STS-119 Press releases

[jacqmans]

MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-246

NEWS MEDIA INVITED TO VIEW SPACE STATION'S SOLAR WINGS

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Kennedy Space Center will provide an
opportunity for reporters to see the International Space Station's
next element at 10 a.m. EST, Thursday, Dec. 18. The S6 truss segment,
with its set of large U.S. solar arrays, will be attached to the
starboard, or right, side of the station during space shuttle
Discovery's STS-119 mission. STS-119 is targeted to launch Feb. 12,
2009.

NASA and Boeing mission managers involved in processing the element
for flight will be available for a question-and-answer session during
the event. Media representatives planning to attend must arrive at
Kennedy's news center by 9:30 a.m. for transportation to the Space
Station Processing Facility. The processing facility is an
operational area. All participants must be dressed in long pants,
shirts with sleeves, and flat, closed-toe shoes.

The element will complete the backbone of the station. The two solar
wings will provide one-fourth of the total power needed to support a
crew of six astronauts. The S6 truss is expected to be loaded into
the payload transportation canister Jan. 7, in preparation for its
targeted journey to the launch pad Jan. 11.

Reporters without permanent Kennedy credentials should submit their
request online at:



https://media.ksc.nasa.gov


Foreign media must apply for credentials by 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec.
10. U.S. reporters must apply by 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 16.

[jacqmans]

MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-247

NASA SETS MEDIA CREDENTIALS DEADLINES FOR NEXT SHUTTLE FLIGHT

WASHINGTON -- NASA has set media accreditation deadlines for the next
space shuttle mission to the International Space Station. Shuttle
Discovery is targeted to launch Feb. 12 at 7:28 a.m. EST on the
STS-119 mission to the station. The seven-member crew will deliver
the final pair of power-generating solar arrays and the last segment
of the space station's backbone.

All U.S. and international 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 legitimate, verifiable news-gathering
organizations. Media representatives may need to submit requests for
credentials at multiple NASA facilities.

Additional time may be required to process accreditation requests made
by journalists from certain designated countries. Designated
countries include those with which the United States has no
diplomatic relations, those on the State Department's list of state
sponsors of terrorism, those under U.S. sanction or embargo, or those
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-119 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 Kennedy should submit requests
via the Web at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

Media 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 Jan. 15 for foreign reporters and
Jan. 29 for U.S. journalists.

Access requests must be submitted separately for Discovery's rollout
to the launch pad, on Jan. 14, and the launch dress rehearsal
activities, known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, Jan.
19-21. For rollout, foreign journalists must apply by Dec. 19 to
allow time for processing, and U.S. media representatives must apply
by Jan. 12. For the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, foreign
media representatives must apply by Jan. 2, and U.S. reporters must
apply by Jan. 15.

Media with special logistic requests for NASA's Kennedy Space Center,
such as space for satellite trucks, trailers, electrical connections
or work space, must contact Laurel Lichtenberger at
[email protected] by Jan. 29.

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 [email protected].
Journalists must have a public affairs escort to any other area of
Kennedy, except the Launch Complex 39 cafeteria.

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER
Reporters may obtain Johnson Space Center credentials by calling the
Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 or presenting STS-119 mission
credentials from Kennedy. Media planning to cover the mission only
from Johnson need to apply for credentials only at Johnson. Deadlines
for submitting Johnson accreditation requests are Jan. 16 for
non-U.S. journalists, regardless of citizenship, and Feb. 4 for U.S.
journalists who are U.S. citizens.

Correspondents covering the mission from Johnson using Kennedy
credentials also must contact the Johnson newsroom by Feb. 4 to
arrange work space, phone lines and other logistics. Johnson will
arrange credentials for reporters if a shuttle landing at White Sands
Space Harbor, N.M., is imminent.

DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER
Notice for a space shuttle landing at NASA's Dryden Flight Research
Center on Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., could be short. Media
organizations should consider accrediting Los Angeles-based personnel
who could travel quickly to Dryden. Deadlines for submitting Dryden
Flight Research Center accreditation requests are Jan. 20 for
non-U.S. media, regardless of citizenship, and Feb. 18 for U.S. media
who are U.S. citizens or who have permanent residency status.

For Dryden media credentials, U.S. citizens and permanent resident
aliens 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. Permanent resident aliens also must
provide their alien registration number and its expiration date.

In addition to the above requirements, foreign media representatives,
regardless of citizenship, must provide their citizenship, visa or
passport number and their expiration dates. Permanent resident aliens
representing foreign media must provide their alien registration
number and its expiration date.

Media representatives should e-mail requests for credentials as an
attachment on their company letterhead to [email protected] or fax
requests to 661-276-3566. 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,
[email protected] 
Johnson Space Center: James Hartsfield, 281-483-5111,
[email protected] 
Dryden Flight Research Center: Leslie Williams, 661-276-3893,
[email protected]

For information about the STS-119 crew and mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

[jacqmans]

MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-250

NASA SETS BRIEFINGS TO PREVIEW NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION

HOUSTON -- NASA will discuss the next space shuttle mission during a
daylong series of media briefings from NASA's Johnson Space Center
beginning at 8 a.m. CST, Friday, Jan. 9. The briefings will be
broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's Web site.
Questions also will be taken from participating NASA locations.

Space shuttle Discovery's mission to the International Space Station
is targeted for launch Feb. 12 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in
Florida. The 14-day mission will deliver the final set of solar
arrays and the last segment of the station's backbone. The crew will
perform four spacewalks during the 10 days the shuttle is docked to
the station.

Following the briefings, members of the shuttle crew will be available
for a series of round-robin interviews. Media planning to attend and
participate in the interviews must contact the Johnson newsroom at
281-483-5111 by 5 p.m. on Jan. 6. Journalists who are foreign
nationals, regardless of citizenship, must contact Johnson to arrange
credentials no later than 5 p.m. on Dec. 19.

Lee Archambault will command Discovery's mission, which is designated
STS-119. Tony Antonelli will serve as the pilot. The mission
specialists are Joseph Acaba, John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Richard
Arnold and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi
Wakata. Wakata will replace Expedition 18 Flight Engineer Sandra
Magnus, who will return to Earth with the STS-119 crew. Wakata will
serve as a flight engineer for Expeditions 18 and 19 and will return
to Earth on shuttle mission STS-127.

The schedule of briefings (all times are Central) is:

8 a.m. -- Space Shuttle and Space Station Program Overview
9:30 a.m. -- STS-119 Mission Overview
11 a.m. -- NASA TV Video File
11:30 a.m. --      STS-119 Spacewalk Overview
1 p.m. -- STS-119 Crew News Conference

[jacqmans]

MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-003

NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY TO MOVE TO LAUNCH PAD WEDNESDAY

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll
out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday,
Jan. 14, as preparations for the STS-119 mission move forward.
Discovery is targeted to lift off Feb. 12 to the International Space
Station.

The first motion of the shuttle out of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly
Building is scheduled for 4 a.m. EST. The fully assembled space
shuttle, consisting of the orbiter, external fuel tank and twin solid
rocket boosters, will be delivered to the pad atop a crawler
transporter that will travel slower than 1 mph during the 3.4-mile
journey. The process is expected to take approximately six hours.

NASA Television will provide live coverage of Discovery's rollout to
the launch pad beginning at 6:30 a.m. Video highlights of the rollout
will air on NASA TV's Video File.

News media are invited to photograph the shuttle's move to the pad and
interview Discovery Flow Director Stephanie Stilson at 8:30 a.m.,
Wednesday. Dates and times of this event are subject to change.
Updates are available by calling 321-867-2525.

News media must arrive at Kennedy's news center by 6 a.m., Wednesday,
for transportation to the viewing area. Foreign news media
accreditation for the event is closed. Foreign media with credentials
must arrive at the Pass and I-D Building on State Road 3 by 6 a.m.
for transportation to the news center.

U.S. media without permanent Kennedy Space Center credentials must
apply for accreditation online by 4 p.m., Monday, Jan. 12, at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

News media must pick up badges by 4 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 13, at the new
Kennedy Badging Office on State Road 405, west of Gate 3, just past
the Kennedy Visitor's Complex.

During Discovery's 14-day mission, the crew will install the S6 truss
segment and its solar arrays to the starboard side of the station,
completing the station's backbone, or truss. Discovery's crew members
are Commander Lee Archambault, Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission
Specialists Joseph Acaba, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold, John
Phillips and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi
Wakata.

For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming
video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the STS-119 mission and crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

[Ford Mustang]

MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-010

NASA'S SHUTTLE DISCOVERY ARRIVES AT LAUNCH PAD, PRACTICE LIFTOFF SET

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- After reaching its launch pad at NASA's
Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery now awaits
its next major milestone for the upcoming STS-119 mission. A launch
dress rehearsal, known as the terminal countdown demonstration test,
is scheduled to take place at Kennedy from Jan. 19 to 21.

Discovery arrived at Launch Pad 39A at 10:08 a.m. EST Wednesday on top
of a giant crawler-transporter. The crawler-transporter left
Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 5:17 a.m. Wednesday, traveling
less than 1 mph during the 3.4-mile journey. The shuttle was secured
on the pad at 12:16 p.m.

The STS-119 astronauts and ground crews will participate in the
practice countdown. The test provides each shuttle crew with an
opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities,
including equipment familiarization and emergency training.

The following media events are associated with the test. All times are
Eastern.

-- Jan. 19 - STS-119 crew arrival and media availability: The
astronauts will arrive at 11:30 a.m. at the Shuttle Landing Facility
and will take questions immediately following arrival. The arrival
and media availability will be broadcast live on NASA Television.

