Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, will visit Goddard Space Flight Center on Tuesday next week.

The queen will view various areas in the center, located in Greenbelt, Md.

Her tour comes near the end of her visit to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia.

She also will have an opportunity to speak with the current crew aboard the International Space Station.

Goddard is home to the largest organization of scientists and engineers in the United States dedicated to learning and sharing knowledge of the Earth, sun, solar system and universe, according to NASA.

The visit reflects the long history of collaboration with the United Kingdom, including the Hubble Space Telescope and Solar Dynamics Observatory.

“NASA is honored to be one of the U.S. organizations hosting a visit by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth,” said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. “The United States and the United Kingdom have a strong partnership in space, from British-born mission astronauts who serve in NASA’s astronaut corps to the numerous joint scientific and research efforts under way.”

This visit follows a signing on April 19 of a statement of intent between NASA and the British National Space Centre that confirmed a mutual desire for discussions on specific areas of potential collaboration involving lunar science and exploration. (Please see Space & Missile Defense Report, Monday, April 23, 2007, page 3.)