NASA Daily News Summary
For Release:  April 6, 2000
Media Advisory m00-68


SUMMARY

NEWS RELEASES:

SUSPECTED PROTOPLANET MAY REALLY BE A DISTANT STAR

NASA AND NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE JOIN TO DEVELOP NANO-EXPLORERS FOR THE HUMAN
BODY


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VIDEO FILE FOR APRIL 6, 2000

Ulysses Sails Through a Comet
Hubble Heritage: Glowing Eye
Arctic Ozone: The Gaping Hole
Students Shoot For the Moon
Wind Research Turbine Test at Ames Research Center



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NEWS RELEASES:

SUSPECTED PROTOPLANET MAY REALLY BE A DISTANT STAR

Follow-up observations of an unusual object initially suspected to be the first
directly detected planet outside our solar system have shown that the object is
too hot to be a planet.  Astronomers now believe it is more likely that the
strange object is a background star whose light has been dimmed and reddened by
interstellar dust. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope photographed the mysterious
object, called TMR-1C, in 1997. Because of its potential importance and the
compelling nature of the image, NASA also released the picture to the public
with the caution that future observations would be critical in verifying whether
or not this object actually is a planet.

Full text:

ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/2000/00-058.txt

Headquarters contact: Donald Savage (Phone:  202/358-1547)

Goddard Space Flight Center contact: Nancy Neal (Phone:  301/286-0039)

Space Telescope Science Institute contact: Ray Villard (Phone:  410/338-4514)

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NASA AND NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE JOIN TO DEVELOP NANO-EXPLORERS FOR THE HUMAN
BODY

To treat symptoms of the common cold, most people take a gel capsule containing
hundreds of granular pieces of medicine as a remedy for coughing, sneezing and a
runny nose.  Now, imagine ingesting a capsule of similar size, containing
microscopic sensors to detect, diagnose and treat disease inside the human body.
It sounds like science fiction.  However, NASA, in collaboration with the
National Cancer Institute (NCI), is working to turn this vision into "science
fact."

Full text:

ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/note2edt/2000/n00-015.txt

Headquarters contact: Renee Juhans (Phone:  202/358-1712)

-------------------

If NASA issues any other 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

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VIDEO FILE FOR April 6, 2000


VIDEO


Item 1 - Ulysses Sails Through a Comet

1a - During an unplanned rendezvous, the Ulysses spacecraft found itself gliding though
the immense tail of Comet Hyakutake, revealing that comet tails may be much, much
longer than previously believed. Animation shows the path of Ulysses as it sails through
the tail of Comet Hyakulake on May 1, 1996.
TRT - :30

1b - This b-roll shows the Ulysses spacecraft, a joint venture between NASA and the
European Space Agency, as it was being assembled at the Dornier Systems in
Germany.  Ulysses was launched on Octover 6, 1990, on a mission tostudy the Sun's
solar wind, and it continues to send back data.
TRT - :33

1c - Interview Excerpts
Dr. Nathan Schwadron
Ulysses Team Member
University of Michigan
TRT - 1:40

Contacts:
Jane Platt 818/354-0880
Dolores Beasley 2002/358-1753

Item 2 - Hubble Heritage: Glowing Eye

2a - Glowing Eye of NGC 6751
This image of the strikingly unusual planetary nebula NGC 6751 was first discovered by
the Hubble Space Telescope in 1998 and is the featured image in the Hubble Heritage
program for April. The blue regions mark the hottest glowing gas which forms a circular
ring around the central stellar remnant.  Orange and red mark the cooler gases.
See http://heritage.stsci.edu for more information.
TRT - :15

Contacts - Ray Villard 410/338-4514
Don Savage 202/358-1727

Item 3 - Arctic Ozone - The Gaping Hole

3a - An Arctic Ozone Hole Opens
Due to a combination of factors, Arctic ozone levels last winter reached their lowest point
in eight years.  Despite the dry conditions in the polar stratosphere, temperatures
plunged far enough to enable the early formation of Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs)
at an unusually early date. PSCs are necessary for the conversion of chlorine from
benign molecular forms into chlorine monoxide, an ozone destructive compound.  The
moving blue patch in the animation illustrates the ozone hole.
TRT :27

3b - The Polar Vortex
During winter, stratospheric winds tend to form a vortex around the North Pole. This
becomes a container for cold, high altitude air where ozone is lost due to chemical
changes motivated by the creation of clouds in the stratosphere.  Measurements of
atmospheric ozone were taken by NASA's high altitude ER-2 aircraft, and the space
agency's DC-8. Readings from NASA's Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer  (TOMS)
Earth Probe showed a clear ozone minimum over the polar region during  February and
March.
TRT  :25

