The Stafford-Covey Return to Flight Task Group final public meeting is at 8:30 a.m. EDT, Friday, May 6. It will be followed by an afternoon news conference.

The meeting is in the Webster Civic Center, 311 Pennsylvania Avenue, Webster, Texas. The Group plans to complete its assessment of NASA’s implementation of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) recommendations. Live audio of the meeting will be available on the Internet at:

http://returntoflight.org

The news conference is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. EDT at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston. It will be carried live on NASA TV, with questions taken from media at participating NASA locations. Reporters who want to participate from JSC should contact the JSC Public Affairs Office at: 281/483- 5111 by 4 p.m. EDT, May 5 for accreditation.

News conference participants: Return to Flight Task Group Co-Chairmen and retired astronauts Thomas P. Stafford and Richard O. Covey; Technical Panel Lead Joseph Cuzzupoli; Management Panel Lead Dr. Daniel L. Crippen; and Operations Panel Lead Col. James C. Adamson.

NASA chartered the Task Group to perform an independent assessment of the agency’s implementation of the CAIB’s 15 Return to Flight recommendations.

NASA TV is available on the Web and by satellite in the continental U.S. on AMC-6, Transponder 9C, C-Band, located at 72 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz. It’s available in Alaska and Hawaii on AMC-7, Transponder 18C, C- Band, located at 137 degrees west longitude. Frequency is 4060.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz. The news conference also will be webcast live on the Internet at:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For information about the Return to Flight Task Group on the Web, visit:

http://returntoflight.org