Those in health care industry say valley jobs are still growing

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The conventional wisdom long has been that health jobs always are going to be in demand because people always are going to get sick.

Through the recession, the health care industry fared better than many others both nationally and in the Central Valley. In Stanislaus County, the number of health care jobs has grown every year since 2009.

While hiring has slowed, especially in the past year, many in the field see it poised to continue to grow and possibly thrive as President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act begins to take effect.

"We have seen a slowdown, we have seen some students have to go outside of acute-care facilities," said Lisa Riggs, director of the associate degree nursing program at Modesto Junior College. "But there are jobs. Jobs in long-term care, in clinics, some of them go to the jails or the prisons. People are getting jobs in a variety of areas, not simply in the larger hospitals."

Riggs said that before the recession, it took about four to five months for all the students from the program to find employment after graduation. Now it takes about a year for all of the graduating class to find work.

Modesto resident E.C. Mitchell made a career switch to health care recently after 20-plus years as an auto mechanic. Since graduating in April, the 41-year-old was hired as a registered nurse at Doctors Medical Center, his first choice.

"I was sure hoping I would find something, but I know it's not as easy to find work as it was even two years ago," said Mitchell, who started work in July. "Sometimes you do have to go a little further out or do something else from what you ideally have in mind. But there are jobs out there."

Mitchell, who was his class representative at MJC, said of the 63 who graduated with him, only a handful still are searching for work. Others found jobs at Doctors, Memorial Medical Center and nursing facilities like Casa de Modesto and Evergreen Nursing & Rehabilitation Care Center.

In the past four years, the health care industry had added almost 2,000 jobs in Stanislaus County. A lot of the growth came from the opening of the Kaiser Modesto Medical Center in October 2008.

Corwin Harper, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente Central Valley Service Area, said the new hospital has added more than 600 staff and more than 100 doctors since opening, bringing the total number of employees close to 1,000.

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Those in health care industry say valley jobs are still growing

60% TStorms

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Governor Mike Beebe's Weekly Column and Radio Address: Bold Steps for Better Patient Care

In the past week, a new federal pilot program, called the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative, was introduced in eight states, including Arkansas. Under this program, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will pay incentives to 66 primary-care medical practices in Arkansas to support enhanced, coordinated services. At the same time, private, state, and other federal insurance plans will offer their own bonuses to these same doctors.

To receive these incentives, primary-care physicians must provide increased services to their patients. These services include longer and more flexible hours and the use of electronic health records. Doctors will also be expected to coordinate care with the patients' other health-care providers to eliminate duplicate or unnecessary procedures. These doctors will also encourage their patients to become more involved in their own care. Finally, physicians or health-care professionals must also provide individualized, enhanced care for patients living with multiple chronic diseases and complex medical needs. There are about 50,000 Arkansans on federal insurance plans already being treated through these practices.

This federal program shares our state goal of achieving improved, more affordable health care. This is why we think Arkansas's Health Care Payment Improvement Initiative will make us a national leader in shaping our own health-care destiny. Both the state and federal initiatives encourage primary physicians to solve patients' medical problems as efficiently as possible. When health-care episodes are coordinated by a single provider, information already in a patient's medical records is more likely to be used before new tests and procedures are ordered.

Arkansas's initiative has the potential to slow the rise of health-care costs, temper the cost demands on our taxpayers and make Medicaid more sustainable. It is a bold undertaking in an industry already changing after the passage of the Affordable Care Act. One thing remains constant - Arkansas wants to be ahead of the curve in solving the health-care issues all states face.

As the only state in the nation taking this kind of approach, we have the chance to blaze a trail for the rest of the country to follow. Most Americans agree that we must improve the quality and accessibility of health care at lower costs. As the national debate continues about how best to accomplish that goal, Arkansas will not simply wait and see what happens next. We are working to be an example of the common-sense investments in health care that are so critically needed for our future.

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60% TStorms

Beaches, boat ramps remain open at Lake Shelbyville

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SHELBYVILLE While the water levels at Lake Shelbyville are below a normal summer level, beaches and boat ramps at the lake remain open.

The lake level was 598.31 feet above sea level on Friday, which is 1.39 feet below normal, according to Doug Vogel, interpretive services and outreach ranger for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Vogel said all beaches and boat ramps along with other recreation areas at Lake Shelbyville are open over the Labor Day weekend, but he said there may be sand bars and tree stumps not visible when the water is low. People are asked to watch for shallow areas.

