Allard Beutel
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
allard.beutel@nasa.gov

Joshua Buck
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
jbuck@nasa.gov

Kyle Herring
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
kyle.j.herring@nasa.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: M10-166

NASA SCHEDULES NEWS CONFERENCE ABOUT NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH

HOUSTON -- NASA managers will hold a news conference at 3 p.m. EST
today from the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston to provide
the status of the next space shuttle mission, STS-133, and the
progress of repairs since Discovery's launch was delayed Nov. 5.

The news conference will follow today's Space Shuttle Program
Requirements Control Board. Program officials reviewed repairs and
engineering evaluations associated with cracks on two 21-foot-long,
U-shaped aluminum brackets, called stringers, on the shuttle's
external tank.

The briefing participants are:

-- Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations
-- John Shannon, Space Shuttle Program manager

The news conference will air live on NASA Television and the agency's
website. Reporters may ask questions from participating NASA centers,
including Kennedy Space Center, or by calling into a phone bridge.

To use the phone bridge, reporters must have valid media credentials
issued by a NASA center or issued specifically for the STS-133
mission. Journalists planning to use the phone bridge must contact
the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 15 minutes before
the news conference. Newsroom personnel will verify credentials and
transfer reporters to the phone bridge. Capacity is limited and
available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For STS-133 crew and mission information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle