Candrea Thomas
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov
John Yembrick
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0602
john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov
MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-136
NASA SETS MEDIA CREDENTIALS DEADLINES FOR NEXT SHUTTLE FLIGHT
WASHINGTON -- NASA has set media accreditation deadlines for space
shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to return to the Hubble Space
Telescope, targeted to launch Oct. 8. The 11-day flight will include
five spacewalks to make final repairs and upgrades to the telescope,
leaving it better than ever and ready for another five years -- or
more -- of research. This is the last visit to the telescope before
the shuttle fleet retires in 2010.
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-125 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 Sept. 22 for U.S. journalists and Sept. 12 for
foreign reporters.
Access requests must be submitted separately for Atlantis' roll out to
the launch pad on Aug. 29, and the launch dress rehearsal activities,
known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, Sept. 17-19. For
rollout, U.S. reporters must apply by Aug. 25 and foreign journalists
by Aug. 15. For the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, U.S.
reporters must apply by Sept. 12 and foreign journalists by Sept. 3.
Media with special logistic requests for the Kennedy Space Center,
such as space for satellite trucks, trailers, electrical connections
or work space, must contact Laurel Lichtenberger at
laurel.a.lichtenberger@nasa.gov by Sept. 30.
Work space in the News Center and the 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 newsroom 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 Kennedy 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 by presenting Kennedy STS-125
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 Sept. 5 for non-U.S.
reporters, regardless of citizenship, and Sept. 26 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 Sept. 26 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 in California could be short.
Domestic media should consider accrediting Los Angeles-based
personnel who could travel quickly to Dryden. Deadlines for
submitting Dryden accreditation requests are Sept. 3 for non-U.S.
media, regardless of citizenship, and Oct. 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 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-125 mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle For information about the Hubble Space Telescope, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/hubble