The lake's beaches are expected to close for the season after Labor Day.

For more information, call the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake Shelbyville Project Office at 217-774-3951.

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Beaches, boat ramps remain open at Lake Shelbyville

Beaches trash Duval County tipping fees

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jacksonville should not expect a million dollar fee from Neptune and Atlantic Beaches anytime soon.

Leaders with both communities sent a letter to Mayor Alvin Brown and city council president Bill Bishop detailing that they will not pay tipping fees for hauling trash to the county landfill.

COJ officials say they are owed a $1.4 million in combined fees over two years for dumbing garbage in Trail Ridge Landfill.

A team of consultants advised the mayorsthe coastalcommunities on the matter.

The letter states, "based on a review of said information and the language and terms of the Interlocal Agreement, it is the position of both Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach that "tipping fees" may not be assessed by the City of Jacksonville for the Fiscal Years of 2011-2012 or 2012-2013. We remain open to any comments or suggestions you or your staff may have."

The fee fight dates back to last year when Jacksonville City Council members approved the measure.

Councilman Stephen Joost told Action News earlier this month that the coastal communities need to pay up. "They're in tight budget times and we're in tight budget times. They want us to cut our budget all the way, they need to cut theirs too."

Atlantic Beach commissioner Maria Mark says Jacksonville blindsided the beaches with these fees.

"Even if we have to pay this tipping fee to Jacksonville, I don't know if that's going to solve those other budget problems that they have. Certain funds are restricted through certain uses," said Mark.

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Beaches trash Duval County tipping fees

‘Best beaches’ abound on tiny isle of Maui

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In a nation of more than 300 million, a small county in the Pacific Ocean thats home to just over 155,000 people has nearly a quarter of the countrys best beaches.

Maui is called The Valley Island, but in most travelers minds, its beaches are synonymous with the Hawaiian island. In the annual Best Beach contest held since 1991, Maui has won four times five, if you want to stretch the definition of Maui. Maui County includes the islands of Molokai and Lanai. A beach on Lanai was the winner in 1997.

And Maui isnt done. A remote beach in an area once favored by Oprah Winfrey made this years Top 10 and is likely to win the top spot eventually.

Its not all good news for Mauis famous beaches. A U.S. Geological Survey report says Maui has the highest rate of beach erosion in the state. Data from 1899 to 2007 shows Maui beaches averaged 6.7 inches of sand lost each year. The worst impact is on the north shore near Paia. Erosion rates are somewhat higher in the Kaanapali area than in Kihei or Wailea.

As to the rankings, Ive criticized the methodology of the contest put out each spring by Dr. Beach, Stephen Leatherman, a Florida oceanography professor. He has a big East Coast bias. But we cant argue with his favorites in Maui. Here are the big five, along with the next champion in waiting. The year the beach won the contest is in parentheses.

D.T. Fleming Beach Park, Maui (2006): Ive taken my share of knocks at this great bodysurfing beach on the sometimes turbulent northwest shore of Maui. When youre feeling a bit winded from battling the waves, there are shade trees along parts of the mile-long strand. When you are ready to call it a day, head uphill to the bar at the Ritz-Carlton for some sundowner drinks and pupus.

Kaanapali, Maui (2003): The busiest beach on this list, its fronted by a string of hotels from the Sheraton on the north to the Hyatt on the south and the Whalers Village shopping mall in the middle. With all the fancy resort swimming pools, guests sometimes that forget a world-class beach is just on the other side of the walkway. Theres usually gentle surf and knockout views out toward Lanai. My favorite spot is Black Rock at the north end of the beach, with its excellent snorkeling and the crazies jumping off the rock.

Wailea Beach, Maui (1999): Wider, hotter and less crowded than Kaanapali to the north, Wailea is also fronted by luxury hotels and rocks in portions, but wide sands in other areas. The drop-off is gradual here, making it good for kids if the waves arent up. The view here is also outstanding, with views toward the tiny Molokini crater dive spot and the island of Kahoolawe, once used for Navy target practice.

