NASA will hold a media briefing on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m. EST, to discuss the upcoming Kepler mission. Kepler is the first spacecraft with the ability to find Earth-size planets orbiting stars like our sun in a zone where liquid water could exist. The televised briefing will take place in the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St. S.W., Washington.

Kepler is scheduled to launch March 5 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Participants are:
-- Jon Morse, director, Astrophysics Division, NASA Headquarters
-- William Borucki, principal investigator for Kepler science, NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
-- Jim Fanson, Kepler project manager, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
-- Debra Fischer, professor of Astronomy, San Francisco State University

Reporters also may ask questions from participating NASA locations or by telephone. To reserve a telephone line, contact J.D. Harrington by e-mail at j.d.harrington@nasa.gov.

Kepler is a NASA Discovery mission. Ames is responsible for the ground system development, mission operations and science data analysis. JPL manages Kepler mission development. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp of Boulder, Colo. is responsible for developing the Kepler flight system and supporting mission operations.

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For more information about the Kepler mission, visit: