News briefs: April 18
Posted: Fri, Apr 19, 2002, 9:04 AM ET (1304 GMT)
- The former chief of staff of the US Air Force gave the military a grade of "B" in its work to improve its space efforts. Ron Fogleman, during a speech at the National Space Symposium last week, said that the current administration is carrying out many of the recommendations made in January 2001 by a commission led by Donald Rumsfeld. Fogleman acknowledged that not all of them have been carried out in part because the administration has been "distracted" by the war on terrorism.
- James Martin, the former manager of NASA's Viking missions to Mars, passed away April 14 at the age of 81. Martin served at NASA from 1964 to 1976, working on the Lunar Orbiter and Viking missions, and also worked at Republic Aviation and Martin Marietta. He came out of retirement in 2000 to serve on an independent panel that reviewed NASA's Mars exploration program.
- A new 3-D IMAX movie about the International Space Station will open to the public on Friday. "Space Station", narrated by Tom Cruise, is the first 3-D IMAX film to be shot in space. It will be shown initially in 24 theaters nationwide. The film had its gala premiere Wednesday at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.
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