Donald Savage
Headquarters, Washington, DC                    October 25, 2000
(Phone:  202/358-1547)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N00-052

NASA TO ANNOUNCE MARS ROBOTIC EXPLORATION PLAN ON OCT. 26

     NASA's overall plan for Mars exploration over the next two 
decades will be announced at a press briefing at 1 p.m. EDT Thursday, 
Oct. 26, at NASA Headquarters, located at 300 E St. SW, Washington, 
DC. 

The plan is the result of six months of intensive planning involving 
NASA and international partners and builds on the already announced 
plans for an orbiter to be launched in 2001 and twin rovers in 2003.

Participants will be:

*   Dr. Edward Weiler, Associate Administrator, Office of Space 
Science, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC.
*   Scott Hubbard, Mars Program Director, NASA Headquarters, 
Washington, DC.
*   Dr. Jim Garvin, Mars Program Scientist, NASA Headquarters, 
Washington, DC.
*   Dr. Firouz Naderi, Mars Program Manager, Jet Propulsion 
Laboratory, Pasadena, CA.

The press briefing will originate from the James E. Webb Auditorium at 
NASA Headquarters, and will be carried live on NASA Television with 
two-way question-and-answer capability for reporters covering the 
event from participating NASA centers. 

NASA TV is broadcast on  the GE2 satellite which is located on 
Transponder 9C, at 85 degrees West longitude, frequency 3880.0 Mhz, 
audio 6.8 MHz. Audio of the broadcast will be available on voice 
circuit at the Kennedy Space Center on 321/867-1220.

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