-mail. Participants also may choose to receive the NASA press
release announcing the new mission name. The announcement is expected
approximately 60 days after launch of the telescope.
NASA's GLAST mission is an astrophysics and particle physics
partnership, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy,
along with important contributions from academic institutions and partners
in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and the U.S.
Source: NASA
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