NASA Langley Research Center, Code 160, Hampton, VA 23681-0001 Attn:SD/Mark Saunders

A -- DRAFT ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR NASA'S FIFTH DISCOVERY MISSION POC Mark Saunders tel: 202/358-0299 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is releasing a draft Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for the fifth mission in its Discovery Mission series for community review and comment. The Discovery Program consists of focused solar system exploration missions of limited cost and duration utilizing medium class or smaller launch vehicles. Missions proposed to this AO must be complete investigations from initiation of preliminary analysis/technical definition (Phase A/B) through design/development (Phase C/D) including launch plus 30 days and mission operations and data analysis (Phase E). The Discovery Program will carry out these investigations using flight missions with design/development (Phase C/D) costs of up to $150 million (in FY 1992 dollars) and which require no more than three years from start of Phase C/D through launch plus 30 days. Phase E is constrained to $35 million (in FY 1992 dollars) but is not limited in time. The draft AO has incorporated the recommendations from the Discovery Lessons Learned Steering Group. NASA seeks a critical community review of the AO, and comments should be submitted to Mark Saunders, Space Science Support Office, Code 160, Langley Research Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Hampton, VA 23681-0001, FAX 804-864-8894, or e-mail M.P.Saunders@larc.nasa.gov. Comments are requested no later than MAY 20, 1996. The AO is available electronically on the Solar System Exploration homepage. The homepage URL address is: ''http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/solar_system''. Hard copies may be obtained by written request from Mark Saunders at the address above. (0110)

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