Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington            April 25, 2002
(Phone: 202/358-1979)

June Malone
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
(Phone: 256/544-0034)

NOTE TO EDITORS: N02-32

NASA TO ANNOUNCE NEXT STEP TOWARD NEW LAUNCH VEHICLE

     NASA and aerospace industry representatives will 
announce results of the Space Launch Initiative's first 
milestone review, which narrowed the field of potential 
technologies and architecture designs for our nation's next 
reusable launch vehicle. NASA's Space Launch Initiative is 
designing the next-generation space transportation system by 
first developing the technologies needed to ensure a safer, 
more reliable system that can be operated at a much lower 
cost.  

NASA will hold a media briefing at 2 p.m. EDT Tuesday, April 
30, in the James E. Webb Auditorium, NASA Headquarters, 300 E 
Street, SW, Washington. 

Briefing the news media will be:
*  Dennis Smith, NASA Space Launch Initiative Program 
Manager, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
*  Michael Coats, Vice President Reusable Space 
Transportation Systems, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, 
Denver, Colo.
*  Kevin Neifert, Director Next Generation Launch Systems, 
The Boeing Co., Seal Beach, Calif.
*  Doug Young, Director Space Systems, Northrop Grumman 
Integrated Systems, El Segundo, Calif.
*  Dr. Antonio Elias, Executive Vice President and General 
Manager Advanced Programs, Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, 
Va.

The briefing will be carried live on NASA Television with 
two-way question-and-answer capability for reporters covering 
the briefing from participating NASA centers. NASA TV is 
broadcast on satellite GE-2, transponder 9C, at 85 degrees 
West longitude, vertical polarization, frequency 3880 MHz, 
audio of 6.8 MHz. The briefing also will be available on the 
Internet at:  
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv/ntvweb.html

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