NASA Announces Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Coverage
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter begins the most critical minutes of its flight on March 10. NASA is providing mission briefings and commentary March 8 and 10.
Live coverage of the arrival at Mars originates from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., on NASA TV and the Web. The JPL newsroom will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST, March 10. The main number for the newsroom is: (818) 354-5011.
Live arrival and orbit insertion commentary airs on NASA TV and the Web on March 10 beginning at 3:30 p.m. EST. The orbiter’s main engines begin firing shortly after 4:24 p.m. EST to slow it enough for Martian gravity to grab it into orbit. Commentary ends at approximately 5:45 p.m. EST.
To cover news briefings and mission events at JPL, reporters must contact Media Relations at: (818) 354-5011 not later than 6 p.m. EST, March 7. Valid I.D. and press credentials must be shown on arrival. Non U.S. citizens must present passport and visa. News briefings from JPL will be carried on the Web and NASA TV (all times EST and subject to change):
Wednesday, March 8:
— 1 p.m. EST, mission overview news briefing
Friday, March 10:
— Noon EST, pre-arrival news briefing
— 7:30 p.m. EST, post-arrival news briefing
Mission information, including a press kit, news releases, status reports, briefing schedule, videos and images, is available on the Web at:
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:
NASA TV is carried on the Web and on an MPEG-2 digital signal accessed via satellite AMC-6, at 72 degrees west longitude, transponder 17C, 4040 MHz, vertical polarization. It’s available in Alaska and Hawaii on AMC-7 at 137 degrees west longitude, transponder 18C, at 4060 MHz, horizontal polarization. The schedule for mission coverage is on the Web at:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Breaking.html
JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
