Paula Cleggett-Haleim

Headquarters, Washington, D.C. July 10, 1990

(Phone: 202/453-1547)

Jim Cast
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone: 202/453-1142)

George Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
(Phone: 407/867-2467)

RELEASE: 90-97

CRRES LAUNCH SET FOR JULY TO STUDY "EARTHSPACE"

Launch of the Combined Release and Radiation Effects

Satellite (CRRES) is currently targeted for no earlier than July
17, 1990, at 3:41 p.m. EDT. Scheduled to be placed into a highly
elliptical, geosynchronous transfer orbit of approximately 217 by
22,236 miles, CRRES is to conduct complex scientific research in
what is referred to as "Earthspace" -- the space environment just
above Earth's atmosphere which, far from being empty, includes
the ionosphere and magnetosphere containing a dynamic ocean of
invisible magnetic and electrical fields and particles.

Much as a high school physics student spreads iron filings

around a magnet to "see" its invisible magnetic field, CRRES will
carry 24 canisters of various chemicals into orbit and release
the chemicals over a period of time. When released, the
chemicals will be ionized by the Sun's ultraviolet light creating
large luminous clouds that will elongate along Earth's magnetic
field lines, briefly "painting" these invisible structures.
 By observing the motion of the clouds, scientists will be
able to measure electric fields in space and "see" how they
interact with charged particles to form waves and to better
understand how the Earth extracts energy from the solar wind.
The luminous clouds also will be studied from the ground, from
specially equipped aircraft and from CRRES itself. The CRRES
releases will be augmented by chemical releases from 10 sounding
rockets launched from Puerto Rico and the Marshall Islands.

- more -
-2-

Under a launch services contract between NASA and General

Dynamics, launch of the joint NASA/U.S. Air Force payload is to
take place from Complex 36B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Fla., aboard an Atlas I (Atlas/Centaur-69) launch vehicle.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.; the

U.S. Air Force Space Systems Division, Los Angeles; and Ball
Aerospace Systems Group, Boulder, Colo. -- prime comtractor of
CRRES -- are principal spacecraft participants in the upcoming
mission. Atlas I launch services, with technical oversight by
NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, and Kennedy Space
Center, Fla., will be provided by General Dynamics Space Systems
Division, San Diego, Calif. The Lewis Research Center manages
the NASA-General Dynamics launch services contract and is
responsible for launch vehicle/spacecraft integration activities.

- end -

EDITORS NOTE: CRRES officials will brief the media at a

prelaunch news conference in the KSC News Center auditorium on
Monday, July 16, at 11 a.m. EDT. Participating in the briefing
will be:

Richard Howard, CRRES Program Manager, NASA Headquarters

Sid Saucier, Manager, Space Systems Projects Office, Marshall

Space Flight Center

Col. John E. Armstrong, Space Test and Transportation Program

Manager, USAF Space Systems Division
Frank Watkins, Director of Base Operations/Launch Director,
General Dynamics Space Systems Division

Brian Pieper, Deputy Program Manager, Ball Aerospace

John Weems, Launch Weather Forecaster, Dept. of the Air Force,

Cape Canaveral Forecast Facility

The prelaunch news conference will be carried live on NASA

Select television, Satcom F2R, transponder 13, located at 72
degrees west longitude. Audio only also will be provided on
KSC's V-2 circuits, which may be dialed directly at 407/867-1220,
-1240 or -1260.

TO: MDS/PRA Group

1615 L Street, N.W. - Suite 100
Washington, D.C. 20036

DATE & TIME: JULY 11, 1990

ORDERED BY: Edward Campion

NASA Headquarters/LMD
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20546 PHONE: 202/453-8400

PROJECT TITLE: Release No: 90-97

PRINT ORDER: 2284

PRINTING: Camera Ready, lst pg on NASA logo, other pages plain

ENCLOSE & MAIL: Release of 2 pages

MAIL DATE: JULY 12, 1990

EXTRA COPIES: Deliver specified quanities to locations below:

50 copies 275 copies 75 copies

-------------------- ------------------- -----------------
National Press Club NASA Mailroom NASA Newsroom
13th floor newsrack NASA Headquarters NASA Headquarters
National Press Building 600 Independ. Ave, SW 400 Maryland Ave, SW
529 14th Street, NW Room A16 Room 6043
Washington, DC 20045 Washington, DC 20546 Washington, DC 20546

MEDIA SUMMARY OPTION: Name-by-name media summary - 1 copy

CLIENT COMPUTER LISTS: Run the following:

LS-CA, LS-FA, LS-GA*27E, LS-KA

TYPE OF RELEASE & PIX: General news X 21:T-23:T

PUT ADDRESSING ON: Self-mailer

MEDIA SELECTION:

END OF ORDER FORM

END OF TRANSMISSION