NOTE TO EDITORS: 99-123

INTERVIEWS WITH NASA GODDARD MARS SCIENTISTS AVAILABLE

NASA's Mars Polar Lander is scheduled to land on the surface of Mars the afternoon of Dec. 3. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, Md.) scientists are available this week to answer general questions about Mars and the landing site that will be used.

These scientists currently have instruments in orbit around Mars onboard the Mars Global Surveyor. Drs. Jim Garvin and Herb Frey are co-investigators with the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter, an instrument that has helped map the landing site for the Mars lander. Drs. Mario Accuna is a principal investigator and Jack Connerney is the co-investigator for the Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer, which studies the properties of the planets’ magnetic field.

A detailed schedule of Mars mission briefings, periods of planned live commentary and related events will be posted and updated regularly on the following Internet sites:

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/marsnews/

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

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) site also features links to the text press kit for the mission, digital image files and updated mission status reports.