NASA Sets Media Deadlines For Next Space Shuttle Flight
WASHINGTON -- NASA has set media accreditation deadlines for the
November space shuttle flight to the International Space Station.
Shuttle Discovery and six astronauts are targeted to launch on the
STS-133 mission on Nov. 1 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in
Florida.
Deadlines also have been set for journalists who want to cover the
shuttle's move from its processing facility to the launch pad and
practice countdown. Reporters must apply for credentials to attend
the launch or cover the mission from other NASA centers. To be
accredited, reporters must work for verifiable news-gathering
organizations. No substitutions of credentials are allowed at any NASA facility.
The 11-day mission will be the 35th flight to the station and the 39th
and final scheduled flight for Discovery. The mission will deliver
and install the Permanent Multipurpose Module, the Express Logistics
Carrier 4, an external platform that holds large equipment, and
critical spare components for the station. Discovery also will
deliver Robonaut 2, or R2, to become a permanent resident of the
station as the first human-like robot in space.
NASA's Office of Protective Services recently made changes to the
policy for foreign national processing. All journalists who are
lawful permanent residents, have dual or multiple U.S. citizenship,
or are U.S. citizens representing international media outlets will
have their credential applications processed in the same way as U.S.
citizens who represent domestic media.
Additional time may be required to process accreditation requests by
journalists from certain designated countries. Designated countries
include those with which the United States has no diplomatic
relations, countries on the State Department's list of state sponsors
of terrorism, those under U.S. sanction or embargo, and countries
associated with proliferation concerns.
Contact the accrediting NASA center for details. Journalists should
confirm they have been accredited before traveling.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
Reporters applying for credentials at Kennedy should submit requests
via the Web at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
Reporters must use work e-mail addresses, not personal accounts, when
applying. After accreditation is approved, applicants will receive
confirmation via e-mail.
Accredited media representatives with mission badges will have access
to Kennedy from launch through the end of the mission. The
application deadline for mission badges is Oct. 20 for all reporters
requesting credentials.
Discovery's move from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Launch
Pad 39A, planned for Sept. 21, follows its rollover from Orbiter
Processing Facility-3 to the VAB, which is targeted for Sept. 8. To
attend rollout, international journalists must apply by 5 p.m. EDT
Sept. 13 to allow time for processing, and U.S. media representatives
must apply by Sept. 17.
The practice countdown, known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration
Test, and related training are scheduled for Oct. 12-15. To cover the
activities, international journalists must apply by 5 p.m. Oct. 1,
and U.S. media representatives must apply by Oct. 7.
Reporters with special logistic requests for Kennedy, such as space
for satellite trucks, trailers, electrical connections or work space,
must contact Laurel Lichtenberger by Oct. 20 at:
laurel.a.lichtenberger@nasa.
Wireless Internet access is not provided at Kennedy's news center.
Work space in the news center and the news center annex is provided
on a first-come basis, limited to one space per organization. To set
up temporary telephone, fax, ISDN or network lines, media
representatives must make arrangements with BellSouth at
800-213-4988. Reporters must have an assigned seat in the Kennedy
newsroom prior to setting up lines. To obtain an assigned seat,
contact Patricia Christian at:
patricia.christian-1@nasa.gov
Journalists must have a public affairs escort to all other areas of
Kennedy except the Launch Complex 39 cafeteria.
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER
Reporters may obtain credentials for NASA's Johnson Space Center in
Houston by calling the center's newsroom at 281-483-5111 or by
presenting STS-133 mission credentials from Kennedy. Media
representatives planning to cover the mission only from Johnson need
to apply for credentials only at the center. The application deadline
for mission badges is Oct. 18 for all reporters requesting
credentials.
Journalists covering the mission from Johnson using Kennedy
credentials must contact the center's newsroom by Oct. 18 to arrange
workspace, phone lines and other logistics. Johnson is responsible
for credentialing media if the shuttle lands at NASA's White Sands
Space Harbor, N.M. If a landing is imminent at White Sands, Johnson
will arrange credentials.
DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER
Notice for a shuttle landing at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center
in Edwards Air Force Base in California could be short. Domestic
media outlets should consider accrediting Los Angeles-based personnel
who could travel quickly to Dryden.
Deadlines for submitting Dryden accreditation requests are Oct. 4 for
non-U.S. media, regardless of citizenship, and Nov. 8 for U.S. media
who are U.S. citizens or who have permanent residency status.
For Dryden media credentials, U.S. citizens representing domestic
media outlets must provide their full name, date of birth, place of
birth, media organization, driver's license number with the name of
the issuing state, and the last six digits of their social security
number.
In addition to the above requirements, foreign media representatives,
regardless of citizenship, must provide data including their
citizenship, visa or passport number and its expiration date. Foreign
nationals representing either domestic or foreign media who have
permanent residency status must provide their alien registration
number and expiration date.
Journalists should e-mail requests to:
DrydenPAO@nasa.gov
Requests must include a phone number and business e-mail address for
follow-up contact. Journalists who previously requested credentials
for this mission will not need to do so again.
NASA PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS:
Kennedy Space Center: Allard Beutel, 321-867-2468,
allard.beutel@nasa.gov
Johnson Space Center: James Hartsfield, 281-483-5111,
james.a.hartsfield@nasa.gov
Dryden Flight Research Center: Leslie Williams, 661-276-3893,
leslie.a.williams@nasa.gov
For information about the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
For information about the STS-133 mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Source: NASA
