Jim Cast
Headquarters, Washington, DC                     Aug. 18, 1999
(Phone:  202/358-1779)

Dom Amatore
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
(Phone:  256/544-0031)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N99-45

X-VEHICLE BRIEFING SET FOR AUG. 24

     Within a year, NASA and its industry partners will begin 
powered, unpiloted, reusable flights of the "X" technology 
demonstration programs and vehicles, designed to lead to safe, 
reliable and low-cost access to space after the turn of the 
century.

     A NASA-industry briefing will outline the status of the 
programs -- labelled X-34, X-33 and X-37 -- at 1 p.m. EDT Aug. 24.  
The briefing will feature NASA and industry program managers and 
will be carried live on NASA Television from the James E. Webb 
Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St. SW, Washington, DC.

     The briefing will feature an overview by Gary Payton, Deputy 
Associate Administrator for Space Transportation Technology, NASA 
Headquarters, and status briefings by the following program 
participants:

     X-34:  John London, Pathfinder Program Manager, NASA Marshall 
Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL; Bob Lindberg, Vice President 
and X-34 Program Manager, Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, VA

     X-33:  Gene Austin, X-33 Program Manager, Marshall Space 
Flight Center; Cleon Lacefield, Vice President and X-33 Program 
Manager, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, Palmdale, CA

     X-37:  Susan Turner, X-37 Program Manager, Marshall Space 
Flight Center; David Manley, X-37 Program Manager, The Boeing 
Company, Seal Beach, CA

     The briefing will be carried live on NASA Television, 
available on transponder 9C on the GE-2 satellite at 85 degrees 
West longitude, vertical polarization, frequency 3880 MHz, audio 
of 6.8 MHz.  Two-way question-and-answer capability will be 
available for news media at participating NASA centers.

                          -end-