Nov 20, 2008

Amber Philman Kennedy Space Center, Fla 321-867-2468 amber n philman@nasa gov

Grey Hautaluoma/Ashley Edwards Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0668/1756 grey hautaluoma-1@nasa gov, ashley edwards-1@nasa gov

Lynnette B Madison/Josh Byerly Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 lynnette b madison@nasa gov, bill j byerly@nasa gov

Trina Patterson ATK, Promontory, Utah 801-699-0943 trina patterson@atk com

MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-236

NASA TO BRIEF MEDIA ABOUT TEST OF ORION LAUNCH ABORT SYSTEM MOTOR

PROMONTORY, Utah - NASA, ATK, Orbital Sciences Corporation and Lockheed Martin representatives will hold a teleconference at 4:30 p m EST today, Thursday, Nov 20, to discuss the results of the first full-scale test fire of the motor for a new launch abort system

Reporters should dial 888-469-1980 or 517-308-9161 and give the passcode "motor test" to participate in the call

The launch abort system will sit atop the Orion crew exploration vehicle The abort motor is designed to pull the crew module away from the Ares I launch vehicle in an emergency situation on the launch pad or during the first 300,000 feet after launch

The test takes place today at 3 p m EST at the ATK Launch Systems facility in Promontory, Utah This is the first time such a test has been conducted since the Apollo Program tested its launch escape system in the 1960s The demonstration is the culmination of a series of motor and component tests conducted earlier this year in preparation for a test with a mock-up of the Orion crew capsule scheduled for the spring of 2009

NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va , manages the Orion launch abort system Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, is responsible for the launch abort motor under contract to Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Va Orbital is building the entire launch abort system for the Orion crew exploration vehicle Lockheed Martin Corporation of Denver is the prime contractor for Orion For more information about the Orion crew capsule and the Constellation Program, visit:

http://www nasa gov/orion

-end-

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