3c - Ozone Loss
Ozone is produced by intense ultra-violet radiation in the upper stratosphere.  This
radiation breaks typical oxygen atoms into ozone.  The ozone molecule generally
absorbs ultra violet radiation.  But ozone is destroyed when it reacts with one of a variety
of chemicals in the stratosphere such as chlorine, nitrogen, bromine, or hydrogen.
These are commonly called CFCs or chloroflourocarbons.
TRT 1:16

3d - Deployment Site
Kiruna, Sweden was chosen as the deployment site for SOLVE for two reasons. First, the
Arena Arctica facility at the Kiruna airport is a superb hanger for the ER-2 and DC-8
operations. Second, Kirunas extreme northern latitude is ideally located for
measurements of the lower stratospheric polar vortex. Kiruna is marked by the black
point on the map, and a 2000 km circle is drawn around town, illustrating the range of
both the ER-2 and DC-8 during this mission.
TRT  2:05

3e - Scientist  B-Roll
The following b-roll shows researchers  affiliated with the SOLVE project working in
Kiruna, Sweden.
TRT :49

3f - Interview  Excerpts
Dr. Paul Newman
Atmospheric  Scientist
NASA/GSFC
TRT  1:55

Contacts:
Wade Sisler 301/286-6256
Dave Steitz 202/358-1730

Item 4 - Students Shoot for the Moon
Description: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is hosting the Moonbuggy Races on
April 7th-8th at the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.  The challenge is for
students from high schools and colleges across the country to design, build and race
their own moonbuggy.  The construction is based on the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle,
and each team has 18 months to design a buggy. Footage shows students in the first
stages of designing and building their vehicles.

4a- Lunar Rover
Apollo era footage of the lunar rover on the moon.
TRT - :47

4b - From metal scraps to lunar sculpture
Students from Arizona State University are starting the beginning stages of building their
moonbuggy.  The students are involved with every detail when it comes to building their
moonbuggy.  They have to weld,
measure, sandblast and drill to get their moonbuggy the right size and
shape.
TRT - :55

4c - Building a buggy
Students from various colleges and high schools are working day and night in their
garage to finish the last minute touches such as tightening bolts and adjusting their seats
in order to get their moonbuggy finished. They still have several months to test it out
around campus before the competition.
TRT- 1:12

4d - From parts to a finished product
Students load their moonbuggy on a truck to transport it to the U.S. Space
and Rocket Center. They have to bring their moonbuggy in an unassembled state
to Huntsville, Alabama, where they will unload it off the truck and put it
back together. Although many students collaborate on the moonbuggy, only
two students per moonbuggy are allowed to race.  High school students race
Friday, April 7th and college students on Saturday, April 8th.
TRT- 2:10

4e - The Great Moonbuggy Race
Students prepare for and endure the event. The staggered races are along a 1/2 mile
track,
which is full of potholes and obstacles similar to the lunar surface.  Winners are those
who complete the course in the least amount of time, and one of the rules is that a team
can not get outside the moonbuggy if they get stuck.
TRT - 3:27

4f - Moonbuggy Winners
High schools and colleges each have winners for the moonbuggy event. The award
ceremony at the end of the day congratulates the 1999 winners with a good dousing of
silly string.
TRT - 1:12

4g - Interview slates:
Frank Brannon
University Relations Coordinator
Marshall Space Flight Center
TRT - 1:09

Contact:
Jerry Berg 256/544-0034

Item 5 - Wind Research Turbine Tests at NASA Ames

5a - B-roll
Exterior shots of NASA Ames 80x120 foot wind tunnel.
TRT - 00:25

5b - B-roll
Shots of the NREL Reserach Wind Turbine being set up in NASA Ames' Wind Tunnel.
TRT - 3:03

5c - B-roll
Shots of engineers in the control room preparing to test a research wind turbine in the
NASA Ames Wind Tunnel.
TRT - 1:19

5d - B-roll
Shots of windmill farms at Altamont Pass near Livermore, CA.
TRT - 1:41

5e - Interview excerpts: Dave Simms
NREL Project Director
TRT - 4:12

5f - Interview excerpts: Bob Kufeld
NASA Project Director
NASA Ames Research Center
TRT - 1:15

Contact:
John Bluck 650/604-5026

Item 6 - Special request replay of Zarya launch, preparation in the clean room and
mission animation for the International Space Station.
TRT - 17:00

