Nov 21 2011

From The Space Library

MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-238 NASA UPDATES PRELAUNCH EVENTS FOR MARS SCIENCE LAB MISSION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has updated the news conferences, events and operating hours for the press site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., for the agency's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover launch. MSL is scheduled to liftoff at 10:02 a.m. EST on Nov. 26 from Space Launch Complex 41 at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). NASA Television's countdown launch commentary begins at 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 26. That also is when a NASA blog will begin providing countdown updates. Originating from CCAFS Hangar AE, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to liftoff. The Curiosity rover has 10 science instruments to search for evidence about whether Mars had environments favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. The rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release their gasses so its spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Free wireless Internet access currently is not available at Kennedy's press site. Media representatives must bring their own equipment for wireless connectivity.

RELEASE: 11-392 NASA EXPANDS WOMEN(at)NASA WEBSITE TO ENCOURAGE GIRLS TO PURSUE STEM CAREERS

WASHINGTON -- NASA has expanded its Women(at)NASA website to include Aspire 2 Inspire, a new feature aimed at helping middle school girls explore education and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The site features four short films and one overview film that explore the careers and backgrounds of early-career women who work for NASA in each of the STEM areas. A list of community organizations and NASA-affiliated outreach programs with a STEM emphasis also is available. The site also features four Twitter feeds where visiting girls can interact with and submit questions to the young women featured in the films. "We have an opportunity to reach out to the next generation and inspire today's girls to pursue science and technology careers," said Rebecca Keiser, the agency's associate director for agency-level policy integration and representative to the White House Council on Women and Girls. "Expanding opportunities in these fields will give our country perspectives and expertise that will help us out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the world. It's key to our future."

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