NASA Daily News Summary
For Release: September 11, 1998
Media Advisory 98-27

TODAY'S SUMMARY:

-- Martian Moon Phobos Hip-Deep in Powder
-- Stephenson Named to Head Marshall Space Flight Center
-- Video File for Sept. 11
-- Aeronautics Conference, Oct. 9

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MARTIAN MOON PHOBOS HIP-DEEP IN POWDER 

New temperature data and close-up images of the Martian moon Phobos gathered by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor indicate the surface of this small body has been pounded into powder by eons of meteoroid impacts, some of which started landslides that left dark trails marking the steep slopes of giant craters. Contacts: Douglas Isbell, NASA HQ (Phone:  202/358-1547); Diane Ainsworth, Jet Propulsion Laboratory,(Phone:  818/354-5011). Full text of release:

ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/1998/98-164.txt

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STEPHENSON NAMED TO HEAD MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 

Arthur G. Stephenson, President of Oceaneering Advanced Technologies, Houston, TX, has been named to become the next Director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL. Contact:  Brian Welch, NASA Headquarters (Phone:  202/358-1600). Full text of release:

ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/1998/98-163.txt

If other news releases are issued after this summary, adds to this summary will be e-mailed to the list.

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Video File for September 11, 1998

ITEM 1:    HIP DEEP DUST ON MARS MOON PHOBOS
    Video File shows 5 new pictures of Phobos taken on August 19, 1998 by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft.  The pictures show that there is up to 3 feet of dust on Phobos. Phobos also experiences extreme temperature changes, ranging from 25 to -170 degrees Fahrenheit.  Although there is little gravity on Phobos, the pictures show that rocks and boulders still roll downhill.
Contact at Jet Propulsion Laboratory:  Diane Ainsworth 818/354-5011;  contact at Headquarters:  Doug Isbell, 202/358-1753.

ITEM 2:    NEURAL NETWORK CHIP TO ASSIST AUTO INDUSTRY (replay)
Contact at Jet Propulsion Laboratory:  John Watson 818/354-0474; contact at Headquarters:  Jim Cast 202/358-1779.

ITEM 3:    NEW 3-D RADAR TO MAP THE EARTH (replay)
Contact at Jet Propulsion Laboratory:  Mary Hardin 818/354-0344; contact at Headquarters: Dave Steitz 202/358-1730.

ITEM 4:    ICE RUNS DEEP IN LUNAR CRATERS (replay)
Contact at Ames Research Center:  Erin Karle 650-604-9000; 
contact at Headquarters Doug Isbell 202/358-1753.

ITEM 5:    JOHN GLENN TRAINING AND HISTORIC FOOTAGE (replay)
    Various video files showing John Glenn's current training and past mission.
Contact at Johnson Space Center:  Eileen Hawley 281/483-5111; contact at Headquarters:  Ray Castillo 202/358-4555.

The NASA Video File airs at noon, 3, 6, 9 p.m. and midnight 
Eastern time. For further information, please contact Ray 
Castillo (phone: 202/358-4555). 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. The most recent NASA Video File 
Advisory can be found at:

ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/tv-advisory/nasa-tv.txt

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UPCOMING LIVE EVENTS

CONFERENCE TO REVIEW PROGRESS OF AERONAUTICS PROGRAM

     NASA will brief industry and the public-at-large on 
progress in meeting its aeronautics goals at the first 
conference of this kind to be held Friday, Oct. 9, 1998, 
at NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH. Contacts: 
Michael Braukus, NASA HQ, (Phone:  202/358-1979); Lori 
Rachul, Lewis Research Center, (Phone:  216/433-8806). For 
the full text of this Note to Editors:

ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/note2edt/1998/n98-054.txt

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CONTRACT AWARDS

NASA contract awards are posted to:

http://procurement.nasa.gov/EPS/award.html

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The NASA Daily News Summary is issued at approximately 2 p.m. 
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File material or live events are scheduled. Members of the 
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END OF DAILY NEWS SUMMARY

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