Jan 17, 2012

J D Harrington / Michael Braukus Headquarters, Washington 202-358-5241/1979 j d harrington@nasa gov / michael j braukus@nasa gov

Brandi Dean Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 brandi k dean@nasa gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-009

MEDIA INVITED TO SIMULATION OF ASTEROID MISSION

HOUSTON - An astronaut and geologist will camp out in a prototype Space Exploration Vehicle this week to simulate an asteroid mission at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston Astronaut Al Drew and geologist Jose M Hurtado of the University of Texas in El Paso will spend three days and two nights living inside the Space Exploration Vehicle, or SEV's, cabin

Media representatives interested in seeing part of the simulation at 2:30 p m CST Thursday, Jan 19, must contact Brandi Dean at brandi k dean@nasa gov by 5 p m on Wednesday, Jan 18

The public is invited to ask the crew questions via Twitter @Desert_RATS for a Twitterview the crew will participate in at 4:15 p m on Friday, Jan 20 Questions should be marked #SEV RATS stands for Research and Technology Studies

The SEV will be placed on an air-bearing floor to allow it to virtually float, much the way a hockey puck floats on an air hockey table This will allow the crew to see how the SEV would handle in a microgravity environment and evaluate the view from the vehicle's windows

During the media opportunity, one crew member will be conducting a simulated spacewalk in the virtual reality laboratory as the other assists from inside the SEV Journalists also will be able to see the rover moving on the air-bearing floor as the crew simulates driving it in microgravity

For information about the RATS tests, visit:

http://www nasa gov/desertrats

For more information about the SEV, visit:

http://www nasa gov/exploration/home/SEV html

Follow the RATS via Twitter at:

http://www twitter com/Desert_RATS

-end-

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