Dolores Beasley<br />Headquarters, Washington February 17, 2006<br />Phone: (202) 358-1753<br /><br />Nancy Neal Jones<br />Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.<br />Phone: (301) 286-0039<br /><br />RELEASE: 06-065<br /><br />NASA'S LUNAR ORBITER TEAM PASSES PRELIMINARY DESIGN REVIEW<br /><br />NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter team recently passed its<br />Preliminary Design Review heralding the start of the mission<br />confirmation process.<br /><br />The first in a series of robotic missions to the moon, the lunar<br />orbiter is scheduled for launch in October 2008. It will carry six<br />science instruments and a technology demonstration. The mission goal<br />is to develop new approaches and technologies to support human space<br />exploration to Mars and other destinations.<br /><br />The preliminary design review concluded Feb. 9. The results of the<br />review, on-going assessments of project cost and schedule will<br />support a confirmation review this spring.<br /><br />The confirmation review represents NASA's formal decision for<br />authorizing additional work and will set the project's cost estimate.<br />The mission's Critical Design Review is scheduled for fall. It will<br />represent the completion of detailed system design, the transition to<br />assembly and integration of the mission elements.<br /><br />For information about NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate<br />on the Web, visit:<br /> <br /><br />For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:<br /> http://www.nasa.gov/home