NASA News Conference To Preview August Mars Rover Landing

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Jul 11, 2012, 03:25 ET

WASHINGTON, July 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. EDT Monday, July 16, to discuss the upcoming August landing of the most advanced robot ever sent to another world. A new public-engagement collaboration based on the mission also will be debuted.

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The event for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft will be held in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St. SW, Washington. The event will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed on the agency's website.

MSL will deliver Curiosity to Mars at approximately 1:31 a.m. EDT Aug. 6. The rover, carrying laboratory instruments to analyze samples of rocks, soil and atmosphere, will investigate whether Mars has ever offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life.

Participants will be:

-- Doug McCuistion, director, Mars Exploration Program, NASA Headquarters
-- Michael Meyer, lead scientist, Mars Exploration Program, NASA Headquarters
-- John Grotzinger, MSL project scientist, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif.
-- Pete Theisinger, MSL project manager, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena
-- Jeff Norris, manager, planning and execution systems, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Media representatives may ask questions from participating NASA centers or by telephone. To participate by phone, reporters must contact Steve Cole at 202-358-0918 or [email protected] by 10 a.m. July 16.

For NASA TV streaming video, scheduling and downlink information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

To view a Jet Propulsion Laboratory live stream with a moderated chat, visit:
http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl

For more information about the mission and to view or submit events surrounding the landing, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mars

The public can follow the mission on Facebook and Twitter at:
http://www.facebook.com/marscuriosity
http://www.twitter.com/marscuriosity

SOURCE NASA