Add to NASA News Summary of Nov.

12, 1998

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* Five Discovery Mission Proposals Selected For Feasibility

Studies

* Video File Notes for Nov. 13, 1998

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FIVE DISCOVERY MISSION PROPOSALS SELECTED FOR FEASIBILITY

STUDIES

In the first step of a two-step process, NASA has

selected five proposals for detailed study as candidates for
the next missions in the Agency's Discovery Program of lower-
cost, highly focused scientific spacecraft.

In a unique step for this program, NASA has also decided

to fund a coinvestigator to provide part of an instrument to
study the interaction between the solar wind and the
atmosphere of Mars. It is scheduled to fly aboard the
European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft in 2003.
NASA plans to consider such investigations, categorized as
"Missions of Opportunity," in all future Discovery and
Explorer program Announcements of Opportunity.

The mission proposals selected for further study would

send spacecraft to orbit Mercury, return samples of the two
small moons of Mars to Earth, study the interior of Jupiter,
excavate and study material from deep inside a comet nucleus
and investigate the middle atmosphere of Venus.

Contact at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC: Douglas Isbell

202/358-1753.

Full text available at:

ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/1998/98-203.txt

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VIDEO FILE NOTE: Due to the number of briefings on NASA TV

tomorrow, the November 13 Video File will run at 8:00 a.m.
and 5:00 p.m. EST.

ITEM 1: MARS 1998 MISSIONS READY TO GO

Mars Climate Orbiter, Mars Polar Lander, and Deep Space 2
mission animation and hardware B-roll. The Climate Orbiter
is scheduled for launch from Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 10,
1998, with the Polar Lander to follow on Jan. 3, 1998. The
Deep Space 2 probes will piggyback on the Polar Lander.

Contacts at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA:

Diane Ainsworth (Mars) or John Watson (DS2) 818-354-5011.
Contact at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC: Doug Isbell
202/358-1753.

ITEM 2: INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION READY FOR ASSEMBLY

NASA is ready to launch the first pieces of the
International Space Station. Zarya--the first element--will
launch from Baikonur, Kazakstan, on Nov. 20, 1998, with
Unity--the second element--following on Dec. 3, 1998, from
the Kennedy Space Center. Today's Video File has mission
animation and hardware footage.

Contact at NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX: James

Hartsfield 281/483-5111.
Contact at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC: Dwayne Brown
202/358-1762.

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The NASA Video File normally airs at noon, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00
p.m. and midnight Eastern time. NASA Television is available
on GE-2, transponder 9C at 85 degrees West longitude, with
vertical polarization. Frequency is on 3880.0 megahertz,
with audio on 6.8 megahertz.

Ray Castillo
NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC: 202/358-4555.

The most recent NASA Video File Advisory can be found at:
ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/tv-advisory/nasa-tv.txt

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