Kapalua Bay Beach, Maui (1991): The first best beach on Leathermans list is still one of the islands prettiest, though in the intervening decades, development has taken over the slope just above the beach, replacing palm trees and greenery with hotel and condo units. The beach is still a beautiful crescent of blond-colored sand fronting aquamarine waters.

Hulopoe, Lanai (1997): Lanai is officially part of Maui County, governed from the Maui town of Wailuku. If you want to get political, it could be included in Mauis best beach count. Theres actually a geological basis for inclusion with the other beaches. Lanai and Molokai were once part of Maui Nui, the massive, ancient volcanic island that collapsed into the sea millions of years ago. Hulopoe is the best beach in the Hawaiian islands that barely anyone gets to. Its next to the Four Seasons Manele Bay on the former pineapple plantation island. There are trees for shade and a nice mix of tourists and locals.

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‘Best beaches’ abound on tiny isle of Maui

Cork beaches reopen as E.coli reaches safe levels

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By Sean ORiordan

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Seven beaches in Co Cork have reopened after the latest test results showed a significant fall in E.coli levels.

Meanwhile, bathers in Galway were waiting for further tests at Grattan Beach, near Mutton Island, which was closed earlier this week because of excessive E.coli bacteria.

The decision to reopen the Cork beaches was taken yesterday after the county council published another batch of test results the second within 24 hours.

Last week, Youghals Front Strand, Claycastle, and Redbarn beaches were closed because tests showed levels of E.coli in bathing water breached EU limits of 2,000 particles of E.coli in 100ml of water.

Beaches at Garryvoe, Garretstown, Oysterhaven, and Coolmaine were also shut.

Oysterhaven had over six times the permitted level of the bacteria at 12,033, while Fort Strand was nearly four times over the limit.

Tests at Oysterhaven on Monday, and published on Thursday, showed a fall to 175 and a test there on Wednesday, published yesterday, showed a fall to 75.

Similar significant decre-ases were recorded at the other affected beaches.

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Cork beaches reopen as E.coli reaches safe levels

Experts: Several Naples-area beaches at risk of severe erosion from Isaac

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We have you covered with our Storm Shield app--top-rated in iTunes.

Sign up to get the latest new updates sent straight to your phone.

Find hurricane shelters, plot evacuation routes and track a hurricane in the special section online or pick up a print copy at your local Ace Hardware.

Submit your photos and videos of Issac to our Participate site.

NAPLES Southwest Florida beaches left battered by a tropical storm earlier this summer are set for another lashing from Tropical Storm Isaac.

Isaac, on a track that could send it just west of Southwest Florida or right over it, could further erode beaches already in need of renourishment and could wash out what's left of a successful sea turtle nesting season.

"I have no clue what to expect from this," said Maura Kraus, manager of the sea turtle monitoring program for Collier County. "We are just hoping for the best."

In June, Tropical Storm Debby plowed through the Gulf of Mexico on its way to a landfall in the Florida Panhandle. Along the way, the storm hammered Southwest Florida beaches for three days.

Almost 600 sea turtle nests, each with as many as 100 eggs, were flooded or washed away from Collier beaches in Debby. Fewer than 500 nests are left on the beach, Kraus said, and more are hatching every day. More than 1,200 sea turtle nests were laid on Collier beaches this year compared to 751 last summer, according to county figures.

In south Lee County, monitors have counted 129 sea turtle nests, 43 of which already have hatched. Another 20 nests have been lost, according to the nonprofit Turtle Time.

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Experts: Several Naples-area beaches at risk of severe erosion from Isaac

'Squishy' model shows cell biology

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The soft and transparent protein models will enable researchers to quickly and collaboratively see, touch, and test ideas about molecular interactions and the behavior of proteins. Credit: Masaru Kawakami/Review of Scientific Instruments

Published: Aug. 24, 2012 at 4:55 PM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- A new soft, transparent and squishy silicone model could offer biology researches hands-on help to learn the secrets of molecules, its Japanese developer said.

Created by Masaru Kawakami a biophysicist researcher at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, it is mostly transparent and easy to manipulate, intended to help researchers more intuitively understand protein structures, positions, and interactions.

The model, described in the American Institute of Physics journal Review of Scientific Instruments, will enable researchers to quickly and collaboratively see, touch and test ideas about molecular interactions and the behavior of proteins, Kawakami said.

