January 29, 1999
KSC Contact: George H. Diller
KSC Release No. 9-99

Note to Editors/News Directors:
STARDUST SCHEDULED FOR LAUNCH ON DELTA ROCKET FEB. 6

The launch of NASA's Stardust spacecraft aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 6, 1999. There is a single instantaneous launch opportunity available that day at 4:06:42 p.m. EST. The next available window is on Sunday, Feb. 7 at 4:04:15 p.m. EST. Liftoff will occur from Pad A at Launch Complex 17 on Cape Canaveral Air Station.

Stardust will fly through the dust cloud that surrounds the nucleus of a comet-and for the first time ever, bring cometary material back to earth. The spacecraft will also collect interstellar dust from a recently discovered flow of particles that passes through our solar system from interstellar space. Comets may be the oldest, most primitive bodies in the solar system, a preserved record of the original nebula that formed the Sun and the planets.

The Stardust spacecraft has completed final checkout at KSC and was mated to the Boeing Delta II at the launch pad on Jan. 28. The Delta fairing is be installed around the spacecraft on Feb. 2.

PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE

A prelaunch news conference is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. EST in the KSC News Center auditorium. Participating in the briefing will be:

Dr. Carl Pilcher, Science Director, Solar System Exploration
NASA Headquarters

Ray Lugo, NASA Launch Manager
Kennedy Space Center

Rich Murphy, Delta Mission Director/Flight Director
The Boeing Company

Dr. Kenneth Atkins, Stardust Project Manager/Spacecraft Mission Director
Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Joseph Vellinga, Stardust Program Manager
Lockheed Martin Astronautics

Dr. Donald Brownlee, Stardust Principal Investigator
University of Washington

Joel Tumbiolo, Launch Weather Officer
Department of the Air Force

A post-launch news conference will also be held on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. in the KSC News Center auditorium. The status of the Stardust spacecraft will be provided by the spacecraft mission director at that time.

ACCREDITATION

Those media without permanent accreditation who wish to cover the launch of Stardust including the prelaunch news conference on L-1 day should send a letter of request to the NASA-KSC News Center on news organization letterhead. It should include name, birth date and Social Security number or passport number. Letters should be faxed to 407/867-2692 or addressed to:

Stardust Launch Accreditation
NASA AB-F1
Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899

Stardust mission badges may be picked up at the NASA-KSC News Center between 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. beginning Monday, Feb. 1. On Friday, Feb. 5, mission badges may also be picked up at the news media Pass & Identification Building located at Gate 2 on State Road 3 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. On launch day, Feb. 6, Stardust mission badges will be available at Gate 1 on Cape Canaveral Air Station located on SR 401 starting at 2:15 p.m. prior to departure for Press Site 1. A Stardust mission badge is required for all news media covering the launch from Press Site 1.

For further information on Stardust launch accreditation contact Lisa Fowler at the NASA News Center at 407/867-2468.

REMOTE CAMERAS

On Friday, Feb. 5 at 3 p.m., a NASA van will depart from the NASA-KSC News Center for Launch Complex 17 for media photographers who wish to establish remote cameras at Pad 17-A.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY AT LAUNCH COMPLEX 17

A photo opportunity of the Delta launch vehicle for Stardust will be available at Pad 17-A after tower rollback. Media wishing to participate will depart the Gate 1 Pass & Identification Building on Cape Canaveral Air Station at 10 a.m. on launch day, Saturday, Feb. 6.

LAUNCH DAY PRESS COVERAGE

On Feb. 6, media covering the launch should meet at the Gate 1 Pass & Identification Building on Cape Canaveral Air Station. The convoy departure for Press Site 1 will be at 2:30 p.m. After launch, media may leave via Gate 1. Those wishing to attend the post-launch press conference can be escorted from Press Site 1 on Cape Canaveral Air Station to the NASA News Center at KSC after spacecraft separation occurs.

The NASA-KSC News Center will be open on launch day from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.

NASA TELEVISION AND V CIRCUIT COVERAGE

NASA Television will carry the prelaunch news conference starting at 2 p.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 5. On launch day, countdown coverage will begin at 2:30 p.m. EST and conclude after spacecraft separation from the Delta rocket occurs approximately 28 minutes later. A post-launch news conference will also be carried starting at 6 p.m. EST.

NASA Television is available on GE-2, transponder 9C located at 85 degrees West longitude. Audio only of Stardust events will also be available on the "V" circuits which may be dialed directly at 407/867-1220, 1240, 1260, 7135, 4003, 4920.

RECORDED PRELAUNCH STATUS REPORTS

The NASA-KSC codaphone will carry Stardust prelaunch status reports beginning at L-5 days, on Monday, Feb. 1 and may be dialed at 407/867-2525.