NASA News <br />National Aeronautics and<br />Space Administration<br /><br /><br />John F. Kennedy Space Center<br />Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899<br />AC 321-867-2468<br />____________________________________________________________________________<br />_______________________________<br />For Release: June 23, 2003 <br /><br /><br />George Diller<br />Kennedy Space Center, Fla.<br />(321) 867-2468 <br /><br /><br />KSC Release No. 49 - 03<br /><br /><br />Launch Advisory:<br />LAUNCH OF DELTA II WITH "OPPORTUNITY" TARGETED FOR JUNE 28<br /><br /><br />Based on completing the work as currently scheduled, launch managers<br />continue to plan toward Saturday, June 28 as the launch date for MER-B with<br />the "Opportunity" Mars Exploration Rover. The launch time is 11:56:16 p.m.<br />EDT with a second time available at 12:37:59 a.m. EDT on June 29.<br /><br /><br />NASA and Boeing engineers met today to assess the progress of the cork<br />insulation rework on the Delta first stage for MER-B. The effort is<br />proceeding on schedule to remove and replace the lower band of cork.<br />Inspections on the upper band are under way, and it has not been decided<br />what work, if any, will be required. <br /><br /><br />Pending a successful schedule assessment by NASA and Boeing managers on<br />Tuesday afternoon, a revised Note to Editors will then be issued with<br />updated plans for news media activities and the launch coverage on NASA<br />Television. The prelaunch press conference will not be held on Tuesday,<br />June 24. It is being rescheduled so that it may continue to be held on L-1<br />day, Friday, June 27 at 1 p.m.