"Because my new model is soft, users can deform the model and experience ligand binding or protein-protein association, which has never been possible with other physical molecule models," he said.

"I believe my model would be an effective discussion tool for the classroom or laboratory to stimulate inspired learning."

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'Squishy' model shows cell biology

082412b rel ARB

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The Neumann Spirituality Group will be starting a new year of day retreat programs with "The Trinity, A Dance of Love," 9:30 a.m. Sept. 12.

Sister Beth Butler, a Missionary Servant of the Most Blessed Trinity, will be the presenter. She is a member of the retreat team at Mother Boniface Spirituality Center in northeast Philadelphia. Participants will ponder the meaning of the mystery and explore the place and the power of the Trinity in everyday life.

Nativity of Our Lord Church, 625 W. Street Road, Warminster, provides the location for the programs, but does not sponsor them. The Neumann Spirituality Group is responsible for arranging speakers and organizing the events. The program will take place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., following a continental breakfast. Bring your own lunch. Drinks and dessert will be supplied. Cost is $15. Reservations are not required. The facility is accessible to all. Information: 215-822-8728 or 215-675-7835.

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082412b rel ARB

Your Chance To See The International Space Station From Rochester

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If your interested in seeing the International Space Station (ISS) youll have opportunities before midnight Friday and several more chances through the weekend.

WNY weather will cooperate with high pressure in firm control, we expect mainly clear skies.

The first opportunity to see the space station will be around 8:52pm Friday night.

The station will appear in the northwest sky and move toward the southeast. The total duration of viewing is around 4 minutes. The station is easily viewable, even in bright artificial light near the city.

The second opportunity tonight will be around 10:28pm. This sighting will last less than 1 minute and will also be very close to the horizon. Youll need a wide open field for this viewing. Look west to southwest for the second chance.

Click on the link here for additional viewing times on Saturday and Sunday.

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Your Chance To See The International Space Station From Rochester

Multiple Dinosaur Tracks Confirmed at NASA Center

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Fossilized nodosaur footprints discovered at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. (NASA/GSFC/Rebecca Roth)

At NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD, where some of the worlds most advanced research in space technology is being performed on a daily basis, paleontologists have discovered ancient evidence of dinosaurs on the Centers wooded campus at least two, possibly a mother and child, crossed that way between 112 and 110 million years ago and left their muddy footprints as proof.

The tracks of two nodosaurs short, stocky and heavily-armored herbivorous dinosaurs have been confirmed by dinosaur trackerRay Stanford and USGSemeritus paleontologistDr. Robert Weems. The second track is a smaller version of the first.

The first, larger footprint was announced by Stanford on August 17. When Dr. Weems was called in to verify, the smaller print was discovered within the first, evidence that they were made around the same time and leading researchers to suggest it may have been a mother-and-child pair.

Dinosaur tracker Ray Stanford describes the cretaceous-era nodosaur track he found on the Goddard Space Flight Center campus with Dr. Robert Weems, emeritus paleontologist for the USGS who verified his discovery. (NASA/GSFC/Rebecca Roth)

It looks to be a manus (front foot) print of a much smaller dinosaur than the first one, but it looks to be the same type, Weems said of the second track. If the one that came through was a female, it may have had one or more young ones following along. If youve seen a dog or cat walking with its young, they kind of sniff around and may not go in the same direction, but they end up in the same place.

Its thought that the nodosaurs were moving quickly since the tracks dont show strong imprints of the animals heels. Still, the ruddy Cretaceous-era mud preserved their brief passage well even as millions of years went by.

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Multiple Dinosaur Tracks Confirmed at NASA Center

SpaceX Dragon cleared for cargo run in October

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The age of commercial space flight starts this autumn. In October, SpaceX ’s Dragon space freighter will make its first scheduled commercial visit to the International Space Station (ISS). On Thursday, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida that Dragon had completed its certification under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program ...

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SpaceX Dragon cleared for cargo run in October

NASA jets, tickets taking off for shuttle flight

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NASA is deploying a few high-flying paparazzi to Hollywood to scout out the best photo spots for next month's arrival of one of its biggest stars: space shuttle Endeavour.

Meanwhile on the East Coast, tickets have just gone on sale for the public to stake out their own photo ops to see Endeavour as it departs its Florida spaceport for the final time. Endeavour, which flew 25 times to space, is being ferried to Los Angeles for display at the California Science Center.

