NASA Deputy Administrator to Visit Lockheed Martin to View Next Mars Mission Spacecraft and Deep Space Capsule Heat Shield

Oct. 10, 2012

Lauren Worley
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1288
lauren.b.worley@nasa.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-200

NASA DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR TO VISIT LOCKHEED MARTIN TO VIEW NEXT MARS MISSION SPACECRAFT AND DEEP SPACE CAPSULE HEAT SHIELD

WASHINGTON -- NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver will visit
Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colo., on Monday, Oct. 15 to view the
next spacecraft to launch to Mars and a part of the Orion vehicle
that will carry astronauts farther into space than ever before.

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission will orbit
Mars to explore how the sun may have stripped the Red Planet of most
of its atmosphere, turning what possibly was once a planet habitable
to microbial life into a cold and barren desert world. Lockheed
Martin is building the spacecraft and will perform mission operations
following launch.

Orion is America's latest human spacecraft that will usher in a new
era of space exploration. It is designed to be the safest, most
advanced spacecraft ever, and will be flexible and capable enough to
take NASA astronauts to a variety of destinations, including Mars.
Lockheed Martin is building the Orion spacecraft. The Orion heat
shield is being built at the company's Littleton facility.

Garver will be available to speak with news media representatives
following her tour of the MAVEN cleanroom and the facility where the
Orion heat shield is being manufactured. There will be a photo
opportunity with Garver and Lockheed Martin officials while they tour
the MAVEN cleanroom before her comments to reporters in front of the
Orion heat shield. The event starts at 9 a.m. MDT (11 a.m. EDT).

Media representatives wanting to attend the event must call Gary
Napier at 303-971-4012 or email him at gary.p.napier@lmco.com by 8
a.m., Monday, Oct. 15 to be badged into the facility. Journalists
planning to attend must be U.S. citizens.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov


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