March 18, 2005 Allard Beutel/Erica Hupp Headquarters, Washington (Phone: 202/358-4769/1237) Kyle Herring Johnson Space Center, Houston (Phone: 281/483-5111) MEDIA ADVISORY: M05-043 NASA UPDATES SHUTTLE RETURN TO FLIGHT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN NASA's Implementation Plan for Space Shuttle Return to Flight and Beyond will be released Tuesday, March 22. The updated plan will be available on line Tuesday at 9 a.m. EST at: http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight A media teleconference is scheduled at 2 p.m. EST to discuss the plan, with: – Michael Kostelnik, deputy associate administrator International Space Station and Space Shuttle Programs – Bryan O’Connor, Safety and Mission Assurance chief – Bill Parsons, Space Shuttle program manager – John Casper, Management Integration and Planning To participate, reporters must call Allard Beutel or Erica Hupp (202/358-4769/1237) by noon EST, Tuesday. The teleconference will be audio streamed live on the Internet at: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio The implementation plan is periodically updated. The plan demonstrates the agency's progress in safely returning Space Shuttles to flight and implementing the recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. Previous versions of the plan are archived on NASA's Return to Flight Web site. -end-