On Saturday, two NASA jets a T-38 astronaut trainer and an F-18 Hornet will circle the skies over Los Angeles at an altitude of approximately 1,500 feet. The jet flights, which are in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, have been described by NASA as only "to capture photographic imagery."

Space news from NBCNews.com

Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Amateur photo wizards get their reward for bringing some of the Hubble Space Telescope's hidden treasures into the spotlight.

But it's no secret that the aircraft are part of the advance entourage for Endeavour. The retired orbiter, flying atop the space agency's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, is scheduled to land at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Sept. 20.

Before touching down, the jumbo jet carrying Endeavour is expected to make several scenic flyovers of the L.A. area, setting up the possibility for some iconic shots to be taken of the shuttle soaring past famous landmarks like the Hollywood sign. Saturday's jet flights will scope out the best flight paths to capture those photos. [ Photos: How Shuttle Endeavour Was Made ]

NASA photographers embarked on a similar set of flights before Endeavour's older sister, space shuttle Discovery, arrived in Washington, D.C. in April. Two T-38 training jets were dispatched to the nation's capital to plot the shuttle's path, which later led to photos of Discovery flying past the Capitol Building, Washington Monument, White House and other historic landmarks.

Fly-out photo ops Details on when, where and how to see Endeavour arrive in Los Angeles have not yet been announced, nor have any of the potential flyover locations along the shuttle's trip from Florida to California. Tickets however, went on sale Friday to see Endeavour depart its launch and landing site for a final time.

NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will host four days of activities leading up to the scheduled takeoff of Endeavour atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft on Sept. 17 at approximately 7:30 a.m. EST (1200 GMT).

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NASA jets, tickets taking off for shuttle flight

NASA postpones launch of space radiation probes

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NASA postponed launching two spacecraft into the harsh radiation belts around Earth Friday due to an apparent malfunction with a tracking system that monitors the mission's rocket.

The tracking beacon glitch popped up before dawn on Friday, late in the mission's final countdown, prompting NASA to delay the launch of its twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station by at least 24 hours. The unmanned Atlas 5 rocket carrying the two satellites is now slated to blast off at 4:07 a.m. EDT (0807 GMT) on Saturday, Aug. 25.

NASA launch director Tim Dunn said the launch countdown was going well until his team spotted a frequency drift in the tracking beacon used by the Air Force's Eastern Range to track the Atlas 5 rocket after liftoff.

"That's a mandatory safety item so that we could track the vehicle in flight," Dunn said in a NASA broadcast after the delay. "It certainly was a situation we wish we didn't have, but we wanted to err on the side of conservatism."

- NASA launch director Tim Dunn

Dunn said Saturday and Sunday are still good days to launch the space radiation mission. There is a 60 percent chance of favorable weather for Saturday's launch attempt.

The $686 million Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission is a two-year project to study the radiation environment around Earth in unprecedented detail. The twin spacecraft are designed to fly in formation to explore the Van Allen Belts of radiation that encircle the Earth.

The Van Allen Belts are two donut-shaped zones of radiation around Earth. They were first discovered in 1958 by scientist James A. Van Allen and his team using data from the first American satellite Explorer 1. The first belt stretches from the top of Earth's atmosphere out to about 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometers) above the planet. The second radiation belt extends from about 8,000 miles (12,874 km) to more than 26,000 miles (41,842 km) above Earth.

Scientists hope the Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission will help them solve the mystery of how the radiation is created and behaves inside the Van Allen Belts, as well as the regions' role in space weather events such as strong solar flares from the sun that can pose a danger to satellites and astronauts in orbit.

The two Radiation Belt Storm Probes are solar-powered and nearly identical. The octagon-shaped satellites are about 6 feet wide (1.8 meters) and just over 4 feet tall (1.3 m). They each carry a set of five instrument suites to study Earth's radiation belts.

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NASA postpones launch of space radiation probes

NASA again delays launch of probes

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NASA postponed launching two spacecraft into the harsh radiation belts around Earth Friday due to an apparent malfunction with a tracking system that monitors the mission's rocket.

The tracking beacon glitch popped up before dawn on Friday, late in the mission's final countdown, prompting NASA to delay the launch of its twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station by at least 24 hours. The unmanned Atlas 5 rocket carrying the two satellites is now slated to blast off at 4:07 a.m. EDT on Saturday.

