Dec. 3, 2010 Candrea Thomas Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov Michael Curie Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 michael.curie@nasa.gov Kyle Herring Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 kyle.j.herring@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M10-169 NASA SCHEDULES NEWS CONFERENCE ABOUT NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH HOUSTON -- NASA managers will hold a news conference at 12 p.m. EST today at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston to discuss the next space shuttle mission, STS-133, and the progress of repairs since Discovery's original launch delay Nov. 5. The news conference follows Thursday's Space Shuttle Program Requirements Control Board meeting. Program officials reviewed repairs and engineering evaluations associated with cracks on two 21-foot-long, U-shaped aluminum brackets, called stringers, on the shuttle's external tank. The briefing participants are: -- Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations -- John Shannon, Space Shuttle Program manager -- Mike Suffredini, International Space Station Program manager The news conference will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website. Reporters may ask questions from participating NASA centers, including Kennedy Space Center, or by calling into a phone bridge. To use the phone bridge, reporters must have valid media credentials issued by a NASA center or issued specifically for the STS-133 mission. Journalists planning to use the phone bridge must contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 11:45 a.m. Newsroom personnel will verify credentials and transfer reporters to the phone bridge. Capacity is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv For STS-133 crew and mission information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle -end- To subscribe to the list, send a message to: ksc-subscribe@newsletters.nasa.gov To remove your address from the list, send a message to: ksc-unsubscribe@newsletters.nasa.gov