Description & Facts: This Week At NASA ... MESSENGER FLYBY -- JHU/APL This image of Mercury was the first transmitted by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft as it made the first flyby of the planet in more than 30 years. The picture, showing features as small as six miles in size, was taken at a distance of approximately 17000 miles. MESSENGER, on a mission to shed more light on the makeup of Mercury, will settle into a yearlong orbit of the planet closest to Earth's Sun in 20-11. CONRAD AWARD -- HQ NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale recognized the first winners of the Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Award. Sponsored by NASA's Innovative Partnership Program and the X PRIZE Foundation, the award is given to high school students who create concepts to accelerate development of the personal spaceflight industry. The award honors Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr., the third astronaut to walk on the moon. Conrad died in 19-99. His widow, Nancy, helped unveil the "Spirit of Innovation" trophy and traveling exhibit. 50th ANNIVERSARY LECTURE SERIES -- HQ The Newseum in Washington, DC hosted the second event in NASA's 50th anniversary Lecture Series. Google Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt discussed the benefits technology innovation and space exploration bring to society. Eric Schmidt: "I think one of the things people always forget is how much impact NASA has had on thing other than space -- digital flyby wire systems, wind shear and icing. When I think about NASA and I think about Google I