The prelaunch press conference is at the NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) News Center at 1 p.m. EST Tuesday, Jan. 11. Participants in the briefing:

• Orlando Figueroa, Director, Solar System Exploration Division NASA HQ, Washington
• Omar Baez, NASA Launch Director/NASA Launch Manager, KSC
• Kris Walsh, Director of NASA Programs, Boeing Expendable Launch Systems, Huntington Beach, Calif.
• Rick Grammier, Deep Impact Project Manager Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
• Monte Henderson, Deputy Program Manager Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation, Boulder, Colo.
• Joel Tumbiolo, USAF Delta II Launch Weather Officer 45th Weather Squadron, CCAFS

A mission science briefing immediately follows the press conference, with:

• Dr. Tom Morgan, Deep Impact Program Scientist, NASA HQ
• Dr. Mike A'Hearn, Deep Impact Principal Investigator, University of Maryland
• Dr. Jay Melosh, Co-Investigator, University of Arizona, Tucson
• Dr. Lucy McFadden, Co-Investigator, University of Maryland

Launch coverage begins Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 11:30 a.m. EST and concludes approximately one hour after launch. NASA TV is available on the Web and via satellite in the continental U.S. on AMC-6, Transponder 9C, C-Band, at 72 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz. In Alaska and Hawaii, NASA TV is available on AMC-7, Transponder 18C, C-Band, at 137 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 4060.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz.

For NASA TV information and schedules on the Internet, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

KSC is responsible for managing the launch, and JPL is responsible for mission management. Delta II launch service is provided by Boeing Expendable Launch Systems. Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation built the spacecraft for NASA.

For more information about the mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/deepimpact/launch/event.html