[meteorite-list] NASA Announces First Comet Sample Return to Earth (Stardust)

[Ron Baalke]

December 15, 2005

Dwayne Brown/Merrilee Fellows 
Headquarters, Washington 
(202)358-1726/ (818) 393-0754 

RELEASE: M05-195

NASA ANNOUNCES FIRST COMET SAMPLE RETURN TO EARTH

NASA will brief news media at 1 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Dec. 21, about 
the return of the Stardust capsule. The capsule is carrying cometary 
and interstellar dust particles back to Earth. The briefing is at 
NASA headquarters, 300 E Street S.W., Washington. It will air live on 
the Web and on NASA TV's Public and Media channels. 

Participants: 
* Andy Dantzler, Director, Solar System Division, NASA Headquarters 
* Tom Duxbury, Project Manager, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) 
  Pasadena, Calif. 
* Ed Hirst, Mission System Manager, JPL 
* Dr. Don Brownlee, Principal Investigator, University of Washington, 
  Seattle

Question-and-answer capability for reporters is available from 
participating NASA centers. To ask questions by phone, reporters must 
call the JPL media relations office NLT 5 p.m. EST, Tuesday at: (818) 
354-5011 to obtain a call-in number.

NASA TV's Public, Education and Media channels are available on an 
MPEG-2 digital C-band signal accessed via satellite AMC-6, at 72 
degrees west longitude, transponder 17C, 4040 MHz, vertical 
polarization. In Alaska and Hawaii, they're on AMC-7 at 137 degrees 
west longitude, transponder 18C, at 4060 MHz, horizontal 
polarization. A Digital Video Broadcast compliant Integrated Receiver 
Decoder is required for reception. For digital downlink information 
for each NASA TV channel and access to NASA TV's Public Channel on 
the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv 

For information about Stardust on the Web, visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov/stardust 

For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov/home 

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