NASA Announces Telephone Media Briefing With NEEMO 14 Crew

WASHINGTON — NASA will hold a media teleconference Friday, May 21, at 3:15 p.m. EDT with the crew of the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO, living underwater off the coast of Florida.

On May 10, NASA sent two astronauts, a veteran undersea engineer and a scientist on a 14-day expedition to test exploration concepts and to learn more about working in an unforgiving, treacherous space-like environment.

Reporters should contact NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston at 281-483-5111 by noon May 21 for dial-in information. Canadian reporters should RSVP to the Canadian Space Agency at 450-926-4370.

Canadian Space Agency astronaut and veteran spacewalker Chris A. Hadfield leads the 14th NEEMO mission aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Aquarius Underwater Laboratory. The crew also includes NASA astronaut and flight surgeon Thomas Marshburn, Electric Rover Deputy Project Manager Andrew Abercromby and research scientist Steve Chappell.

Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live on NASA’s website at: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) operates Aquarius on behalf of NOAA as part of the agency’s Undersea Research Program. Reporters can monitor the UNCW webcam at: http://www.uncw.edu/aquarius/thumb_cam.htm

The NEEMO missions are a cooperative project among NASA, NOAA and UNCW. For more information about NEEMO 14 visit: http://www.nasa.gov/neemo