NASA Daily News Summary
For Release:  August 30, 2000
Media Advisory m00-170


SUMMARY


NEWS RELEASES

ATLANTIS LIFTOFF SET FOR SEPT. 8 TO OPEN DOORS TO NEW STATION
MODULE

NASA INDEX USES PLANTS TO SHED NEW LIGHT ON DROUGHTS



VIDEO     ***ALL TIMES EASTERN***


  VIDEO FILE FOR AUGUST 30, 2000

  UPCOMING TELEVISION EVENTS



SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT



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NEWS RELEASES


NASA INDEX USES PLANTS TO SHED NEW LIGHT ON DROUGHTS

     NASA has a new tool designed to keep a close watch over our plants. What we
see in the reflection of the vegetation may help researchers do a better job of
monitoring and, one day, predicting periods of drought. A new Multi-spectral
Drought Index measures the impacts of too little water or too much rainfall on
vegetation. The index will also be used to verify other existing drought-
monitoring products. "What makes this data set unique is its unprecedented
detail, which provides a resolution four times that of current drought
prediction maps, and it is based on a 20-year data record," said Compton Tucker,
the research scientist leading the project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight
Center, Greenbelt, MD.

Headquarters contact: David E. Steitz (Phone 202/358-1730)

Goddard Space Flight Center contact: Cynthia M. O'Carroll (Phone: 301/614-5563)

For full text see:
ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/2000/00-132.txt

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ATLANTIS LIFTOFF SET FOR SEPT. 8 TO OPEN DOORS TO NEW STATION MODULE

     Following a thorough review of mission preparations yesterday, the launch
of Space Shuttle Atlantis has been set for Sept. 8, on a mission that will open
the doors to the International Space Station's new living quarters. Atlantis's
liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center on Shuttle mission STS-106 will be
targeted for 8:45 a.m. EDT at the opening of a launch window that will be less
than five minutes long. During the planned 11-day flight, the crew of seven will
spend a week docked to the International Space Station, unloading more than one
and a half tons of equipment and supplies from both the Shuttle and from a
docked Russian Progress cargo craft.


Headquarters contact: Kirsten Williams (Phone: 202/358-0243)

Kennedy Space Center contact: Bruce Buckingham (Phone: 321/867-2468)

Johnson Space Center contact: James Hartsfield (Phone: 281/483-5111)

For full text see:
ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/2000/00-134.txt

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If NASA issues any news releases later today, we will e-
mail summaries and Internet URLs to this list.

Index of 2000 NASA News Releases:
http://www.nasa.gov/releases/2000/index.html

Index of 1999 NASA News Releases:
http://www.nasa.gov/releases/1999/index.html



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Video File for August 30, 2000

Item 1 - A New Way of Studying Drought - GSFC
        TRT 8:00
Contact at Headquarters:  Dave Steitz (202) 358-1730.
Contact at Goddard Space Flight Center (301) 286-6256.

Item 2 - Video Stabilization Techniques - MSFC
        TRT * 9:00
Contact at Headquarters:  Mike Braukus (202) 358-1979.
Contact at Marshall Space Flight Center:  Jerry Berg (256) 544-6540.

Replays

Item 3 - NOAA-L Pre-Launch video  - GSFC (replay)
        TRT 11:00
Contact at Headquarters:  Dave Steitz (202) 358-1730.
Contact at Goddard Space Flight Center (301) 286-6256.

Item 4 - Climate Change - GSFC (replay)
        TRT 7:00
Contact at Headquarters:  Dave Steitz (202) 358-1730.
Contact at Goddard Space Flight Center (301) 286-6256.
----------------------------


ANY CHANGES TO THE VIDEO LINE-UP WILL APPEAR ON THE NASA VIDEO
FILE ADVISORY ON THE WEB AT

ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/tv-advisory/nasa-tv.txt

WE UPDATE THE ADVISORY THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

The NASA Video File normally airs at noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m.
and midnight Eastern Time.



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UPCOMING TELEVISION EVENTS


August 30, Wednesday
- 9:00 a.m. - STS-106 Satellite Validation Testing  - MILA

August 31, Thursday
- 6:00 - 10:00 a.m. - Video Stabilization and Resolution Live News
  Interviews - MSFC
- 6:00 p.m. - Astronaut Candidate Class 0f 2000 Introduction to
  the Media - JSC


For a complete list of upcoming live television events, see
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv/breaking.html



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Unless otherwise noted, ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN.

NASA Television is available on GE-2, transponder 9C at 85 degrees
West longitude, with vertical polarization. Frequency is on 3880.0
megahertz, with audio on 6.8 megahertz.

Refer general questions about the video file to NASA Headquarters,
Washington, DC: Ray Castillo, 202/358-4555, or Fred Brown,
202/358-0713, fred.brown@hq.nasa.gov

During Space Shuttle missions, the full NASA TV schedule will
continue to be posted at:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/nasatv/schedule.html

For general information about NASA TV see:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv/



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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT


Digital Earth Community Meeting

The 4th Digital Earth Community Meeting will held on Tuesday,
Sept. 19, 2000, to facilitate the evolution of Digital Earth, a
NASA-led digital representation of the planet that will allow
people in government, academia, and the private sector to explore
and interact with vast amounts of natural and cultural information

The morning's sessions will focus on planning for Digital Earth
2001 Conference and the afternoon will be devoted to discussion of
the Digital Earth Alpha Versions, Interoperability, and commercial
presentations.

Although the meeting is open to all, presentations are limited in
number and may last only 10 minutes. The meeting will be held in
the National Geographic Society Auditorium in Washington, DC, from
8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For information and to reserve a place at the meeting, contact Dr.
Amy Frederick, (301) 286-4058 or via email at
afrederi@pop700.gsfc.nasa.gov. Space is limited and will be
allocated on a first come basis.

For information about Digital Earth, see
http://www.digitalearth.gov.



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Contract Awards

Contract awards are posted to the NASA Acquisition information
Service Web site: http://procurement.nasa.gov/EPS/award.html



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The NASA Daily News Summary is issued each business day at
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end of daily news summary