Jim Cast
Headquarters, Washington, DC     December 8, 2000
(Phone: 202/358-1779)

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

Paul Foerman
Stennis Space Center, MS
(Phone: 288/688-1880)

Dan Beck
Boeing Rocketdyne, Canoga Park, CA
(Phone: 818/586-4572)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N00-060

X-33 AEROSPIKE ENGINE NEWS CONFERENCE DEC. 13

     Program managers for the project designed to propel the X-33 
into high-speed, suborbital flight will meet with reporters next 
week to discuss tandem test-firings of the linear Aerospike, 
NASA's radical new rocket engine.  

The briefing is set for 11 a.m. EST, Wednesday, Dec. 13, at NASA's 
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL. 

Early next year will see the first of at least nine tests of two 
clustered Aerospikes mounted together on a rocket stand.

Participants in the one-hour news conference are expected to be: 
* Gene Austin, NASA X-33 Program Manager, Marshall
* Cleon Lacefield, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Vice 
President for X-33, Palmdale, CA
* Don Chenevert, NASA X-33 Program Manager, Aerospike Engine 
Testing, Stennis Space Center, MS
* Mike McKeon, X-33 Aerospike Engine Program Manager, Rocketdyne 
Propulsion and Power, The Boeing Company, Canoga Park, CA

What makes the linear Aerospike engine unique is the shape of its 
nozzle. Unlike conventional rocket engines that use a bell nozzle 
to constrict and direct expanding gases, the linear Aerospike 
nozzle is V-shaped and called a ramp.

NASA Centers will provide two-way question-and-answer capability 
though NASA Television for accredited news media. NASA TV is on 
GE-2, transponder 9C, located at 85 degrees West longitude, with 
vertical polarization.  Frequency will be on 3880.0 MHz, with 
audio on 6.8 MHz.

                            -end -