Grey Hautaluoma/Stephanie Schierholz
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668/4997
grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov, stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov

Kelly Humphries
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
650-604-5026
kelly.o.humphries@nasa.gov

Katherine Martin
Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
216-433-2406
katherine.martin@nasa.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-108

NASA INVITES MEDIA TO OBSERVE TESTS OF LUNAR ROVERS AND SPACESUITS

HOUSTON -- News media are invited to a trek on the moon -- or at least
an earthly approximation of one.

Robots, rovers and lunar planners from NASA centers across the country
will gather at Moses Lake, Wash., in June to perform a series of
field tests based on mission-related activities for NASA's planned
return to the moon by 2020. A media day will be held June 10 to give
reporters a chance to observe the demonstrations.

Media interested in attending should contact Grey Hautaluoma or
Stephanie Schierholz at NASA Headquarters no later than June 6.
Access to the test site is restricted and requires a letter of
assignment on company letterhead for credentials.

During the media day, robots will simulate lunar exploration, site
surveys and outpost construction. Astronauts, engineers, and
scientists will wear prototype spacesuits, drive prototype rovers and
simulate scientific work. Reporters will be able to observe and
photograph these activities and interview engineers involved in the
robots' development.

The humans and robots will demonstrate their ability to perform some
of the work that NASA's Lunar Architecture Team and studies by the
Constellation Program have identified as possible in future lunar
exploration. These experiments could inspire new areas of development
or help engineers spot complications that might not be obvious in
smaller scale laboratories. The advanced capabilities to be
demonstrated are being developed by the Exploration Systems Mission
Directorate's Exploration Technology Development Program, based at
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.

The NASA centers involved include Langley, Johnson Space Center,
Houston, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., Ames Research
Center, Moffett Field, Calif., Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, and
Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tests are in preparation for a
larger set of experiments scheduled for the fall as part of the
Desert Research and Technology Studies project.

For more about NASA's plans to establish an outpost on the moon,
visit: