Destination Mars - Science Follows NASA as It Makes History with the Same-Day Event "Mars Landing 2012: The New Search for Life"

--Special Presentation Featuring Same-Day Footage from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab following the Historic Landing of the Mars Curiosity Mission Monday, August 6 at 10:00 PM (ET/PT) --

(Silver Spring, Md.) - This month, SCIENCE joins the Martian Invasion as it tackles the question that has boggled mankind for centuries: could there be life on Mars? On Monday August 6, SCIENCE will follow NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) for an exclusive same-day look at the final stage of their history making mission to determine if the Red Planet has the ability to support life. In what is being hailed as "the most complex Mars mission to date," the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft Curiosity is transporting the largest-ever landing craft and research payload that promises insights that will help scientists determine the possibility of life on Mars - both past and present. MARS LANDING 2012: THE NEW SEARCH FOR LIFE premieres Monday, August 6 at 10:00 PM (ET/PT) on SCIENCE.

SCIENCE will be on the ground with key leaders of the mission at JPL at the California Institute of Technology, garnering first-hand interviews as this milestone mission touches down. Hosts Dan Riskin and Ziya Tong will be embedded as the action unfolds as the team attempts to land Curiosity in Mars' Gale Crater. MARS LANDING 2012: THE NEW SEARCH FOR LIFE is a co-production between SCIENCE and Discovery Canada.

"SCIENCE is completely obsessed with the exploration of Mars," said Debbie Adler Myers, General Manager and Executive Vice President and General Manager of SCIENCE. "This mission represents the precursor of human exploration to Mars. We are thrilled to partner with NASA and the team at JPL on this project as this mission is enormously important to the future of our space program, the future of science, and the future of mankind as we know it."

MARS LANDING 2012: THE NEW SEARCH FOR LIFE will feature never-before-seen field stories including interviews with leading JPL scientists, mission contributors, and insights from the next generation of scientists determined to discover life forms beyond our own. Offering private access to mission personnel, this exclusive special will offer a 360-look at the fusion of science, technology, and innovative minds necessary to bring this historic mission to life.

MARS LANDING 2012: THE NEW SEARCH FOR LIFE is executive produced by Kelly McKeown for Exploration Production Inc. Barb Ustina was producer for Exploration Production, Inc. For SCIENCE, Josh Berkley is executive producer, Bernadette McDaid is vice president of production, and Debbie Adler Myers is general manager and executive vice president.

About SCIENCE:

SCIENCE, a division of Discovery Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), is home for the thought provocateur, the individual who is unafraid to ask the killer questions of "how" and "why not." The network is a playground for those with audacious intellects and features programming willing to go beyond imagination to explore the unknown. Guided by curiosity, SCIENCE looks for innovation in mysterious new worlds as well as in its own backyard. SCIENCE and the SCIENCE HD simulcast reach more than 68 million U.S. households. The network also features high-traffic online and social media destinations, including ScienceChannel.com, facebook.com/Science Channel and twitter.com/Science Channel.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 210 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through 130-plus worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science and Investigation Discovery, as well as US joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, The Hub and 3net, the first 24-hour 3D network. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools and owns and operates a diversified portfolio of digital media services, including HowStuffWorks.com. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

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