[meteorite-list] NASA Events Commemorate Rover Anniversary on Mars

[Ron Baalke]

Dolores Beasley
Headquarters, Washington             Dec. 30, 2004
(Phone: 202/358-1753)

Guy Webster 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
(Phone: 818/354-6278)

MEDIA ADVISORY: M04-213

NASA EVENTS COMMEMORATE ROVER ANNIVERSARY ON MARS

     On Jan. 3, 2004, cheers erupted from mission control at NASA's Jet 
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), when the first robotic rover successfully 
landed on Mars. Three weeks later, the second rover successfully landed 
on the opposite side of Mars.

One year later rovers Spirit and Opportunity have exceeded all mission 
expectations and continue to make discoveries. The goal of NASA's Mars 
Exploration Rover (MER) mission was to explore for a minimum of 90 days 
to search for evidence of past water activity.

"One Year on Mars," a special two-hour live event to commemorate the 
mission, will be presented at JPL on Monday, Jan. 3, 2005, from 2 p.m. 
to 4 p.m. EST. The live event, along with additional taped programming 
and live-shot opportunities, will be aired on NASA-TV.

At 2 p.m. EST, a news briefing will detail discoveries made in 2004, 
and the rover's outlook for 2005. Panelists:

-- NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe
-- Dr. Charles Elachi, Director, JPL 
-- Jim Erickson, MER Project Manager, JPL 
-- Dr. Steve Squyres, MER Principal Investigator, Cornell University, 
   Ithaca, N.Y. 
-- Dr. Firouz Naderi, MER Program Manager, JPL
-- Dr. Jim Garvin, Chief Scientist, NASA Headquarters, Washington. 

At 3 p.m. EST, the MER team will present "Mars Stories We've Never 
Told."  This 60-minute live program will feature members recounting 
personal experiences of the past year. The program will end with the 
cutting of a rover "birthday cake."

Two additional rover programs will air on NASA TV on Monday. "Twelve 
Wheels on Mars" airs at 1 p.m. EST. This 60-minute program features 
professional storyteller Syd Lieberman, who spent several months with 
the MER team. "Two for Two" a 20-minute program about the rovers airs 
at 4 p.m. EST.

Live shot opportunities with Squyres are available from 4:20 to 7:00 
p.m. EST. To book a window for a live shot, contact Jack Dawson at: 
818/354-0040. News media must contact the JPL media relations' office 
in advance at: 818/ 354-5011 to arrange access to events.

NASA TV is available on the Web and via satellite in the continental 
U.S. on AMC-6, Transponder 9C, C-Band, at 72 degrees west longitude. 
The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is 
monaural at 6.80 MHz. In Alaska and Hawaii, NASA TV is available on 
AMC-7, Transponder 18C, C-Band, at 137 degrees west longitude. The 
frequency is 4060.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is 
monaural at 6.80 MHz. For NASA TV information and schedules on the 
Internet, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

JPL has managed the Mars Exploration Rover project since it began in 
2000. Anniversary multimedia features will be added Monday to rover 
information available on the Web at:

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/mer_main.html

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mer

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov


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