NASA launch director Tim Dunn said the launch countdown was going well until his team spotted a frequency drift in the tracking beacon used by the Air Force's Eastern Range to track the Atlas 5 rocket after liftoff.

"That's a mandatory safety item so that we could track the vehicle in flight," Dunn said in a NASA broadcast after the delay. "It certainly was a situation we wish we didn't have, but we wanted to err on the side of conservatism." [ Photos: Inside NASA's Radiation Belt Mission ]

Dunn said Saturday and Sunday are still good days to launch the space radiation mission. There is a 60 percent chance of favorable weather for Saturday's launch attempt.

The $686 million Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission is a two-year project to study the radiation environment around Earth in unprecedented detail. The twin spacecraft are designed to fly in formation to explore the Van Allen Belts of radiation that encircle the Earth.

The Van Allen Belts are two doughnut-shaped zones of radiation around Earth. They were first discovered in 1958 by scientist James A. Van Allen and his team using data from the first American satellite Explorer 1. The first belt stretches from the top of Earth's atmosphere out to about 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometers) above the planet. The second radiation belt extends from about 8,000 miles (12,874 km) to more than 26,000 miles (41,842 km) above Earth.

Scientists hope the Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission will help them solve the mystery of how the radiation is created and behaves inside the Van Allen Belts, as well as the regions' role in space weather events such as strong solar flares from the sun that can pose a danger to satellites and astronauts in orbit.

The two Radiation Belt Storm Probes are solar-powered and nearly identical. The octagon-shaped satellites are about 6 feet wide (1.8 meters) and just over 4 feet tall (1.3 m). They each carry a set of five instrument suites to study Earth's radiation belts.

Space news from NBCNews.com

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NASA again delays launch of probes

NASA space radiation probes launch delayed 24 hours

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NASA launch director Tim Dunn said the launch countdown was going well until his team spotted a frequency drift in the tracking beacon used by the Air Force's Eastern Range to track the Atlas 5 rocket after liftoff.

NASA postponed launching two spacecraft into the harsh radiation belts around Earth Friday (Aug. 24) due to an apparent malfunction with a tracking system that monitors the mission's rocket.

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The tracking beacon glitch popped up before dawn on Friday, late in the mission's final countdown, prompting NASA to delay the launch of its twin Radiation Belt Storm Probesfrom Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station by at least 24 hours. The unmanned Atlas 5 rocket carrying the two satellites is now slated to blast off at 4:07 a.m. EDT (0807 GMT) on Saturday, Aug. 25.

NASA launch director Tim Dunn said the launch countdown was going well until his team spotted a frequency drift in the tracking beacon used by the Air Force's Eastern Range to track the Atlas 5 rocket after liftoff.

"That's a mandatory safety item so that we could track the vehicle in flight," Dunn said in a NASA broadcast after the delay. "It certainly was a situation we wish we didn't have, but we wanted to err on the side of conservatism." [Photos: Inside NASA's Radiation Belt Mission]

Dunn said Saturday and Sunday are still good days to launch the space radiation mission. There is a 60 percent chance of favorable weather for Saturday's launch attempt.

The $686 million Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission is a two-year project to study the radiation environment around Earth in unprecedented detail. The twin spacecraft are designed to fly in formation to explore theVan Allen Beltsof radiation that encircle the Earth.

The Van Allen Belts are two donut-shaped zones of radiation around Earth. They were first discovered in 1958 by scientist James A. Van Allen and his team using data from the first American satellite Explorer 1. The first belt stretches from the top of Earth's atmosphere out to about 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometers) above the planet. The second radiation belt extends from about 8,000 miles (12,874 km) to more than 26,000 miles (41,842 km) above Earth.

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NASA space radiation probes launch delayed 24 hours

NASA Going Social, Launching Probes – Good For Entrepreneurs And Inventors

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NASA will host an event for 65 of its social media followers on Oct. 15, 2012, at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California's Mojave Desert. You might call this a tweetup or social networking IRL, but either way, the space agency should be applauded for reaching out the community that cares about them. These new ?Socials? provide NASA followers with the opportunity to go ...

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NASA Going Social, Launching Probes - Good For Entrepreneurs And Inventors