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Robert Mirelson
Headquarters, Washington

Feb. 1, 2003 1:15 p.m. EST

RELEASE: 03-031

NASA PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCED

A press conference by Space Shuttle Program Manager Ron Dittemore and 
Chief Flight Director Milt Heflin will take place from NASA's Johnson 
Space Center, Houston, beginning at 3 p.m. EST today.  The briefing 
will be carried on NASA TV with two-way question and answer capability 
from other agency centers.

A Space Shuttle contingency was declared earlier this morning in 
Mission Control when communication was lost with the Space Shuttle 
Columbia during its return to Earth following a 16-day mission.

Communication and tracking of the shuttle was lost at 9 a.m. at an 
altitude of about 203,000 feet above north central Texas while 
traveling approximately 12,500 miles per hour (Mach 18).  No 
communication and tracking information was received in Mission Control 
after that time.

Flight controllers in Mission Control immediately began the process of
securing all information, notes and data pertinent to today's reentry 
and landing.

NASA TV is on AMC-2, Transponder 9C, vertical polarization at 85 
degrees West longitude, 3880 MHz, with audio at 6.8 MHz.

More information will be released as it becomes available. NASA 
information is available on the Internet at:      www.nasa.gov

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