Dec. 10, 2004

Donald Savage/Gretchen Cook-Anderson
Headquarters, Washington
(Phone: 202/358-1547/0836)

DC Agle 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif.
(Phone: 818/393-9011)

MEDIA ADVISORY: M04-202

NASA ANNOUNCES COMET HUNTER MISSION & SCIENCE BRIEFING

NASA's Deep Impact mission is the subject of a pre-launch mission and 
science news media briefing at 1 p.m. EST, Tuesday, Dec. 14 in the 
NASA Headquarters Webb auditorium, 300 E St. S.W., Washington. 

Planned liftoff for the mission is Jan. 8, 2005. NASA's Deep Impact 
spacecraft has a six-month, 431 million kilometer (268 million mile) 
voyage to comet Tempel 1, where it will send a projectile crashing 
into the comet. The first time this has ever been attempted, the 
impact should create a stadium-sized crater, allowing scientists to 
study pristine material inside the comet dating back to the formation 
of our solar system. 

Briefing panelists:
-- Andy Dantzler, Acting Director, Solar System Division, NASA 
Headquarters
-- Tom Morgan, Deep Impact Program Scientist, NASA Headquarters-- Rick 
Grammier, Deep Impact Project Manager, JPL-- Mike A'Hearn, Deep 
Impact Principal Investigator, University of Maryland, Baltimore-- 
Karen Meech, Deep Impact Co-Investigator, Institute for Astronomy, 
(Hilo), Hawaii

The news conference will be carried live on NASA TV with two-way 
question-and-answer capability from participating agency centers. 
NASA TV is available on the Web and via satellite in the continental 
U.S. on AMC-6, Transponder 9C, C-Band, at 72 degrees west longitude. 
The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is 
monaural at 6.80 MHz. In Alaska and Hawaii, NASA TV is available on 
AMC-7, Transponder 18C, C-Band, at 137 degrees west longitude. The 
frequency is 4060.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is 
monaural at 6.80 MHz. It will also be webcast live at: 



http://www.nasa.gov/deepimpact

Reporters may listen to the briefing by calling: 818/354-6666. 
Additional listen-only service is available at: 
321/867-1220/1240/1260.

	
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