Dwayne Brown/Tabatha Thompson
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726/202-358-3895
dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

George Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
george.h.diller@nasa.gov

Guy Webster
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
818-354-6278
guy.w.webster@jpl.nasa.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: 38-07

NASA SETS MEDIA EVENTS FOR PHOENIX LAUNCH ON AUG. 3

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Launch of NASA's Phoenix Mars lander is
scheduled for Friday, Aug. 3, from Pad 17-A at Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station. There are two instantaneous launch times, 5:35:18 and
6:11:24 a.m. EDT. NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space
Center is responsible for the launch of Phoenix aboard a Delta II
rocket. United Launch Alliance is conducting the launch service for
NASA. Should the launch be postponed 24 hours for any reason, the
launch times are 5:26:31 and 6:02:55 a.m. EDT. For a 48-hour
postponement, the launch times are 5:17:23 and 5:53:59 a.m. EDT.

The Phoenix spacecraft will land in the arctic region of Mars and
attempt to answer questions such as: Can the Martian arctic support
life? What is the history of water at the polar landing site? How is
the Martian climate affected by polar seasonal change?

To answer these questions, Phoenix uses some of the most sophisticated
and advanced technology ever sent to Mars. A robotic arm on the
lander will dig through the soil to the water ice layer underneath,
and deliver soil and ice samples to the mission's experiments. On the
instrument deck are miniature ovens, a mass spectrometer, an atomic
force microscope and a "chemistry lab in a box" to analyze the
samples. Imaging systems will provide an unprecedented view of Mars.
Also included is a weather station.

Prelaunch Press Conference

A prelaunch press conference will be held at the NASA News Center at
Kennedy Space Center at 2 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Aug. 1.
Participating in the briefing will be:

Doug McCuistion, Director, Mars Exploration Program
NASA Headquarters, Washington

Chuck Dovale, NASA Launch Director
Kennedy Space Center

Kris Walsh, Director of Delta NASA and Commercial Programs
United Launch Alliance, Littleton, Colo.

Barry Goldstein, Phoenix Project Manager
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

Ed Sedivy, Phoenix Spacecraft Program Manager
Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver

Joel Tumbiolo, U.S. Air Force Delta II Launch Weather Officer
45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

Mission Science Briefing

A mission science briefing will immediately follow the prelaunch press
conference. Participating will be:

Michael Meyer, Lead Scientist for Mars
NASA Headquarters

Peter Smith, Phoenix Principal Investigator
University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.

Ray Arvidson, Co-chairman, Phoenix Landing Site Working Group
Washington University, St. Louis

Leslie Tamppari, Phoenix Project Scientist
Jet Propulsion Laboratory

William Boynton, Lead Scientist for Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer
University of Arizona

Michael Hecht, Lead Scientist for Microscopy, Electrochemistry and
Conductivity Analyzer
Jet Propulsion Laboratory

A post-launch release will be issued approximately two hours after
launch to confirm that contact has been made with the spacecraft
through the Deep Space Network. A post-launch press conference will
be held at the NASA-KSC News Center at 11 a.m. EDT to discuss the
state of health of Phoenix.

Accreditation and Media Access Badges for KSC

Those who need press accreditation and access badges to the Kennedy
Space Center to cover the Phoenix prelaunch press conference and
mission science briefing should complete the accreditation process
via the Web by going to https://media.ksc.nasa.gov.

All accreditation requests for the Phoenix prelaunch press conference
and mission science briefing must be received by the close of
business Monday, July 30. Media may obtain NASA access badges at the
Pass and Identification Building, the badging station located on
State Road 405 just east of U.S. 1. Contact the NASA News Center at
321-867-2468 for further information.

Remote Camera Placement at Complex 17

Thursday, Aug. 2: Photographers who wish to set up remote cameras at
the Delta launch complex will be escorted by a NASA representative to
Pad 17-A. Departure by vehicle convoy will be at 8:45 a.m. from the
Space Florida parking lot located on Poseidon Avenue adjacent to Gate
1 of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Tower Rollback Photo Opportunity at Complex 17

Thursday, Aug. 2: There will be an opportunity to observe rollback of
the mobile service tower from around the Phoenix/Delta II launch
vehicle at Pad 17-A. Media should report at 7:45 p.m. to the Space
Florida parking lot located on Poseidon Avenue adjacent to Gate 1 of
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Press credentials and
identification from a bona fide news organization will be required.
Transportation by government bus will be provided to Launch Complex
17. Media are requested to wear long pants and closed-toe shoes.

Launch Day Press Site Access to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

Friday, Aug. 3: Media covering the Phoenix launch will be able to
obtain press access badges beginning at 4 a.m. at the Space Florida
parking lot outside Gate 1 of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Press
credentials and identification from a bona fide news organization
will be required to obtain an access badge. A driver's license alone
will not be sufficient. However, additional identification will not
be required for those who present a pre-issued NASA accreditation
badge for Phoenix or a valid permanent NASA-KSC picture badge.

To reach the Space Florida parking lot, after passing the Pass and
Identification Building outside Gate 1 of Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station, turn right at the traffic light at the intersection of S.R.
401 and Poseidon Avenue. Make an immediate left turn at the Navaho
display. Departure in a vehicle caravan from Space Florida to Press
Site 1 will be at 4:15 a.m. Access badges cannot be issued after that
time.

News Center Hours for Launch

The NASA News Center at KSC will open for Phoenix news operations
starting Monday, July 30, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On launch day,
Friday, Aug. 3, the news center will open by one hour after launch in
preparation for the restart of the Delta II second stage, the third
stage burn and spacecraft separation.

Starting Monday, July 30, status reports on the launch of Phoenix and
updates to the Media Advisory will be recorded on the KSC news media
codaphone at 321-867-2525.

NASA Web Prelaunch and Launch Coverage

NASA's home on the Internet, http://www.nasa.gov, will provide
extensive prelaunch and launch day coverage of the Phoenix mission.

A prelaunch webcast is set for Aug. 2 at 11:30 a.m. EDT on NASA
Direct, Kennedy's Internet broadcasting network. The program will
feature a behind-the-scenes look at how the Phoenix spacecraft and
Delta II launch vehicle were prepared for liftoff, as well as answer
science questions about the mission's goals.

Live countdown coverage from NASA's Launch Blog begins at 3:30 a.m.
EDT on Friday, Aug. 3. Coverage will feature real-time updates as
countdown milestones occur, as well as streaming video clips
highlighting launch preparations and liftoff.

To access other interactive features, go to NASA's Phoenix main page
at http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix and follow the links provided in the
right column. For more information about Phoenix mission online
events, contact Jeanne Ryba at 321-867-7824.

Television Coverage

On Wednesday, Aug. 1, television coverage of the Phoenix prelaunch
press conference and mission science briefing at KSC will begin at 2
p.m. EDT. Two-way question and answer capability will be available
from other NASA field centers. On Friday, Aug. 3, television coverage
of the launch will begin at 3:30 a.m. EDT and conclude after
spacecraft separation from the Delta II rocket, which occurs 84
minutes after launch. The broadcast network HDNet will also carry the
launch in high-definition television format from 5:20 to 6 a.m. EDT.
For more information, visit http://www.hd.net or check local
listings.

Audio of the prelaunch press conference and mission science briefing
will be carried on the NASA "V" circuits, which may be accessed by
dialing 321-867-1260 or 321-867-7135 beginning at 2 p.m. EDT
Wednesday, Aug. 1. On launch day, Aug. 3, "Mission Audio," countdown
activities without NASA launch commentary, will be carried on
321-867-7135 beginning at 2:30 a.m. EDT. Audio of the NASA launch
commentary will begin at 3:30 a.m. EDT and will be available on
321-867-1220, 1240, 1260. It will also be available locally on
amateur radio frequency 146.940 MHz (VHF) or 442.6 MHz (UHF).

For information on receiving NASA Television, go to:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/digital.html