Don Savage
Headquarters, Washington, DC
(Phone: 202/358-1547)
Helen Worth
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD
(Phone: 240/228-5113)
NOTE TO EDITORS: N00-4
On Valentine’s Day 2000, NASA’s NEAR spacecraft will
probably be causing many hearts to beat faster than normal —
especially people in mission control. They will be watching
over the spacecraft as it makes its second attempt to gently
enter orbit around the near-Earth asteroid Eros, named for the
Greek god of love.
The NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) mission, the
first mission to orbit an asteroid, is being conducted for
NASA by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics
Laboratory, Laurel, MD. Once in orbit, NEAR will begin a
year-long scientific study to scrutinize Eros, including its
chemical and physical features and evolutionary history. The
asteroid is about twice the size of Manhattan Island.
The following activities are scheduled:
9:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. EST – Rendezvous Activities at the
Applied Physics Laboratory’s Kossiakoff Auditorium. Includes
mission overviews and a live video feed from the Mission
Operations Center during orbit insertion and confirmation. To
be broadcast live on NASA TV.
2:00 p.m. EST – Press Briefing in the Kossiakoff Center.
Includes rendezvous details and distribution of the first
after-orbit insertion image. To be broadcast live on NASA TV
with two-way question-and-answer capability for reporters
covering the event from participating NASA centers.
1:00 p.m. EST – Early Results Press Briefing in the James
E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St. SW,
Washington, D.C. Includes early science return information
and images. To be broadcast live on NASA TV with two-way
question-and-answer capability for reporters covering the
event from participating NASA centers.
NASA Television is broadcast on the GE2 satellite,
located on Transponder 9C, at 85 degrees West longitude,
frequency 3880.0 Mhz, audio 6.8 MHz. Audio of the broadcast
will be available on voice circuit at the Kennedy Space Center
on 407/867-1220.
Contact Helen Worth of JHU APL at 240/228-5113 for media
accreditation to cover Encounter Day activities.
Images and movies of Eros as NEAR closes in are available
at:
– end –
