NASA briefing previews next step for exploring mars

Dolores Beasley
Headquarters, Washington July 14, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-1753)

Guy Webster
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif.
(Phone: 818/354-6278)

MEDIA ADVISORY: M05-117

NASA BRIEFING PREVIEWS NEXT STEP FOR EXPLORING MARS

NASA's launch opportunities will begin Aug. 10, 2005, for the agency's
next mission to Mars. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a robotic
spacecraft, and it will examine the mysterious red planet in unprecedented
detail. This important step in a long-range vision for exploring Mars is the
subject for a news briefing at 1 p.m. EDT, Thursday, July 21, in the NASA
Headquarters auditorium, 300 E St. SW, Washington.

Briefing participants:
-- Douglas McCuistion, NASA Mars Exploration Program Director, Science
Mission Directorate, Washington
-- Michael Meyer, Mars Exploration Program Chief Scientist, Science Mission
Directorate
-- James Graf, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project Manager, JPL
-- Richard Zurek, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project Scientist, JPL

The MRO will use six instruments to study the Martian surface, profile the
atmosphere and probe the subsurface of the planet. Key objectives are
improved knowledge about what happened to Martian water and evaluation of
potential landing sites for future missions.

The conference is live on NASA TV with question-and-answer capability from
participating agency centers. To ask questions by phone, media should call
Tomeka Scales at: 202/358-0781 by noon EDT, Wednesday, July 20 for access
number. Reporters may listen to the briefing by calling:
321/867-1220/1240/1260. NASA TV is available on the Web on an MPEG-2 digital
signal accessed via satellite AMC-6, at 72 degrees west longitude,
transponder 17C, 4040 MHz, vertical polarization. It's available in Alaska
and Hawaii on AMC-7 at 137 degrees west longitude, transponder 18C, at 4060
MHz, horizontal polarization. A Digital Video Broadcast compliant Integrated
Receiver Decoder is required for reception. For NASA TV schedules and
programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info