NASA Sets Media Deadlines For Next Space Shuttle Flight

Stephanie Schierholz

Headquarters, Washington

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.gov

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