David E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington, DC                    April 18, 2000
(Phone: 202/358-1730)

Allen Kenitzer 
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 
(Phone: 301/286-2806)

NOTE TO EDITORS:   N00-16

NEW VIEWS OF EARTH FROM TERRA SATELLITE WEDNESDAY

     NASA's premier Earth Observing System Satellite, Terra, has 
completed on-orbit checkout and verification after its December 
launch and is collecting data that will help us understand our 
global environment.

     Terra, an international mission and part of NASA's Earth 
Sciences enterprise, is opening a new window to the Earth and is 
providing daily information on the health of the planet.  

     First images collected by the five instruments aboard Terra 
will be premiered during a press briefing at 1 p.m. EST, 
Wednesday, April 19, in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA 
Headquarters, 300 E St., SW, Washington, DC.  Participants will 
include Dr. Ghassem Asrar, NASA Associate Administrator for Earth 
Science, and science investigators from each of the spacecraft's 
instruments.

     The event will be carried live on NASA Television with 
question-and-answer capability for reporters covering the briefing 
from participating NASA centers.  NASA Television is broadcast on 
satellite GE-2, transponder 9C, at 85 degrees West longitude, 
vertical polarization, frequency 3880 MHz, audio of 6.8 MHz.

                           -end-