Results tagged “johnsonspacecenter”

Houstonist is bringing you some of our favorite recently uploaded YouTube videos that take place in or focus on Houston, whether they're fun, serious or silly. If you'd like to suggest a Houston-related video for the next edition of HouTube, shoot us an email. Today's edition: a science experiment, more nonprofits on the social media scene and more!

If you are looking for someway to enjoy the outdoors this weekend, check out the 2007 Ballunar Festival in Clear Lake at the Johnson Space Center. The festival started in 1993, when Steve Lombardi (head balloon pilot for RE/MAX) wanted to celebrate the 200th anniversary of man’s first flight at the location of today’s most technologically advanced flight operations. 14 years later the Ballunar Festival is still going strong, with over 60 Balloons registered...

More people made it through last month in Houston than last April, according to unofficial HPD statistics. This April recorded 30 homicides, compared to last year's 31. That brings the 2007 total to 119, also down from last year's 123. Within that number, only about 2 each month involved Katrina evacuees, compared to the 20% of last year's total number. But every silver lining has its dark cloud. While the number of homicides has decreased...

You've probably never thought that building training equipment for astronauts is so easy that high school students could do it. Turns out, though, that it is. Several Houston high school students were given the opportunity by NASA to help build equipment that will be used to train International Space Station crews. The program, High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware (HUNCH), was created by a Johnson Space Center engineer who wanted to create...

Good morning, Houston. We're happy to report that we've found out the AIA and Google have combined two of our favorite things: architecture and Google Earth. Now there's a Google Earth layer featuring 3-D models of some of the structures on the AIA's list of America's favorite architecture, which brings desktop tourism to a whole new level. Among the buildings on the AIA layer: Pennzoil Place, the Astrodome and the Williams Tower, the three...

William Phillips, 60, is the accused perpetrator of the murder-suicide at Johnson Space Center last Friday. Phillips, a JSC employee who feared being fired after a poor performance review, smuggled a revolver into the building and barricaded himself with his hostage. The security team at the space center had reassessed their security procedures in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings prior to this incident. The reassessment found that no major changes were needed, but...

The gunman who caused an evacuation at Johnson Space Center's Building 44 earlier today killed a hostage before killing himself, the New York Times is reporting. The gunman somehow got a revolver past security and barricaded himself in the building, which contains communication and tracking equipment for space shuttles. The gunman has been identified as William Phillips, 60. David Beverley, the dead hostage, who was shot in the chest, was a civil servant who worked...

Building 44 at NASA's Johnson Space Center has been evacuated this afternoon because of reports of gunshots and an armed man in the building. KPRC reports that the alleged gunman has been confirmed as working for Jacobs Engineering, a NASA subcontracter.

Good morning, Houston. If anyone out there's looking for a show idea to pitch to MTV, may we suggest The Real World: Monsatery? Based on the statements of Hugh Brian Fallon, a monk from Blanco, The Christ of the Hills monastery would fit right in with the Real World drama: Fallon told authorities that fellow monk Samuel Greene encouraged sex among the monks, offered people marijuana when they were having problems and faked tears...

Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink. Looking back, Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 18th century poem may have been a bit progressive. As the world rallies around water preservation this month, Houston is doing our part, to make sure our H20 stays safe. Starting tomorrow (Friday) morning, the Dow Chemical Company, in partnership with the Blue Planet Run Foundation are sponsoring a 36-hour, 240-mile, overnight relay event around the Houston area to help raise...

So let's be honest: All weekend, you were sitting around thinking, "Sure, I'd like to know who the father of Anna Nicole's daughter is, but what I really wonder is: What's going on with Lisa Nowak?" Fortunately, the media provided a heathy dose of astronaut-related updates over the weekend. Here's what you might have missed: On Thursday, some friends had dropped by Nowak's Clear Lake home for a visit, according to an AP report carried...

Astronaut Lisa Marie Nowak, who's a household name today after news broke about her plan to confront — or, police say, to kill — another woman, is back in Houston this morning as details emerge about what might have driven her to make a cross-country trip armed with a knife, rubber tubing and a BB gun.

Sure, the space shuttle is going to be retired soon, but that doesn't mean NASA's astronauts won't keep us entertained — assuming, that is, that they keep giving us news like Lisa Marie Nowak. Nowak, you might know, is the Johnson Space Center-based astronaut who was arrested yesterday in Orlando, accused of attacking an Air Force captain in one of those bizarre love triangles we've heard about.

Face it. You've been wanting to go treasure hunting ever since you saw the Goonies chasing One-eyed Willy's loot and running from the Fratelli's. Don't lie or we'll make you do the truffle shuffle.

A couple of weeks ago, Houstonist told you about your chance to vote for what Houston landmark should end up on the Monopoly board. And as we were reminded today, voting ends tomorrow, so be sure to get your two cents in while you still can. Here's the skinny: This summer, a Monopoly Here & Now version will come out with a game board featuring places from 22 cities. At the Monopoly website, you can...

Ever wished something in Houston was on the Monopoly board? Now's your chance to make that happen: Through May 12, the folks at Hasbro are taking votes for properties on the Monopoly Here & Now version, which will come out late this summer. Voters can pick properties for the board from a list of landmarks in 22 cities — their placement will depend on the number of votes they get. In Houston, the choices...

A 15-year-old Cy-Creek student was killed last night when a friend shot him with a gun he thought wasn't loaded Van Gundy to Rockets: Stop making excuses, start playing better Local horse riders are bristling over a new law prohibiting riding on Houston's esplanades The Astros signed closer Brad Lidge and reliever Dan Wheeler to one-year deals NASA's Stardust capsule arrived at the Johnson Space Center today, where scientists will take a first look at...

When Houstonist was little, we took frequent school field trips to NASA's Johnson Space Center. That was before the flashy Disney visitors center — back then, they'd herd us into a circa-1962 wood-paneled conference room and tell us about how space shuttles were going to allow us to kick Soviet butt. Then they'd bring out a tiny fragment of moon rock and make a big deal about how we couldn't touch it. That led to...

It's no secret that Houston and the New York media have had a love/hate relationship over the years — well, OK, mostly hate. So we were interested to see what the NY Times said in yesterday's 36 Hour travel feature on Houston — and it seems writer Dan Halpern actually got it: Houston doesn't have a clear-cut positive reputation, like Austin (the laid-back slacker capital), or even a good nickname, like Dallas (Big D)....