[meteorite-list] NASA Centers Host Public Viewing Events for Nov. 18 Mars Mission Launch (MAVEN)

[Ron Baalke]

November 15, 2013

Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726
dwayne.c.brown at nasa.gov 
     
MEDIA ADVISORY M13-180
     
NASA Centers Host Public Viewing Events for Nov. 18 Mars Mission Launch

Five NASA centers around the United States will host events and activities  
Monday, Nov. 18, for the public to view the launch of the agency's Mars  
Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft and learn about its  
mission.

MAVEN, which is set to launch at 1:28 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Air Force  
Station in Florida, will take critical measurements of the Martian upper  
atmosphere to help scientists understand climate change over the Red Planet's  
history.

Here is a schedule of events at NASA facilities in Washington, Maryland,  
Mississippi, Alabama and West Virginia:

(All times Eastern)

11 a.m. -- NASA's Stennis Space Center, near Bay St. Louis, Miss.: The  
INFINITY Science Center located on I-10 Exit 2, will host a live viewing of  
the launch, science project discussions with featured speakers, conduct a  
parachute design and launch demonstration and a Mars habitat competition.  
Visitors also may have their photographs taken on a simulated Martian  
surface. For more information, call 228-533-9025, ext. 311.

Noon -- NASA Headquarters, Washington: Launch coverage will be available in  
the James Webb Auditorium at 300 E St. SW. Jim Garvin, chief scientist at  
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt Md., will discuss Mars  
exploration plans and answer questions from the public. MAVEN materials and  
other handouts will be available.

Noon -- NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. and the U.S.  
Space & Rocket Center will host a pre-launch panel discussion with  
representatives from the Marshall Center titled "Deep Space Exploration: Mars  
and Beyond." There will also be educational activities for children. The  
event will be held in the U.S. Space & Rocket Center's Davidson Center  
Digital Theater located at One Tranquility Base, Huntsville, Ala., 35805. The  
event is open to the public and there will be signs directing the public  
where to park. The launch will be shown live in the theater at 1:28 p.m. For  
more information, contact Shannon Ridinger at 256-544-3774.

1 p.m. -- NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.: Goddard's  
Visitors Center auditorium located off ICESat Road (formerly Soil  
Conservation Road) will show the launch and have available a planetary  
scientist to answer visitors' questions. For more information, contact the  
Goddard newsroom at 301-286-8955.

1 p.m. -- NASA's Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Facility,  
5000 NASA Blvd. 5th Floor, Fairmont, W.Va: Events will include educational  
activities for students and educators before and after launch coverage.   
Take either elevator to the 5th floor. Media should use the South entrance.  
For more information contact Jennifer Neptune at: 304-367-8262.

For more details on MAVEN launch and mission activities, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/maven 

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