NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan will be available to meet with local media at 4 p.m. CST Wednesday, Jan. 15, at the Johnson Space Center, Houston.

Stofan will discuss the effects of NASA Earth and space science research on the JSC community and how this research is a critical element in the agency's long-term science and exploration roadmap. This roadmap includes maximizing the International Space Station as a platform for groundbreaking Earth and space science research; plans to identify, redirect and send human explorers to an asteroid; optimize future deep space exploration vehicles to carry spacecraft to the outer solar system in half the time; and eventually to place the first human footsteps on Mars.

Media interested in attending should contact William Jeffs in JSC's Office of Communications and Public Affairs at 281-483-5111 or william.p.jeffs@nasa.gov no later than 5 p.m. Jan. 14.

A planetary scientist, Stofan became NASA's chief scientist in August 2013. As principal science advisor to the NASA administrator, she is responsible for maximizing a scientific portfolio that literally spans the universe. Her own research has covered the geology of Earth, Venus, Mars and Titan.

For additional information about Stofan, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/offices/ocs/stofan_bio.html

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan Available to Media at Johnson Space Center