Media are invited to attend NASA Ames Science Night, featuring the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission, a showcase of science for the public hosted from 5 to 9 p.m. PDT Friday, Sept. 6, on Shenandoah Plaza in the NASA Research Park at Moffett Field, Calif. Exhibits will be on display and Ames scientists and engineers will be available to speak about LADEE and other NASA programs and projects.

LADEE is a robotic mission that will orbit the moon to gather detailed information about the structure and composition of the thin lunar atmosphere and determine whether dust is being lofted into the lunar sky. A thorough understanding of these characteristics will address long-standing unknowns, and help scientists understand other planetary bodies, such as Mercury, outer planets’ moons and larger asteroids.

NASA’s Ames Research Center designed, developed, built and tested the spacecraft and will manage the 100-day mission. After launch, Ames will control the spacecraft and execute mission operations.

LADEE is scheduled to launch at 8:27 p.m. PDT Friday, Sept. 6, from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Weather permitting, the public may watch a NASA TV broadcast of the LADEE launch on a screen on the lawn of Moffett Field’s Shenandoah Plaza.

Media interested in attending should contact Ruth Marlaire at ruth.marlaire@nasa.gov, 650-604-4789, by Wednesday, Sept. 4.

Media may check in at the Media Center in Building 19 in the NASA Research Park. The Media Center will open at 5 p.m. Public Affairs staff will be available to facilitate interviews with Ames scientists and engineers. Building 19 is located on North Akron Road on the west side of Shenandoah Plaza. Parking for satellite TV trucks will be reserved in front of Building 19. No electrical power will be provided to satellite TV trucks. Parking spaces for other media representatives will be reserved behind Building 19. Media interested in doing live shots should plan to bring about 300 feet of cable. A mult box will be located at the projection stand in the middle of Shenandoah Plaza.

For more information about NASA Ames Science Night, featuring the LADEE Mission:
http://www.nasa.gov/ames/events/ladee-science-night

For more information about the LADEE mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ladee

For more information about NASA TV launch coverage and schedules, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv