Help Choose NASA’s ‘Greatest Hits’

April 14, 2009 —Music lovers seldom agree on the greatest hits of any decade. But NASA is hoping space lovers can come to a consensus on the agency’s most important contributions over five decades to exploring Earth and improving the way we live on our home planet. NASA is inviting the public to vote online on its “Greatest Hits” as part of its celebration of Earth Day on April 22. Voting continues through 4 p.m. EDT on April 21. Poll results will be announced on NASA's Web site the following day. Click here to cast your votes. A 2008 National Research Council study identified major accomplishments resulting from Earth observations made from space. The report, "Earth Observations from Space: The First 50 Years of Scientific Achievements," cataloged scientific discoveries and practical applications, including many made possible from satellite observations. NASA selected 10 accomplishments highlighted in the study for consideration as the greatest achievements about planet Earth. The options include diagnosing Earth's ozone layer, predicting food shortages and tracking ecosystems worldwide. Visitors to the online polling site will be able to cast their votes for up to three accomplishments. Since the launch of the United States' first satellite in January 1958, NASA has explored our home planet from space. With more than a dozen observation satellites circling the globe, NASA continues to advance the frontiers of scientific discovery about Earth, its climate and its future.

Hurricane Katrina, 2005, NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, Photo credit: NASA Antarctica's Larsen B Ice Shelf, 2002; NASA's Terra, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer; Ted Scambos, National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado. Photo credit: NASA

• 2010 - 03/10 - WASP Finally Get Their Due
• 2010 - 03/10 - Students Compete in Great Moonbuggy Race
• 2010 - 03/09 - Celebrate Female Flyer Centennial by Paying it Forward
• 2010 - 02/25 - Babbitt Presents Former Dropouts With Flight Certificates
• 2010 - 02/23 - Endeavour Safely Home After Night Landing