PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER - SPECIAL EDITION Volume 6, Number 16 (April 13, 2012) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Mark V. Sykes Co-Editors: Melissa Lane, Susan Benecchi Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o---------------------------SPECIAL ALERT-----------------------------o NASA HOSTS TELECONFERENCE ON STATUS OF NEW MARS PROGRAM PLANS TODAY 1 PM EASTERN! [Editor: This is a copy of a media advisory sent out yesterday at 4:44 PM and relayed to us this morning by Steve Mackwell. Thanks, Steve!] Dwayne Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov WASHINGTON -- NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 13, to provide an update about the framework and schedule of the newly formed Mars Program Planning Group (MPPG). The MPPG was established to construct a coordinated strategy and continue America's leadership role in the exploration of Mars within available future budgets. Participants are: -- John Grunsfeld, associate administrator, NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington -- Doug McCuistion, director, Mars Exploration Program, NASA Headquarters, Washington -- Orlando Figueroa, MPPG team lead Media representatives can request dial-in information by sending their name, affiliation and phone number to j.d.harrington@nasa.gov by 12:30 p.m. Friday, April 13. Audio of the event will be streamed live at: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio For more information about NASA's Mars Program, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mars *********************************************************************** * The Planetary Exploration Newsletter is issued approximately weekly. * Current and back issues are available at http://planetarynews.org * * To subscribe, go to http://planetarynews.org/pen_subscribe.html * * To unsubscribe, go to http://planetarynews.org/pen_unsubscribe.html * * Please send all replies and submissions to pen_editor at psi.edu. * Announcements and other messages should be brief with links to URLs * for extended information, including detailed descriptions for job * announcements. Title plus text is limited to 200 words. Go to * http://planetarynews.org/submission.html for complete submission * directions. * * PEN is a service provided by the Planetary Science Institute * (http://www.psi.edu). ***********************************************************************