David E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington               July 10, 2002
(Phone: 202/358-1730)

NOTE TO EDITORS: N02-48

MEDIA DAY PLANNED FOR NASA'S KEY WEST CLOUD CAMPAIGN

     Reporters are invited to attend a media day on Tuesday, 
July 16, from 9 a.m. to noon EDT at Naval Air Station Key 
West, Fla., to learn about NASA's CRYSTAL-FACE mission, a 
complex airborne and spaceborne science campaign exploring 
how cirrus clouds affect climate change. It's research that 
also will help to create better weather forecasting models in 
the future.

CRYSTAL-FACE, or Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and 
Cirrus Layers - Florida Area Cirrus Experiment, includes more 
than 400 researchers from around the world and six different 
research aircraft equipped with advanced scientific 
instruments for studying the clouds over and around Florida. 
NASA will use the aircraft and spacecraft to observe how 
these clouds form and dissipate - knowledge key to our 
understanding of how clouds insulate the Earth and reflect 
heat in out atmosphere.

Press will be allowed access to the researchers, aircraft, 
and pilots, during 

Press wishing to attend the media day must provide the 
following information to NASA public affairs by no later than 
noon July 12:

Name
Affiliation
Social Security Number

All information must be sent via fax or email by noon July 12 
to:

NASA CRYSTAL FACE PUBLIC AFFAIRS
dsteitz@hq.nasa.gov
fax: 202/358-4210

On Tuesday media should assemble at the main visitor's 
parking area for escort to the hanger. For security purposes, 
media that do not pre-register by noon on July 12 will not be 
allowed onto the facility.  Extensive background material on 
the mission can be found on the Internet at: 
http://cloud1.arc.nasa.gov/crystalface

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