Donald Savage
Headquarters, Washington, DC                 December 4, 2000
(Phone:  202/358-1727)

Mary Hardin
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
(Phone:  818/354-0344)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N00-59

MAJOR MARS DISCOVERY TO BE ANNOUNCED TODAY IN PRESS BRIEFING

     Imaging scientists Dr. Michael Malin and Dr. Ken Edgett from 
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft will present what they 
describe as their most significant discovery yet at a press 
briefing today from 4:00 to 4:45 p.m. EST. 

The briefing will be held at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 
Pasadena, CA, and broadcast live on NASA Television (NTV). NTV is 
available on the GE-2 satellite, transponder 9C, at 85 degrees 
West longitude, frequency 3880.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz. Reporters 
will be able to ask questions if they cover the briefing from 
participating NASA centers.

Participants will be:
* Dr. Michael Malin, principal investigator, Mars Orbiter Camera 
on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, at Malin Space Science 
Systems (MSSS), San Diego, CA
* Dr. Ken Edgett, staff scientist at MSSS
* Dr. Jim Garvin, Mars Exploration Program Scientist at NASA 
Headquarters.

Images will be available at the time of the briefing on the 
Internet at:

              http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs

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