Noel Hinners, former NASA scientist, dies at 78

Noel Hinners, a former chief scientist for NASA who helped plan the scientific exploration of the moon for the Apollo program and later oversaw projects such as the Mars Surveyor Program, has died.

Hinners' brother Bill Hinners said Saturday that Hinners died Friday after battling a brain tumor. He was 78.

Hinners began his meteoric space career in 1963 by helping plan the lunar exploration and was just 33 when Apollo 11 landed on the moon.

He worked on the Apollo program until 1972, when he became the space agency's director of lunar programs.

He later served as the director of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington and the director of the Goddard Space Flight Center. He retired from NASA as its third-ranking executive.

Former NASA astronaut and Test Pilot C. Gordon Fullerton dies

NASA says former space shuttle astronaut and test pilot C. Gordon Fullerton has died at age 76.

A NASA statement says Fullerton died Wednesday after spending most of the past 3 ½ years in a care facility in Lancaster, Calif., following a stroke in 2009.

Fullerton spent 382 hours in space on two space shuttle missions during his career as an astronaut from 1969 to 1986.

He was also a member of one of two crews that flew the shuttle prototype Enterprise on approach and landing tests in 1977.

Fullerton later spent 22 years as a test pilot on projects at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base.

The Portland, Ore., native joined the Air Force in 1958 and flew fighters and bombers before becoming a test pilot.

Protests in Peru against former President

A man wearing a rat costume holds an image of Peru's former President Alberto Fujimori during a protest in Lima.

The local riot Police do not seem too concerned!