NASA Teleconference – New Planetary Science Mission To Be Announced

NASA will host a media teleconference at 5 p.m. EDT today to discuss the selection of a new Discovery-class mission that will further NASA’s exploration of the solar system. The selection will be the 12th in NASA’s series of Discovery-class missions.

The panelists for the briefing are:

— John Grunsfeld, astronaut and associate administrator, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington
— James Green, director, NASA’s Planetary Science Division, Washington

Created in 1992, the Discovery Program sponsors frequent, cost-capped solar system exploration missions with highly focused scientific goals. In May 2011, NASA selected three mission concepts from 28 proposals for funding to conduct preliminary design studies and analyses.

Recent Discovery missions include MESSENGER, Dawn, Stardust, Deep Impact and Genesis. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the program for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate.

Media wanting to participate in the teleconference must email their name and media affiliation to stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov or call 202-358-0918. The teleconference also will be streamed live online at: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio

For more information about the Discovery Program, visit: http://discovery.nasa.gov