NASA will hold a media teleconference at 5 p.m. EST today to discuss an independent review panel’s report on the status of the James Webb Space Telescope project.

NASA established the James Webb Space Telescope Independent Comprehensive Review Panel at the request of Sen. Barbara Mikulski, chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Science and Related Agencies. The review panel was chaired by John Casani of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif.

The teleconference participants are:

— Chris Scolese, associate administrator, NASA Headquarters, Washington
— Richard Howard, deputy chief technologist, NASA Headquarters
— John Casani
— Garth Illingworth, review panel member, University of California Observatories

To participate, reporters must contact Steve Cole at stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov or 202-358-0918 for dial-in instructions.

Copies of the report will be available at 5 p.m. at: http://www.nasa.gov/reports

Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live at: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio