The Johnson Space Center is the home of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory, where samples collected during the Apollo mission are stored.

The first space flight that utilized the new 'Mission Control Center' was Gemini IV.

The Johnson Space Center was established in 1963 as the Manned Spacecraft Center.

Hubble's two mirrors were ground so that they do not deviate from a perfect curve by more than 1/800,000th of an inch. If Hubble's primary mirror were scaled up to the diameter of the Earth, the biggest bump would be only six inches tall.

NASA named the world's first space-based optical telescope after American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble (1889—1953). Dr. Hubble confirmed an "expanding" universe, which provided the foundation for the Big Bang theory.

Among its many discoveries, Hubble has revealed the age of the universe to be about 13 to 14 billion years, much more accurate than the old range of anywhere from 10 to 20 billion years. Hubble played a key role in the discovery of dark energy, a mysterious force that causes the expansion of the universe to accelerate.

Hubble can't observe the Sun or Mercury, which is too close to the Sun.

In order to take images of distant, faint objects, Hubble must be extremely steady and accurate. The telescope is able to lock onto a target without deviating more than 7/1000th of an arcsecond, or about the width of a human hair seen at a distance of 1 mile.

Hubble transmits about 120 gigabytes of science data every week. That's equal to about 3,600 feet (1,097 meters) of books on a shelf. The rapidly growing collection of pictures and data is stored on magneto-optical disks.

STS-131 will be only the third mission in the Space Shuttle program to carry three female astronauts (Missions STS-40 and STS-96 were the first and the second), and will mark the first time that two Japanese astronauts (Naoko Yamazaki and Soichi Noguchi) have been in space together.

STS-131 will be the first flight for former classroom teacher Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger.

This will be the final Space Shuttle mission that contains one or more "rookie" astronauts; the missions after this will have all-veteran crews.

Discovery will remain in orbit for 13 days on STS-131.

There are three Multi-Purpose Logistic Modules (MLPMs). They were built by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and named "Leonardo", Donatello", and "Raffaello".

Discovery will launch with the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module "Leonardo". After STS-133, a modified "Leonardo" will remain behind for extra volume on the ISS.

The central Florida area receives more lightning strikes than any other place in the U.S., causing NASA to spend millions of dollars to avoid strikes during launches.

Yes, the names of the Multi-Purpose Logistic Modules are the same as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! The logo features one of the TMNTs (with permission of the copyright holder)!

Robert Cabana, the current director of Kennedy Space center, is an astronaut who has flown four missions on the Space Shuttle.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is visited by 1.5 million guests each year.

There is only one Launch Complex at Kennedy Space Center. LC 39 has two launch pads, Pad A and Pad B.

Kennedy Space Center was built on the site originally called the Merritt Island Launch Area (MILA). There is a school nearby named Mila Elementary School.

The NextGen-Airspace Project develops fundamental concepts and integrated solutions to define and assess allocation of ground and air automation concepts and technologies needed for the NextGen.

Because every airport is a unique environment, the NextGen-Airportal Project develops and evaluates computer-based tools and technologies to identify solutions that can be used at airports of different sizes and capacities.

The NextGen-Airportal Project is developing innovative solutions for improving mobility and increasing throughput in the airport and terminal areas to meet NextGen capacity needs. Gates, taxiways, runways and the airspace near the airport are the domains of NextGen-Airportal.

NASA conducts cutting-edge, fundamental research in traditional and emerging disciplines to help transform the nation's air transportation system, and to support future air and space vehicles.

The NextGen-Airspace Project develops and explores fundamental concepts and integrated solutions that address the optimal allocation of ground and air automation technologies necessary for the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen.

The NextGen-Airspace Project has established six Research Focus Areas in which revolutionary concepts, capabilities, and technologies will be developed, tested and simulated in the lab and, where appropriate, demonstrated in a relevant environment.