06.22.

07

George Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468

MEDIA ADVISORY: 30-07

PHOENIX MARS LANDER PRESS OPPORTUNITY AT KSC TUESDAY, JUNE

26

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, to be launched on a Delta II rocket Aug.

3, will be the focus of a news media opportunity on Tuesday, June 26,
at Kennedy Space Center.

After a brief orientation, media representatives will be taken inside

the clean room at KSC's Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Phoenix
can be observed tucked inside the cruise stage that will carry it to
the red planet. Project management and test team members from NASA,
Lockheed Martin and the University of Arizona will be available for
interviews.

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.

Participating in the media event will be:

Peter Smith, Phoenix Principal Investigator

University of Arizona

Barry Goldstein, Phoenix Project Manager

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Ed Sedivy, Phoenix Program Manager

Lockheed Martin Space Systems

Ron Mueller, Mission Manager for Launch Integration

NASA Launch Services Program, Kennedy Space Center

For this event, full clean room protocol must be observed. Those
planning to attend are required to wear long pants and closed-toe
shoes. Clean room attire (bunny suits) will be furnished. Quality
control personnel will request cleaning of photographic equipment
with alcohol wipes that will be provided.

No suede, leather or vinyl camera cases are permitted within the clean
room. Special bags will be provided for camera accessories. Please do
not wear perfume, cologne or makeup. No graphite pencils, food,
tobacco, chewing gum, lighters, matches, pocketknives, cell phones or
two-way pagers will be permitted inside the clean room. Wireless
microphones and electronic flash photography will be permitted. The
lighting in the facility is high-pressure sodium (orange).

Those needing accreditation should apply online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov.

For further information regarding accreditation for the event, contact

the NASA News Center at 321-867-2468 by 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 25.

On Tuesday, June 26, media should arrive at the KSC Press Site at 9:15
a.m. Departure by bus will be at 9:30 a.m. Arrival back at the KSC
Press Site will be at approximately 11:45 a.m.

-end-