DENVER, May 9, 2008 - NASA, Lockheed Martin and the University of Arizona are ready to take the next giant leap in NASA's Mars exploration program. A team of engineers at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are currently flying the Phoenix Mars Lander during its cruise to Mars. This flight team is also completing preparations for the landing of the spacecraft on the surface of Mars. The Phoenix spacecraft was designed and built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company for NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

   WHO:      NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lockheed Martin, University of
             Arizona

   WHEN:     Sunday, May 25, 2008
             4 p.m. - 9 p.m. MDT

   WHERE:    Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Mission Support Area
             12257 S. Wadsworth, Blvd, Littleton, Colo.

   WHAT:     NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander will land on the surface of Mars and
             media are invited to be with the Phoenix team at Lockheed
             Martin's Waterton facility for the landing on May 25.  Members
             of the Phoenix spacecraft team will be available for
             interviews.

   CONTACT:  To register, contact: Gary Napier at 303-971-4012,
             gary.p.napier@lmco.com or
             Joan Underwood at 303-971-7398, joan.b.underwood@lmco.com
             Attending media will meet at Lockheed Martin's Waterton
             facility main gate at 4 p.m. MDT on May 25. Media who wish to
             broadcast live from the event should contact Napier or
             Underwood for arrangements in advance.


   UPCOMING MEDIA BRIEFING:
             NASA will hold a media briefing Tuesday, May 13, at 9 a.m. MDT,
             to discuss the challenges and risks of landing the Phoenix Mars
             Lander. Officials also will provide details on the Phoenix
             landing site and mission science objectives. The briefing will
             be carried live on NASA Television and on the Web. For more
             information about NASA TV, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Phoenix is the first mission of NASA's Mars Scout Program. The spacecraft will land on the icy northern latitudes of Mars. During its approximately 90- day mission, Phoenix will dig trenches with its robotic arm into the frozen layers of water below the surface. The spacecraft will use various on-board

instruments to analyze the contents of the ice and soil; all in the search of organic compounds that are necessary for life.

Lockheed Martin designed, built and is providing flight operation of the Phoenix lander for NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The University of Arizona, Tucson, leads the Phoenix mission. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Phoenix Mars Lander for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C.

Additional information about the Phoenix Mars Lander mission is available online at: http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/ and http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix.

PRNewswire -- May 9

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin