NASA News <br />National Aeronautics and<br />Space Administration<br /><br /><br />John F. Kennedy Space Center<br />Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899<br />AC 321-867-2468<br />____________________________________________________________________________<br />_______________________________<br />For Release: June 5, 2003 <br /><br /><br />Dennis Armstrong<br />Kennedy Space Center, Fla.<br />(321) 867-2468 <br /><br /><br />KSC Release No. 41 - 03<br /><br /><br />KSC'S EXPENDABLE VEHICLE WEB COVERAGE DEBUTS WITH MER-A LAUNCH<br /><br /><br />With the launch of the first rover beginning the Mars Exploration Rover<br />(MER) mission, the Kennedy Space Center Web site is celebrating its<br />first-time online coverage of an expendable vehicle mission.<br /><br /><br />On Saturday, June 7, NASA Direct!'s MER-A programming will kick off with<br />"Preparing for Launch," hosted by Jon Cowart and featuring Launch Weather<br />Officer Joel Tumbiolo, NASA Launch Manager Omar Baez, and MER Manager Matt<br />Wallace. The launch day program, "MER Mission Overview," will be hosted by<br />Tiffany Nail and will include MER Flight Systems Manager Richard Cook and<br />Deputy Project Manager Richard Brace.<br /><br /><br />Viewers will see informative programming highlighting the objectives of the<br />MER-A launch and the twin rovers' upcoming mission. During both programs,<br />featured guests will answer questions submitted to the NASA Direct! Question<br />Boards from space enthusiasts around the world. The NASA Direct! home page<br />and Question Boards can be viewed online at<br />http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/nasadirect/index.htm.<br /><br /><br />In addition to NASA Direct!, the KSC Web will provide live countdown<br />coverage from the Virtual Launch Control Center, located at<br />http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/elvnew/mera/vlcc.htm. Coverage will feature<br />real-time updating as milestones occur during the countdown, as well as<br />downloadable and streaming video clips of countdown events. All videos will<br />be provided in RealMedia format, with downloadable clips available in two<br />sizes for users with 56K modems or cable/broadband connections.<br /><br /><br />MER-A WEB COVERAGE SCHEDULE (all times are EDT and subject to change)<br /><br /><br />L-1 Day - Saturday, June 7<br />Approx. 2:15 p.m. NASA Direct! program: Preparing for Launch<br /> <br />http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/nasadirect/elv/mera/event1.htm<br /><br /><br />L-0 Days - Launch Day, Sunday, June 8<br />Approx. 12:15 p.m. Live countdown coverage begins<br /> http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/elvnew/mera/vlcc.htm<br /><br /><br />Approx. 5:15 p.m. NASA Direct! program: MER Mission Overview<br /> <br />http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/nasadirect/elv/mera/event2.htm<br /><br /><br />For the exact time of the start of NASA Direct! programming, please check<br />the NASA Direct! site each program day.<br /><br /><br />Although coverage events for this mission do not begin until one day prior<br />to launch, the MER-A coverage site at<br /><http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/elvnew/mera/index.htm> was activated approximately<br />one month before the anticipated launch date. KSC's Expendable Launch<br />Vehicles site at <http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/elvnew/elv.htm> will always serve<br />as a starting point for coverage of other NASA ELV missions.