NASA selects junior science researchers

WASHINGTON, April 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says it selected three post-doctoral scientists to take part in its Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, mission,

National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials said the fellowship program supports outstanding scientists who endeavor to advance understanding of the gamma-ray universe.

The goal of the program is to stimulate an infusion of new ideas, techniques, and approaches that will enhance the scientific return of GLAST, which will survey the high-energy sky with unprecedented sensitivity.

Each fellow will receive an annual stipend for up to three years. Selected were Nat Butler of the University of California-Berkeley, Uri Keshet of Harvard University and Vasiliki Pavlidou of the California Institute of Technology.

GLAST's astrophysics and particle physics mission is a NASA collaboration with U.S. Department of Energy and partners in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden and the United States. The Fellows Program is administered for NASA by the University of Maryland and the Universities Space Research Association.

The telescope is to be launched into orbit May 16 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.