ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

 From the ESA website:
http://www.esa.int/export/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEM06Q274OD_0.html
Mars Express in orbit around Mars

Christmas on Mars: be there with ESA

15 December 2003
ESA PR 82-2003. Launched on 2 June 2003, after a six-month cruise at
an average speed of about 10 kilometres per second and covering a
distance of about 400 million kilometres, ESA's Mars Express will
arrive at Mars on Christmas Day.

After a very complicated and challenging series of operations during
the night of 24/25 December 2003, the probe will be injected into an
elliptical orbit near the poles of the Red Planet, while the Beagle 2
lander - released from the mother craft six days earlier - is
expected to touchdown on the surface of Mars.

The exciting event can be followed at ESA's European Space Operations
Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, on Thursday, 25 December, from
01:30 to 14:00 , together with the mission managers, the operation
teams, scientists and top ESA management, including ESA's
Director-General Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA's Director of Science
David Southwood and ESA's Director of Technical and Operational
Support Gaele Winters. The highlights of the night will also be
webcast over the internet at http://mars.esa.int.


As well as live streaming of key events, the Mars Express site will
have daily news, features, images, videos and more.

The ESA TV Service will provide live coverage of operations, from the
Operations Control Centre at ESOC. All transmission and satellite
details are published online at http://television.esa.int.

All live transmissions are also carried free-to-air on Astra 2C at 19
degrees East, transponder 57, horizontal, (DVB-MPEG-2), frequency
10832 MHz, Symbol Rate 22000 MS/sec, FEC 5/6. The service name is ESA.

Media wishing to attend are asked to complete the attached reply form
and fax it back to ESA Media Relations Service: +33 (0)1 53 69 76 90.


For further information, please contact:

ESA Media Relations Service
Tel: +33 (0)1 53 69 71 55
Fax: +33 (0)1 53 69 76 90

Mars Express Media Event - 25 December 2003


Programme

01:00 (CET)     Door open for media
01:30 - 02:15   Opportunity for individual interviews and filming in
main control room
02:25 - 02:40   ESA TV programme part 1. Opening/welcome.
03:40 - 03:56   ESA TV programme part 2. Animation/graphics of
upcoming milestones:
03:45   Expected landing of Beagle 2
03:47 - 04:18   Mars Express Orbit Insertion - main engine burn
04:15 - 04:20   ESA TV programme part 3
04:30 - 07:00   Early breakfast and possibility of interviews
05:30 - 05:40   ESA TV programme part 4. Mission update
07:30   Expected Mars Odyssey overfly results (overfly at 06:15).
Possible first signals from Beagle 2.
08:45 - 09:20   ESA TV programme part 5. Confirmation of Mars Express
Mars Orbit Injection and Beagle 2 landing. Mission results/official
statements.
09:30 - 10:00   Press conference at ESOC (not televised, audio can be
followed on phone link by dialling + 49 69 40 35 96 81).
10:30 - 13:00   Christmas brunch
14:00   End of the event

Press Center at ESA/ESOC : +49.6151.90.22.66 Mars Express in orbit around Mars

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]