NASA Announces Prelaunch Events for Mars Science Lab Mission

Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington

Allard Beutel

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- News conferences, events and operating hours for the Press Site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., are set for the agency's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover launch.

MSL is scheduled to liftoff at 10:25 a.m. EST on Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

NASA Television's countdown launch commentary begins at 8 a.m. on Nov. 25. That also is when a NASA blog will begin providing countdown updates. Originating from the Air Force station's Hangar AE, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to liftoff.

Detailed lists of news briefing times and participants, prelaunch media tours and photo opportunities and hours of operation for Kennedy's Press Site are available at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/index.html.

The Curiosity rover has 10 science instruments to search for evidence Mars had environments favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. The unique 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.

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For NASA TV streaming video, scheduling and downlink information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For the latest information on NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl.

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