yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (02/19/91)
Mark Hess Headquarters, Washington, D.C. February 15, 1991 (Phone: 202/453-8536) Barbara Schwartz Johnson Space Center, Houston (Phone: 713/483-5111) N91-11 EDITORS NOTE: SHUTTLE MISSION STS-37 PREFLIGHT BRIEFINGS News media are invited to attend briefings on Space Shuttle mission STS-37, Feb. 25 and 26, to be held at the Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston and at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, Md. The major objectives of this mission are to deploy the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) and to conduct a 6-hour EVA (Extravehicular Activity better know as a "spacewalk") to evaluate proposed Space Station Freedom equipment operations. On Feb. 25 at 9 a.m. EST, Lead Flight Director Chuck Shaw will begin the briefings with a mission overview. At 10 a.m. EST, GRO engineers and scientists will report on the status and mission of NASA's second great observatory. This will be followed by briefings on Bioserve-Instrumentation Technology Associates Materials Dispersion Apparatus (BIMDA) and Protein Crystal Growth (PCG-III). At 2 p.m. EST, the STS-37 crew will review each person's flight duties. All briefings will originate from JSC except the GRO briefings which will be held at GSFC. The astronauts will be available for round robin interviews following the briefings. News media wishing to participate in the interview sessions should contact Barbara Schwartz at (713) 483-5111 by Feb. 20. Media planning to attend the briefings at GSFC should call Randee Exler (301) 286- 8955. An EVA workshop has been planned for Feb. 26 beginning at 10 a.m. EST in JSC Bldg. 9B on the air bearing floor. Activities include a briefing on EVA planning and equipment development, an opportunity to try out the equipment, a display of EVA tools and spacesuit and a visit to the Weightless Environment Training Facility to see astronauts participating in an EVA training exercise. The briefings on Feb 25 will be carried on NASA Select television with two-way audio for press participation at NASA Headquarters, GSFC and other NASA centers. The round robins and EVA workshop will not be televised. NASA Select television is carried on SATCOM F2R, transponder 13, located at 72 degrees west longitude.