NASA News  
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration

John F. Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899
AC 321 867-2468
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For Release: Aug. 6, 2001

NASA Contacts: 						
Joel Wells
321/867-2468

KSC Release No: 96-01

GENESIS NEXT PLANNED LAUNCH OPPORTUNITY AUG. 8

	The launch of NASA's Genesis spacecraft aboard a Boeing Delta II
rocket has now been scheduled to occur at 12:13:40 p.m. EDT, Wednesday,
Aug. 8.

	Mission managers met with Eastern Range officials today to assess
the availability of the Aug. 8 launch day.  Range officials confirmed
their ability to support the Genesis launch attempt with no impact to
Space Shuttle mission STS-105, currently slated for Aug. 9.

	The Delta II launch vehicle and Genesis spacecraft are both in
excellent condition and ready to support the new launch date.  The near
term Genesis launch period extends to Aug. 15.  Genesis mission managers
will convene a follow-up launch readiness review Tuesday morning as part
of standard prelaunch preparations.  	

Genesis will be NASA's first sample return mission of this millennium,
when it captures a piece of the Sun and returns to Earth. It will travel
to a point where the Sun and Earth gravities are balanced, open its
collector arrays and capture elements in the solar wind.  The samples will
help scientists learn about the beginnings of our solar system.  



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