-----------------------------

LIVE TELEVISION EVENTS THIS WEEK:

April 7, Friday

- 6:00 - 10:00 am - Moon Buggy Races Live News Interviews - MSFC
- 10:00 am - 12:30 pm - FY 2001 Budget Posture Hearing before the
  House Subcommittee on VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriations
  Committee (recorded on 4/6/00) - HQ
- 1:00 - 6:00 pm - FIRST Robotics National Finals - Epcot Center,
  Orlando, FL (direct uplink to NTV)
- 7:00 am - 9:30 pm - FY 2001 Budget Posture Hearing before the
  House Subcommittee on VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriations
  Committee (recorded on 4/6/00) - HQ
- *9:30 - Midnight - FY 2001 Budget Posture Hearing before the
  House Subcommittee on VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriations
  Committee (recorded on 4/6/00) - HQ

April 8, Saturday

- 8:00 am - 6:00 pm - FIRST Robotics National Finals - Epcot
  Center, Orlando, FL (direct uplink to NTV)

April 9, Sunday

- Noon - 2:30 pm - FY 2001 Budget Posture Hearing before the
  House Subcommittee on VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriations
  Committee (recorded on 4/6/00) - HQ
- 3:00 - 5:30 pm - FY 2001 Budget Posture Hearing before the
  House Subcommittee on VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriations
  Committee (recorded on 4/6/00) - HQ
- 6:00 - 8:30 pm - FY 2001 Budget Posture Hearing before the
  House Subcommittee on VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriations
  Committee (recorded on 4/6/00) - HQ
- 9:00 - 11:30 pm - FY 2001 Budget Posture Hearing before the
  House Subcommittee on VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriations
  Committee (recorded on 4/6/00) - HQ

-----------------------------


SPECIAL NOTICE TO TV PRODUCERS:  HUBBLE'S 10TH ANNIVERSARY

-------- LIVE SATELLITE INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY --------

Celebrate Hubble's 10th Birthday!

- Take a video tour of some of Hubble's greatest hits
- Five new stamps to be issued of Hubble favorites

In April 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) rocketed into
space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery - bringing a brilliant
new golden age of astronomy.  Hubble's stunning pictures have
revolutionized astronomy and astounded the public.  Though Hubble
has only been in operation for 10 years, its phenomenal influence
on our civilization's perception of the vast and mysterious
universe will be felt for a long time to come.

Hubble Project Scientists Dr. David Leckrone and Dr. Malcom
Niedner are available on Monday, April 10, from 5:40 - 11:00 a.m.
EDT to discuss Hubble's legacy of achievement.

Ask the scientists about Hubble:

- Hubble's images have captivated both scientists and the general
public.  How has Hubble changed our understanding of our place in
the universe?  (visual:  beauty montage)

- What are Hubble's greatest discoveries? (visual:  discovery
montage)

- The Post Office is releasing five new stamps today.  Can you
give us a sneak peek at the new stamps? (visual: stamp montage)

- Hubble is the first and only telescope that is serviceable by
spacewalking astronauts.   How have the servicing missions
extended Hubble's scientific powers? (visual:  spacewalk montage).

- What new upgrades do you have planned for Hubble and when will
the astronauts next visit?

- What are the advantages of a spaceborne telescope?

- What is your favorite Hubble image?

To bool a Window:  Deanna Corridon 301-286-0041, Wade Sisler 301-
286-6256, pager 888-474-0914.
TV-Control room number 301-286-6146.

The interviews:  come to you from NASA's Goddard Space Flight
Center in Greenbelt, MD.

- The interviews from 5:40 a.m. until 8:30 a.m. will be broadcast
on GE-2, transponder 9C, C-Band, located at 85 degrees West
longitude.  The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical
and audio is monaural at 6.8 MHz.

- Interviews from 8:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. will be broadcast on
KU-Band - Telstar 5, transponder 11 at 97 degrees West longitude,
vertical polarization, frequency - 11929 MHz, and audio at 6.6/6.8
MHz.

B-Roll will be fed at 5:30 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 10.    Full
video package will run April 10 & 11th during the NASA-TV (GE-2
transponder 9C) Video File feed scheduled for noon EDT.

-----------------------------

Unless otherwise noted, ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN.

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.

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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Contract Awards

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

*****************************

The NASA Daily News Summary is issued each business day at
approximately 2 p.m. Eastern time. Members of the media who wish
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Brian.Dunbar@hq.nasa.gov

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end of daily news summary