NASA Daily News Summary

For Release: May 19, 1999

Media Advisory m99-100

Summary:

-- News Release: Kathie L. Olsen Selected As NASA Chief Scientist

-- Video File for May 19, 1999

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KATHIE L. OLSEN SELECTED AS NASA CHIEF SCIENTIST

NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin has selected biologist Dr.

Kathie L. Olsen of the National Science Foundation to be the space
agency's chief scientist, effective May 24. Olsen will be the
Administrator's senior scientific advisor and principal liaison to the
national and international scientific communities. Olsen most recently
has been a senior staff associate in the National Science Foundation's
Office of Integrative Activities. She held numerous other science-
related positions within the Foundation since 1984.

Contact at NASA Headquarters: Elizabeth Schmid, 202/358-1760.

Full text of the release:

ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/1999/99-062.txt

If NASA issues any news releases later today, we will

e-mail summaries and Internet URLs to this list.

Index of 1999 NASA News Releases:

http://www.nasa.gov/releases/1999/index.html

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Video File for May 19, 1999

ITEM 1 TWO NASA SPACECRAFT OBSERVE LARGE WEATHER SYSTEM

ON MARS(TRT
01:30 approx.)
ITEM 2 NASA NAMES ASTROBIOLOGY DIRECTOR (REPLAY)
ITEM 3 COMPUTER PROGRAM COMMANDS DEEP SPACE 1 (REPLAY)
(TRT 09:40)
ITEM 4 FROM SCIENCE FACT TO SCIENCE FICTION (REPLAY) (TRT
09:35)

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ITEM 1 TWO NASA SPACECRAFT OBSERVE LARGE WEATHER SYSTEM
ON MARS
Item 1A Hubble Sees Cyclone on Mars
On April 27, 1999 the Hubble Space Telescope took a series of
images of Mars and discovered an enormous cyclonic storm system raging
in the northern polar regions. The storm consists of at least three or
more bands organized into a spiral structure and wrapped around an eye.

Item 1B Clouds Near North Pole on Mars

This animation shows observations from April 30 to May 4, 1999 of a
portion of the northern hemisphere of Mars taken by the Mars Orbiter
Camera aboard the Mars Global Surveyor. Temperature differences create
strong winds that mix the atmosphere and create waves of clouds that
swirl around the polar cap.

Contact at NASA Headquarters: Donald Savage, 202/358-1727;

Contact at Jet Propulsion Lab: Mary Hardin, 818/354-0344.

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ITEM 2 NASA NAMES ASTROBIOLOGY DIRECTOR (REPLAY)
NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and Ames Center Director Dr.
Henry McDonald introduced Baruch Blumberg, the new director of NASA's
Astrobiology Institute, today. NASA's Astrobiology Institute is a
virtual research institution comprised of eleven member institutions
from across the country. Astrobiology is an emerging interdisciplinary
field that deals with exciting questions about life in the universe:
its origin, evolution, distribution, and destiny. More information about
Astrobiology is on the web at: http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov.

Contact at NASA Headquarters: Donald Savage, 202/358-1727;

Contact at NASA Ames: David Morse, 650/604-4724.

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ITEM 3 DEEP SPACE 1 REMOTE AGENT SOFTWARE TEST (REPLAY)
NASA is testing artificial intelligence software, called Remote
Agent, to command its Deep Space 1 spacecraft.

Item 3A Remote Agent Software

Animation shows the command sequence as the
Remote Agent software directs Deep Space 1 to fire its thrusters.
Drawing dissolves to spacecraft as it flies by and fires its thrusters.

Item 3B Interview excerpts

Dr. Pandu Nayak, Deputy Lead of the Remote Agent Experiment,
NASA Ames Research Center
Item 3C Interview excerpts
Dr. Douglas Bernhard, Remote Agent Project Manager, Jet Propulsion
Laboratory

Item 3D Deep Space 1 Mission Animation

Animation shows the Deep Space 1 spacecraft leaving Earth,
navigating deep in space and later flying by an asteroid and two comets.

Item 3E Deep Space 1 in the clean room

B-roll shows the Deep Space 1 spacecraft being assembled in the
clean room and sealed into the rocket.

Contact at NASA Headquarters: Doug Isbell, 202/358-1753;

Contact at NASA Ames: John Bluck, 650/604-5026;
Contact at Jet Propulsion Laboratory: John Watson, 818/ 354-0474.

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ITEM 4 FROM SCIENCE FACT TO SCIENCE FICTION (REPLAY)

Item 4A Advanced Spacecraft

NASA scientists and engineers are developing cutting edge
technologies for future space transportation. Footage includes advanced
spacecraft and antimatter storage device animation, magnetic levitation
and VentureStar animation.

Item 4B Hardware B-roll

B-roll shows scientists looking at fusion propulsion experiment
hardware.

Item 4C Interview excerpts

Garry Lyles, Advanced Space Transportation Program Manager,
Marshall Space Flight Center

Item 4D Interview excerpts

Dr. George Schmidt, Propulsion Research Center Manager

Contact at NASA Marshall: June Malone, 256/544-7061.

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Refer general questions about the video file to NASA
Headquarters, Washington, DC: Ray Castillo, 202/358-4555, or
Pam Poe, 202/358-0373.

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end of daily news summary