Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
katherine.trinidad@nasa.gov
MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-175
NASA SETS MEDIA CREDENTIALS DEADLINES FOR NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE FLIGHT
WASHINGTON -- NASA has set media accreditation deadlines for the next
space shuttle flight to the International Space Station. Shuttle
Atlantis and its six NASA astronauts are targeted to launch Nov. 12
to begin the STS-129 mission. Shuttle and station teams are assessing
whether the target date can be moved up to Nov. 9.
The 11-day flight will focus on staging spare components outside the
station and will include three spacewalks. Atlantis will return
station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth after nearly three months
aboard the orbiting laboratory.
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, reporters must work for
verifiable news-gathering organizations. Journalists may need to
submit requests for credentials at multiple NASA facilities as early
as Oct. 14
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. 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-129 launch is delayed, the deadline for domestic journalists
may be extended on a day-by-day basis.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
Reporters applying for credentials at Kennedy should submit requests
via the Web at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.govReporters 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. Application
deadlines for mission badges are Oct. 15 for international reporters
and Oct. 29 for U.S. journalists.
Reporters 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 Oct. 29. There is no longer free wireless Internet access 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 Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 or by
presenting STS-129 mission credentials from Kennedy. Media
representatives planning to cover the mission only from Johnson need
to apply for credentials only at Johnson. Deadlines for submitting
Johnson accreditation requests are Oct. 19 for non-U.S. reporters,
regardless of citizenship, and Nov. 2 for U.S. reporters who are U.S.
citizens.
Journalists covering the mission from Johnson using Kennedy
credentials also must contact the Johnson newsroom by Nov. 2 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 space shuttle landing at NASA's Dryden Flight Research
Center on 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. 14 for non-U.S.
media, regardless of citizenship, and Nov. 16 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 fax requests for credentials on company letterhead
to 661-276-3566. E-mailed requests to Alan Brown at
alan.brown@nasa.gov are acceptable for reporters 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.
Journalists who previously requested credentials will not have 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 STS-129 mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttleFor information about the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
