Brian Dunbar
Headquarters, Washington, DC                  Dec. 20, 1999
(Phone: 202/358-0873)

NOTE TO EDITORS: n99-61

NASA TO ISSUE STATUS REPORTS DURING Y2K TRANSITION

     Reporters covering the transition of U.S. information 
systems and infrastructure into the Year 2000 will be able 
to receive status reports from NASA overnight on Dec. 31, 
1999, and on Jan. 1, 2000.

     The NASA Y2K Coordination and Communications Team, 
located at the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 
will issue status reports electronically. To receive the 
updates, reporters should subscribe to the NASA press-
release listserve by following the instructions at:

     http://www.nasa.gov/newsinfo/subscribe.html

    Status reports will also be posted to the NASA 
Headquarters File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server, which 
Internet users can reach in two ways. The World Wide Web 
URL

     ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/statrpt/1999/y2K

will take users to an index of status reports.

     Status reports will also be available directly via 
FTP. Internet users should log on to ftp.hq.nasa.gov, 
giving their user name as "anonymous". Reports will be 
posted in the directory /pub/pao/statrpt/1999/y2K.

    Status reports will also be available through NASA's 
voicemail system by calling 202/358-1445.

    NASA expects to issue several status reports between 
late Friday evening and early Saturday morning, depending 
on events. Updates will be issued after 5 p.m. EST Saturday 
only if events warrant.

    Reporters should note that New Year's Day, normally a 
federal holiday, falls on Saturday this year. Therefore, 
the federal government will be closed on Friday, New Year's 
Eve, to mark the holiday. NASA newsrooms will not open that 
day, nor during the transition. Normal business hours will 
resume Monday, Jan. 3.

     Reporters wishing to cover the transition of the U.S. 
government should contact the White House Y2K Information 
Coordination Center at 202/456-7010. Background on the 
overall federal Y2K effort is available on the Internet at:

     http://www.y2k.gov

    Background on NASA and Y2K can be found on the Internet 
at the Chief Information Officer's Y2K Home Page:

     http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/cio/y2k/

and in a list of Frequently Asked Questions at:

     http://www.nasa.gov/newsinfo/y2kfaq.html

                          - end -

NOTE TO TV PRODUCERS: B-roll of the NASA team conducting a 
Y2K drill in November 1999 is available from NASA 
Television. Call Ray Castillo at 202/358-4555 or Amanda 
Rockwell at 202/358-0016 to arrange a downlink.



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