WASHINGTON - NASA will hold a media teleconference Friday, May 11, no earlier than 3 p.m. EDT to discuss the space shuttle Atlantis' external fuel tank. The tank has been repaired after a hail storm struck Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The teleconference follows a meeting to schedule the shuttle's return to the launch pad for the upcoming mission, STS-117.

The briefing participants are:

-- Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate
-- Wayne Hale, manager, Space Shuttle Program
-- John Chapman, manager, External Tank Project
-- Mike Leinbach, NASA launch director

To participate, reporters must R.S.V.P. to John Yembrick at 202-358-0602 by 10 a.m. EDT Friday. NASA will stream live audio of the event at:

http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio

Video of the repaired fuel tank will air on NASA TV's Video File. For downlink and scheduling information and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For photographs of the tank and information on the STS-117 mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle