For Release: May 14, 1996

Kathryn Cataldo
Office of Media Services
(205) 544-2188

NOTE TO ASSIGNMENT EDITORS/PRODUCERS: 96-40N

LIVE INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE ON NEW TORNADO RESEARCH

A pioneering research satellite may someday lead to earlier alerts for severe weather -- and may even shave off crucial minutes for tornado warnings.

Preliminary data from a NASA lightning monitor on board a satellite reveals possible links between the high and sudden frequency of lightning, that can only be seen from space, and the formation of tornadoes.

With the current high interest in twisters, NASA is offering live and taped interviews, via satellite with NASA researchers from Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala located in the heart of "twister country". B-roll featuring lightning from space, tornado formation and footage of twisters in action leaving a path of destruction.

The interviews and b-roll will be this Friday morning on NASA TV satellite which is located on C-band, Spacenet 2, Transponder 5, Channel 9 at 69 degrees west longitude. The transponder frequency is 3880 Mhz and the audio subcarrier is 6.8 Mhz.

To request an interview or for more information, please contact Kathryn Cataldo at NASA at (205) 544-2188 or the Marshall Space Flight Center Public Affairs Office at (205) 544-0034.