NASA's STS-135 Crew Available To Media At Final Shuttle Rollout

Joshua Buck

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Candrea Thomas

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The four astronauts for the final space shuttle mission, STS-135, will answer reporters' questions at 8:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 31, as shuttle Atlantis is moved to its launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The question-and-answer session will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim will take questions outside Kennedy's news center while Atlantis moves in the background from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Launch Pad 39A.

Atlantis' first motion out of the VAB is scheduled for 8 p.m. NASA TV will provide live video of the start of the move, known as rollout, and then switch to the crew media event. NASA TV's Video File will broadcast highlights of the entire rollout. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

STS-134 mission badges are valid for all rollout activities, including an 8 p.m. photo opportunity of the move, the STS-135 crew event and an interview availability with Atlantis Flow Director Angie Brewer at about 9 p.m., which will not be shown on NASA TV. News media representatives must arrive at Kennedy's news center by 7:30 p.m. for the rollout photo opportunity.

NASA also will provide a sunrise photo opportunity at the launch pad on June 1, after Atlantis' early morning arrival. Reporters must be at the news center by 6 a.m. for transportation to the pad viewing areas. Updates for events are available at 321-867-2525.

Journalists who applied only for STS-135 rollout events, may begin picking up their badges starting at 6 a.m. on May 31 at the Kennedy Space Center Badging Office on State Road 405. Journalists who have been approved for STS-134 mission badges, but have not picked them up yet, may do so at NASA's Pass and Identification Building on State Road 3 on May 31 from 4 - 6 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on June 1.

Atlantis' astronauts are targeted to launch to the International Space Station on July 8. For more information about the mission and crew, visit http://go.nasa.gov/STS-135.

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