[meteorite-list] Media Invited to Simulation of Asteroid Mission

[Ron Baalke]

Jan. 17, 2012

J.D. Harrington / Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-5241/1979
j.d.harrington at nasa.gov / michael.j.braukus at nasa.gov

Brandi Dean
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
brandi.k.dean at nasa.gov 

MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-009

MEDIA INVITED TO SIMULATION OF ASTEROID MISSION

HOUSTON - An astronaut and geologist will camp out in a prototype 
Space Exploration Vehicle this week to simulate an asteroid mission 
at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Astronaut Al Drew and 
geologist Jose M. Hurtado of the University of Texas in El Paso will 
spend three days and two nights living inside the Space Exploration 
Vehicle, or SEV's, cabin.

Media representatives interested in seeing part of the simulation at 
2:30 p.m. CST Thursday, Jan. 19, must contact Brandi Dean at 
brandi.k.dean at nasa.gov  by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18.

The public is invited to ask the crew questions via Twitter 
@Desert_RATS for a Twitterview the crew will participate in at 4:15 
p.m. on Friday, Jan. 20. Questions should be marked #SEV. RATS stands 
for Research and Technology Studies.

The SEV will be placed on an air-bearing floor to allow it to 
virtually float, much the way a hockey puck floats on an air hockey 
table. This will allow the crew to see how the SEV would handle in a 
microgravity environment and evaluate the view from the vehicle's 
windows.

During the media opportunity, one crew member will be conducting a 
simulated spacewalk in the virtual reality laboratory as the other 
assists from inside the SEV. Journalists also will be able to see the 
rover moving on the air-bearing floor as the crew simulates driving 
it in microgravity.

For information about the RATS tests, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/desertrats

For more information about the SEV, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/home/SEV.html 

Follow the RATS via Twitter at:

http://www.twitter.com/Desert_RATS

-end-