Robert Mirelson
Headquarters, Washington         Feb. 1, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-1600)            1:15 p.m. EST

RELEASE: 03-031

NASA PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCED

     A press conference by Space Shuttle Program Manager Ron 
Dittemore and Chief Flight Director Milt Heflin will take 
place from NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, beginning 
at 3 p.m. EST today.  The briefing will be carried on NASA 
TV with two-way question and answer capability from other 
agency centers.

A Space Shuttle contingency was declared earlier this 
morning in Mission Control when communication was lost with 
the Space Shuttle Columbia during its return to Earth 
following a 16-day mission.

Communication and tracking of the shuttle was lost at 9 a.m. 
at an altitude of about 203,000 feet above north central 
Texas while traveling approximately 12,500 miles per hour 
(Mach 18).  No communication and tracking information was 
received in Mission Control after that time.

Flight controllers in Mission Control immediately began the 
process of securing all information, notes and data 
pertinent to today's reentry andlanding.

NASA TV is on AMC-2, Transponder 9C, vertical polarization 
at 85 degrees West longitude, 3880 MHz, with audio at 6.8 
MHz.

More information will be released as it becomes available. 
NASA information is available on the Internet at: 

www.nasa.gov


-end-