[meteorite-list] NASA Administrator Visits California Centers, Meets Media

[Ron Baalke]

May 20, 2013

Michael Cabbage 
Headquarters, Washington                                
202-358-1600 
mcabbage at nasa.gov 

MEDIA ADVISORY: M13-079

NASA ADMINISTRATOR VISITS CALIFORNIA CENTERS, MEETS MEDIA

WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will hold media 
availabilities at all three of the agency's centers in California 
this week, highlighting progress on the asteroid mission, commercial 
crew transportation and space technology development. 

Bolden will tour of Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Space Systems' 
Dream Chaser spacecraft Wednesday, May 22 at NASA's Dryden Flight 
Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base. SNC is preparing the 
vehicle for tow, captive-carry and free-flight tests later this year 
as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) initiatives to 
develop safe, reliable and cost-effective access to and from the 
International Space Station and low-Earth orbit. 

Bolden, Dryden Center Director David McBride and Sierra Nevada's 
director of flight operations, former NASA space shuttle astronaut 
Steve Lindsey, will make remarks and take questions from the media 
next to the vehicle at 10 a.m. PDT. 

Media representatives who want to participate in the Dream Chaser tour 
and briefings must request credentials from Dryden's public affairs 
office at drydenpao-media at mail.nasa.gov or 661-276-3449 by no later 
than 5 p.m., today, May 20. Journalists should plan to arrive at 
Dryden no later than 9:30 a.m. PDT May 22. 

On Thursday, May 23, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in 
Pasadena, Bolden will see a prototype ion thruster being tested for 
NASA's mission to capture and relocate an asteroid. JPL and NASA's 
Glenn Research Center in Cleveland are developing the ion thruster 
jointly. The administrator, mission engineers and asteroid experts 
will make remarks and take questions from the media at 11 a.m. 

Journalists who want to participate in the asteroid redirect briefing 
should contact DC Agle at 818-393-9011. 

On Friday, May 24, at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, 
Bolden, Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden and Rep. Mike Honda (17th 
congressional district) of California will visit Ames' Space Shop to 
see work being done on PhoneSat nanosatellite technology and additive 
manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing, which is a critical part 
of President Obama's push for building a strong American 
manufacturing sector. The PhoneSat program recently launched three 
small satellites built from off-the-shelf cellular phone technology. 
Bolden, Worden and Honda will make remarks and take questions at 10 
a.m. 

Media representatives who want to participate in the Ames media 
availability should contact Mike Mewhinney at 650-604-3937 by 4 p.m. 
May 23. 

While at the three centers, Bolden also will speak with employees and 
be briefed on current programs, projects and operations. 

For more information about NASA's programs and missions, visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov  

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