NASA Daily News Summary

For Release: April 19, 1999

Media Advisory m99-077

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Summary

-- Video File for April 19

-- Live Interview Opportunity: The Sky Is Not the Limit for NASA's
"Rocket Girls," April 21

-- Live Interview Opportunity: Urban Heat Island, April 22

-- Live Interview Opportunity: NASA Rides the Crest of Environmental

Monitoring for 20th Century, April 22

-- Live Interview Opportunity: NASA Uses Laser to Examine U.S.

Constitution, April 23
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There are no news releases scheduled for April 19, 1999.

If NASA issues any news releases later today, we will

e-mail summaries and Internet URLs to this list.

Index of 1999 NASA News Releases:

http://www.nasa.gov/releases/1999/index.html

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NASA VIDEO FILE FOR April 19, 1999

ITEM 1 STUDENTS TEST SKILLS IN 1999 MOONBUGGY RACE

ITEM 1A 1999 MOONBUGGY RACE FOOTAGE

University and high school students nationwide tested
their engineering skills in NASA's annual Moonbuggy Race on
April 17th in Huntsville, Alabama. Teams designed and built
their vehicles, then raced them on a unique moon-like
obstacle course. Footage includes views of the races and
interviews with participants.

ITEM 1B INTERVIEW: ART STEPHENSON, MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT

CENTER DIRECTOR

Contact at Marshall Space Flight Center: Jerry Berg 256/544-

0034

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Live Interview Opportunity: The Sky Is Not the Limit for
NASA's "Rocket Girls," April 21

Topic: The movie "October Sky" is a box office hit. The book
it is based on "Rocket Boys", written by retired NASA
Marshall Space Flight Center engineer Homer Hickam, has been
topping the New York Times paperback best seller list in
recent weeks. But it's not just "boys" who build highways to
space. Today, at the Marshall Center "rocket girls" lead the
work on the next generation of space vehicles. Three "rocket
girls" will be available to talk about their work on the next
generation of space vehicles.

Talent: Sherry Buschmann, Advanced Space Transportation

Program
Leslie Curtis, Space Transportation Technologies
Susan Turner, X-37 Project Manager

Time: April 21, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. EDT

To schedule an interview, call contact: Connie James,

Marshall Space Flight Center, 256/544-2188 or pager 256/544-
1183 (PIN 0224).
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Live Interview Opportunity: Urban Heat Island, April 22

Topic: Planting trees on Earth Day really does make a

difference. The removal of trees and urban growth can
actually influence big city weather. A three-year analysis of
the Atlanta, GA area shows large urban areas can create
their own "heat islands", with higher temperatures than surrounding
areas, leading to increased thunderstorm activity during summer months
and more smog. Dr. Quattrochi and Dr. Luvall will discuss the
phenomenon, what can be done about it and whether it's
occurring in other major metropolitan areas.

Talent: Dr. Dale Quattrochi and Dr. Jeffrey Luvall

Global Hydrology & Climate Center
At NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

Time: April 22, 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. EDT

To schedule an interview, call contact: Connie James,
Marshall Space Flight Center, 256/544-2188 or pager 256/544-
1183 (PIN 0224).

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Live Interview Opportunity: NASA Rides the Crest of

Environmental Monitoring for the New Millennium, April 22

Topics: To celebrate Earth Day 1999, three Earth scientists

will be available to discuss some of the environmental issues
facing our global community as we near the end of the 20th
century. Subjects include Landsat 7, which will keep watch
over wilderness areas and basic ecosystems affected by an
ever-expanding global population; the Quick Scatterometer
mission, set for launch May 29, which will map the speed and direction
of Earth¹s ice-free oceans every day and shed new light on global
weather abnormalities like El Ninos; and NASA's TOPEX/Poseidon
satellite, which has been measuring sea-surface heights and
charting the topography of Earth¹s oceans to improve long-term weather
forecasting and help prevent the
loss of life by ferocious, fast-moving typhoons, tropical
storms and tsunamis.

Time: April 22, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. EDT

To schedule an interview, contact: Jack Dawson or Diane

Ainsworth, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 818/354-5011.

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Live Interview Opportunity: NASA Uses Laser to Examine U.S.
Constitution, April 23

Topic: A team of NASA scientists working at the request of

the National Archives has proved that the containers
preserving several pages of the U.S. Constitution are still
safely sealed and protected. The NASA team adapted a laser
system used for atmospheric research to peer into the protective cases
containing three of the five pages of the Constitution.
Talent: Dr. Joel S. Levine, senior research scientist at
NASA¹s Atmospheric Sciences Division
Time: April 23, 6 to 11 a.m. EDT
To schedule an interview, contact Ivelisse Gilman, Langley
Research Center, 757/864-5036.
Satellite information: Telstar 6, transponder 9 KU, 11900
Mhz. Producer¹s line: (757) 864-3965

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The NASA Video File airs at noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9

p.m. and midnight Eastern Time. NASA Television is available
on GE-2, transponder 9C at 85 degrees West longitude, with
vertical polarization. Frequency is on 3880.0 megahertz, with
audio on 6.8 megahertz.

Refer general questions about the video file to NASA

Headquarters, Washington, DC: Ray Castillo, 202/358-4555, or
Pam Poe, 202/358-0373.

During Space Shuttle missions, the full NASA TV schedule will

continue to be posted at:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/nasatv/schedule.html

For general information about NASA TV see:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv/

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end of daily news summary