WASHINGTON – Thursday, NASA will provide an update about the status of the agency’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Project, also known as COTS.

NASA will host a news media roundtable at 2:30 p.m. EDT at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St., S.W., Washington. Alan Lindenmoyer, manager of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, will participate in the briefing.

The COTS Project provides milestone-based seed money to develop and demonstrate commercial orbital transportation services that could open new markets and pave the way for private companies to launch and deliver cargo to the International Space Station.

Media representatives who wish to participate in the roundtable should contact Beth Dickey or Melissa Mathews at 202-358-2087/1272. A telephone bridge will be available to reporters who cannot attend in person.

Audio of the briefing will be streamed live on NASA’s Web site at:

http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio