In the News: UFO Alert Ratings, NASA Awards & Shuttle On Hold.

National UFO Alert Rating: California, Texas top sightings list

By Roger Marsh
UFO Examiner

The National UFO ALERT Rating System has been updated May 1, 2011, with California and Texas retaining a UFO Alert 3 as the two highest reporting states during the month of April 2011, filed with the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON). Michigan, Arizona and Pennsylvania were placed in a UFO Alert 4 with 13 or more cases reported in April. Florida and Indiana have been designated "Watch States" - each with 11 or more cases.

MUFON released April statistics May 1, where the total number of reported UFO sightings are listed by state. The UFO Examiner uses these statistics to rate states. The entire country was moved back to the lowest alert level - UFO Alert 5.

California was the leading UFO report state again this month - with 46 cases - up from 45 last month - and remains in the UFO Alert 3 status with Texas, 24 reports.

Those states with 13 or more reports, the next reporting tier level, are a UFO Alert 4 status: Michigan, 19; Arizona, 13; and Pennsylvania, 13.

While all other states move to a UFO Alert 5 status, we are also moving the following states into our Watch Group: Florida, 12 reports; and Indiana, 11 reports.

The most interesting UFO reports do not necessarily come from high reporting states - but those states with higher numbers do account for some of the most interesting evidence to study. While UFO sightings seem to pop up randomly around the country, this list is meant to offer a small insight into where Americans are filing reports.

Read More

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NASA Awards Cooperative Agreement for Solar-Heliospheric Science Center

GREENBELT, Md., May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA has awarded a Cooperative Agreement to the Catholic University of America (CUA) to establish a science center for collaborative research in Solar-Heliospheric Sciences at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

The total value of the agreement is estimated at $8,542,928, for the period of May 9, 2011 through May 8, 2016, with the ability to extend for an additional 5 years if deemed appropriate by the Government.

Catholic University, Washington, D.C. will play a key role in conceiving new space-based missions, providing mission requirements and conducting research that explains the behavior of the Sun, the interplanetary medium, the local interstellar medium, and the interactions and couplings among these physical regimes.

Under this agreement, CUA and NASA Goddard scientists will cooperatively carry out observational, experimental, and theoretical research in support of NASA's strategic Heliophysics science objectives.

For more information about NASA and agency Educational programs, visit:

http://education.nasa.gov

SOURCE NASA

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Endeavour's Final Flight On Hold

Sorry kids, Endeavour's 25th and final mission will not launch until May 10th, at the earliest. A faulty electronic switch box may be to blame.

When heaters on a fuel line feeding part of the shuttle's hydraulic power system failed to turn on, NASA "pulled the plug", fearing that the problem could lead to a fire during flight.

Read the story here.


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Note: And they awarded how much to the Catholic University of America?  My, my.

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