International Media Accreditation For Aquarius/SAC-D Launch Open

Steve Cole

Headquarters, Washington     

 

WASHINGTON -- International journalists who would like to cover the June 9 launch of the Aquarius/SAC-D mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California need to apply for credentials by May 9. The three-year mission will provide new insights into how changes in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes.

The Aquarius/SAC-D liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from NASA's Space Launch Complex 2 is targeted for 10:20 a.m. EDT (7:20 a.m. PDT) June 9. Because of U.S. Air Force requirements, international news media representatives must apply for accreditation more than 30 days before the launch.

International journalists should contact Jeremy Eggers, 30th Space Wing Public Affairs Office, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., at 805-606-3595 or jeremy.eggers@vandenberg.af.mil. They must provide full legal name, date of birth, nationality, passport number and media affiliation. A legal photo identification will be required upon arrival at Vandenberg.

The Aquarius/SAC-D mission will map global changes in the concentration of dissolved salt, or salinity, at the ocean surface. Measuring salinity is important to understanding how rainfall, evaporation, and the melting or freezing of ice influence ocean circulation and are linked to climate changes.

Aquarius is the NASA-built primary instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft. The mission is a collaboration between NASA and Argentina's space agency with participation from Brazil, Canada, France and Italy. Launch management is provided by NASA's Launch Services Program at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

For more information about the Aquarius/SAC-D mission, visit http://aquarius.nasa.gov.

- end -