NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

FOR NEWS MEDIA: HOW TO ACQUIRE MEDIA POOL PRODUCTS FROM NASA DC-8 STARDUST OBSERVATION FLIGHT AND 'REHEARSAL' FLIGHTS

NOTE: THIS DOCUMENT WILL BE UPDATED AS WE RECEIVE NEW INFORMATION.
Posted: Jan. 13, 2006 at: 1:30 p.m. PST

News media representatives are scheduled to fly on NASA's DC-8 aircraft during its mission to observe the Stardust spacecraft's 'sample capsule' as it enters Earth's atmosphere before landing in the Utah desert at 2 a.m. PST on Jan.15, 2006. The capsule is carrying comet dust that the Stardust spacecraft captured near comet Wild-2 (VILT-TWO) in January 2004.

The media people will serve as a 'pool' that will provide, images, sound and interviews for news people worldwide who request these news products. Media pool representatives also will be aboard two DC-8 'rehearsal' flights. The DC-8 will depart from NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., and return there for all three flights.

Note: The time for the Wednesday Rehersal Flight One has been changed to 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. PST

REHEARSAL FLIGHT ONE: Wednesday, Jan 11 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. PST. The two media representatives are:

1. Pool radio reporter: Peter Jon Shuler, KQED-FM (NPR). Pool news products from KQED-FM (NPR) may be requested by contacting: Peter Jon Shuler, office phone: (408) 278-9074, e-mail: PSchuler@KQED.org. "We are planning to post audio files on our website, ftp://bigbird.kqed.org." Please contact Shuler for log-in information.

2. Pool television cameraman: Dan McKinney, Discovery Channel Canada. Pool news products from Discovery Channel Canada may be requested by contacting: Seonaid Eggett, office phone: (416) 332-4392, e-mail: seggett@discovery.ca.

REHEARSAL FLIGHT TWO: Thursday, Jan. 12, from 11:45 p.m. PST to Jan. 13, 3:30 a.m. PST. The four media representatives are:

1. Pool Photographer: Michael Fox, Zuma Press, still imaging. Pool news products from Zuma may be requested by contacting: Ruaridh Stewart, office phone: (949) 481-3747, FAX: (949) 481-3941, e-mail: RUARIDH@ZUMAPRESS.COM. Distribution will be FTP via http://www.zumapress.com or by e-mail request.

2. Pool Radio Reporter, Matt Bigler, KCBS-AM, CBS Corp., media type: radio. Pool news products from KCBS-AM may be requested by contacting: Matt Bigler/Dory Culver, office phone: 415-765-4074(newsroom), cell phone: 415-244-4450, FAX: 15-765-4080, e-mail: kcbsnewsdesk@cbs.com. Distribution will be, " ISDN broadcast connection from our San Francisco KCBS-AM newsroom and/or e-mail mp3."

3. Pool television cameraman: Walter Colby, KNTV-TV, NBC, San Jose. Pool news products from KNTV-TV may be requested by contacting: Assignment Desk, phone: (408) 432-4780. "We will send a message to Bay City News, San Francisco, when our satellite feeds are available. We are not making dubs at NASA Ames. We will feed video, Friday, Jan. 13. at 7 a.m. PST on LOMA channel 2. The plan is the local stations will receive the LOMA feed. Out-of-town stations can receive the feeds from their local affiliates in the San Francisco Bay Area."

4. Pool television reporter, Chris Burrous, KMAX-TV, CBS Television/UPN, Sacramento, Calif. KMAX-TV, CBS Television/UPN may be requested by contacting: Brandon Mercer, office phone: (916) 921-3019, cell phone: (916) 919-3309, e-mail: bmercer@kmaxtv.com. "We'll make Chris available for interviews via phone, email, or in-person at NASA Ames, or in Sacramento. We can also make him available via VYVYX fiber link."

MISSION FLIGHT: Sunday, Jan. 15, 12:01 a.m. to 4 a.m. PST.
The four media representatives are:

1. Pool magazine reporter: Leslie Sabbagh, Popular Mechanics magazine. Pool news products from Popular Mechanics may be requested by contacting: Sarah Deem; managing editor, Popular Mechanics, office phone, cell phone, FAX: 212 586 5562, e-mail: sdeem@hearst.com. Other contact: David Dunbar, Popular Mechanics.

2. Pool newspaper reporter: Glennda Chui, San Jose Mercury News. Pool news products from the San Jose Mercury News may be requested by contacting: Glennda Chui, office phone: 408-920-5453, cell phone: 510-507-2766, FAX: 408-288-8060, e-mail: gchui@mercurynews.com. Additional information, " Here's the ftp site where my notes will be posted:<ftp://public:community@ftp.sjmercury.com/Stardust>ftp://public:community@ftp.sjmercury.com/Stardust."

3. Pool still photographer: Jose Carlos Fajardo, Contra Costa Times. Pool news products from the Contra Costa Times may be requested by contacting: Contra Costa Times weekend photo editor, Herman Bustamante Jr., office phone: (925) 943-8358, cell phone: (925) 708-3058, FAX: (925) 933-0239, e-mail: hbustamante@cctimes.com. Additional contact: KRT Washington 202-383-6099.

4. Pool television reporter: Garvin Thomas, KNTV-TV, NBC, San Jose, with Pool television cameraman: Walter Colby, KNTV-TV, NBC, San Jose. Pool news products from KNTV-TV may be requested by contacting: Assignment Desk, phone: (408) 432-4780. "We will send a message to Bay City News, San Francisco, when our satellite feeds are available. We are not making dubs at NASA Ames. We will feed video, Sunday, Jan. 15. at 6 a.m. PST on LOMA channel 2. The plan is the local stations will receive the LOMA feed. Out-of-town stations can receive the feeds from their local affiliates in the San Francisco Bay Area."

For more information about the Stardust mission, see:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/research/exploringtheuniverse/stardust.html

http://reentry.arc.nasa.gov

http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov