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John F. Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899
AC 321-867-2468
________________________________For Release: Feb. 12, 2003

KSC Contact:  George H. Diller
321/867-2468

KSC Release No. 19 - 03

ROLL WITH THE ROVERS AND "EXPLORE MARS" FEB. 19

NASA hosts "Explore Mars!" - a Cape Canaveral-area community and
family day focusing on the upcoming Mars Exploration Rover-2003
mission, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m., at the Radisson
Resort at the Port Convention Center, 8701 Astronaut Blvd., Cape
Canaveral, Fla. 

Students and the general public will learn about Florida's key role as 
NASA's "Gateway to Mars," and meet with scientists, engineers,
educators and others working on these and other Mars exploration
missions.  Children of all ages are invited to playtime with working
robot rovers. 

The Mars Exploration Rovers, described as two robot geologists, are
being prepared for launch this spring aboard Boeing Delta II rockets
from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and are due to land on and
start exploring Mars in January 2004.  Once on Mars, they will
communicate with controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Pasadena, Calif., where the rovers were built. 

For more information or to schedule a speaker to talk to your school
or community about Mars Exploration, contact the NASA Jet Propulsion
Laboratory Resident Office at Kennedy Space Center at 321/867-3731. 

See the Mars Exploration Program Web site at
          http://www.mars.jpl.nasa.gov.

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