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Comet-Bound Microchip Hits One Million Names

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 6, 1998

Contact: Robert Pearlman
(202) 543-1900, ext. 72
nsshq@nss.org

COMET-BOUND MICROCHIP HITS ONE MILLION NAMES
National Space Society and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory "Make an 
IMPACT" campaign reaches one million name goal

(Washington, DC) -- August 6 -- The National Space Society (NSS) and 
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) announce that, as of 5:49 pm PT 
yesterday, the one millionth name was entered for inclusion onto a 
microchip that will fly next year on board the NASA/JPL Stardust mission 
to collect cometary dust particles.  The one million name goal was 
announced by the NSS and NASA/JPL in May in conjunction with the release 
of Paramount and DreamWorks Pictures' release of the film, "Deep Impact."

"JPL had started to collect names on their own when we suggested teaming 
up to go for the one million mark on this second microchip," said Pat 
Dasch, NSS Executive Director.  "We knew it was an ambitious goal, but 
with the combined visibility of JPL's site and our site, and after we hit 
the 500,000 mark in early July, we knew it would be an attainable one.  
What a thrill for all of those people to know they are 'on their way' to 
a comet when the Stardust mission launches.  We're very pleased to have 
partnered with JPL on this special outreach project." 

Names on board the microchip include all members of the National Space 
Society; the members of the cast and crew of "Deep Impact" including 
actress Tea Leoni and actor Morgan Freeman; U.S. Representative Dana 
Rohrabacher, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Space & Aeronautics; 
and shuttle astronaut Roger Crouch.

Additional names can still be submitted through the NSS website through 
mid-August at <http://www.nss.org/impact>.  The names will be 
electronically etched onto a fingernail-size silicon chip and can then be 
read only with the aid of an electron microscope.  Those submitting their 
names are granting permission for the Stardust project and its partners 
to use the names in possible future exhibits and/or publications.

Stardust is being prepared for launch by NASA to intercept Comet Wild-2, 
collect comet dust particles and deliver them back to Earth in January 
2006, according to mission plans.

The National Space Society, which celebrates 25 years in 1999, is an 
independent, nonprofit space advocacy organization headquartered in 
Washington, DC.  Its 23,000 members and 90 chapters around the world 
actively promote a spacefaring civilization.  Information on NSS and 
space exploration is available at <http://www.nss.org/>.

                            ###

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