John Yembrick
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0602
john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov
MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-070
NASA SETS MEDIA CREDENTIALS DEADLINES FOR NEXT SHUTTLE FLIGHT
WASHINGTON -- NASA has set media accreditation deadlines for space
shuttle Discovery's STS-124 mission, targeted to launch May 31. The
13-day flight to the International Space Station will include three
spacewalks to continue assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency's Kibo laboratory. The shuttle's seven-member crew will work
with the station crew and ground teams to install a new pressurized
lab and a robotic arm for Kibo.
All journalists must apply for credentials to attend the liftoff from
NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida or cover the mission from
other NASA centers. To be accredited, media must work for legitimate,
verifiable news-gathering organizations. Reporters may need to submit
requests for credentials at multiple NASA facilities.
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, on the State Department's list of state sponsors of
terrorism, are under U.S. sanction or embargo, or which raise
proliferation concerns. Please contact the accrediting NASA center
for details. Journalists should confirm they have been accredited
before they travel.
No substitutions of credentials are allowed at any NASA facility. If
the STS-124 launch is delayed, the deadline for domestic media may be
extended on a day-by-day basis.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
Reporters applying for credentials at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
should submit requests via the Web at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov Media must use work e-mail addresses, not personal accounts, when
applying. Once accreditation is approved, applicants will receive
confirmation via e-mail.
Accredited media with mission badges will have access to Kennedy from
launch through the end of the mission. Application deadlines for
mission badges are May 13 for U.S. media and May 6 for foreign media.
Access requests must be submitted separately for Discovery's rollout
to the launch pad, targeted for May 4, and the launch dress rehearsal
activities, known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, from
May 6 to 8. For rollout, U.S. media must apply by April 28 and
foreign media by April 17. For the Terminal Countdown Demonstration
Test, U.S. media must apply by April 28 and foreign media by April
17.
Journalists with special logistic requests for Kennedy, such as space
for satellite trucks, trailers, electrical connections or work space,
must contact Laurel Lichtenberger at laurel.a.lichtenberger@nasa.gov
by May 21.
Work space in the Kennedy News Center and News Center Annex is
provided on a first-come basis - one space per organization. To set
up temporary telephone, fax, ISDN or network lines, media must make
arrangements with BellSouth at 800-213-4988. Media must have an
assigned seat in the Kennedy News Center prior to setting up lines.
To obtain an assigned seat, contact Patricia Christian at
patricia.christian-1@nasa.gov. Media must have a public affairs
escort to any other area except the Launch Complex 39 cafeteria.
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER
Reporters may obtain NASA Johnson Space Center credentials by calling
the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 or presenting Kennedy STS-124
mission credentials. Media planning to cover the mission only from
Johnson need to apply for credentials only at Johnson. Deadlines for
submitting Johnson accreditation requests are May 2 for non-U.S.
media, regardless of citizenship, and May 23 for U.S. media who are
U.S. citizens.
Media covering the mission from Johnson using Kennedy credentials also
must contact the Johnson newsroom by May 23 to arrange workspace,
phone lines and other logistics. Johnson is responsible for
credentialing media if the shuttle lands at 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 space shuttle landing at NASA's Dryden Flight Research
Center on Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., could be short. Domestic
media should consider accrediting Los Angeles-based personnel who
could travel quickly to Dryden. Deadlines for submitting Dryden
Flight Research Center accreditation requests are May 6 for non-U.S.
media, regardless of citizenship, and June 5 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 must provide their full name, date of birth, place of birth,
media organization, the last six digits of their social security
number and driver's license number, including the name of the issuing
state.
In addition to the above requirements, foreign media representatives,
regardless of citizenship, must provide data including their
citizenship, visa or passport number and their expiration date.
Foreign nationals representing either domestic or foreign media who
have permanent residency status must provide their alien registration
number and expiration date.
Media should fax requests for credentials on company letterhead to
661-276-3566. E-mailed requests to alan.brown@nasa.gov are acceptable
for media who have been accredited at Dryden within the past year.
Requests must include a phone number and business e-mail address for
follow-up contact.
NASA PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS:
Kennedy Space Center: Candrea Thomas, 321-867-2468,
candrea.k.thomas@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 STS-124 mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttleFor information about the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