-- Jan. 21 - STS-119 crew walkout photo opportunity: The astronauts
will depart from the Operations and Checkout Building at 7:45 a.m. in
their flight entry suits in preparation for the countdown
demonstration test at the launch pad. The walkout will not be
broadcast live but will be part of the NASA TV Video File.

Dates and times of events are subject to change. Schedule updates are
available at 321-867-2525.

To attend crew arrival, reporters who have already requested
credentials may begin picking up badges at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19,
at the Kennedy Badging Office on State Road 405. Accreditation for
new international media and U.S. media without permanent Kennedy
Space Center credentials is closed. For information about covering
these events, including proper attire and meeting locations,
credentialed media should visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/media.html

Video B-roll of the terminal countdown demonstration test will be
available on the NASA TV Video File. For NASA TV downlink
information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Discovery is targeted to launch Feb. 12 on a 14-day mission to the
International Space Station. The crew of seven astronauts will
install the S6 truss segment to the starboard, or right, side of the
station and deploy its solar arrays. Four spacewalks will be
conducted during the flight.

Lee Archambault will command the STS-119 mission. Tony Antonelli will
be the pilot. The mission specialists are Joseph Acaba, Steve
Swanson, Richard Arnold, John Phillips and Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will remain on the
station as a resident crew member, replacing station Flight Engineer
Sandra Magnus. She will return home on Discovery.

STS-119 is the 125th shuttle flight, the 36th flight for Discovery and
the 28th flight to the station.

For more information about the STS-119 mission and crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For more information about the space station and its crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

[NavySpaceFan]

Mission Press Kit now available:

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/304681main_STS-119_Press_Kit.pdf

[robertross]

Mission Press Kit now available:

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/304681main_STS-119_Press_Kit.pdf

Ah, good man. Saves me time going through NASA's image-rich site on dial-up. Thanks.

[dsmillman]

Mission Press Kit now available:

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/304681main_STS-119_Press_Kit.pdf

In the section on the S6 robotics(pages 40-41), were steps 5-8 omitted?

[jeff2space]

Mission Press Kit now available:

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/304681main_STS-119_Press_Kit.pdf

In the section on the S6 robotics(pages 40-41), were steps 5-8 omitted?

I don't think it was omitted, I think they numbered incorrectly (9-12 should be 5-8).

[dsmillman]

Mission Press Kit now available:

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/304681main_STS-119_Press_Kit.pdf

In the section on the S6 robotics(pages 40-41), were steps 5-8 omitted?

I don't think it was omitted, I think they numbered incorrectly (9-12 should be 5-8).

I think steps 5-8 should show the SSRMS ungrappling S6, the MT moving to WS-1, and the SSRMS grappling S6 again.

[mainengine]

Did you know the PressKit is online ?
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/304681main_STS-119_Press_Kit.pdf

[kch]

Did you know the PressKit is online ?
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/304681main_STS-119_Press_Kit.pdf

Do now -- thanks for the link!  :-)

[rdale]

Did you know the PressKit is online ?

Is it any different than the one posted here last week?

Mission Press Kit now available:

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/304681main_STS-119_Press_Kit.pdf

[Ford Mustang]

MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-020

NASA TO HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE ABOUT NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA managers have scheduled a news conference
at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for no earlier than 6 p.m.
EST on Tuesday, Feb. 3, to discuss the status of the next space
shuttle launch. The news conference will begin after the conclusion
of the Flight Readiness Review, a meeting to assess preparations for
shuttle Discovery's STS-119 mission to the International Space
Station.

The review is expected to include the selection of an official launch
date. Discovery currently is targeted to launch at 7:32 a.m. on Feb.
12.

The briefing participants are:
- Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations,
NASA Headquarters, Washington
- John Shannon, manager, Space Shuttle Program, NASA's Johnson Space
Center, Houston
- Mike Leinbach, space shuttle launch director, NASA's Kennedy Space
Center

NASA Television and the agency's Web site will broadcast the briefing
live. Reporters may ask questions from participating NASA locations
and should contact their preferred NASA center to confirm its
participation.

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For STS-119 crew and mission information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

[jacqmans]

MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-023

NASA OFFERS MEDIA LIVE TV INTERVIEWS WITH STS-119 FLIGHT DIRECTOR

HOUSTON -- NASA flight director Kwatsi Alibaruho, who will lead
Mission Control for the upcoming space shuttle mission, will be
available for satellite interviews from 6 to 8 a.m. CST, Friday, Feb.
6. Alibaruho will discuss the challenges of the upcoming flight that
will deliver, install and deploy the final set of solar arrays for
the International Space Station.

The STS-119 flight, targeted to launch Feb. 12 from NASA's Kennedy
Space Center in Florida, will deliver a new crew member to the
station as well as the fourth set of arrays, which will provide
electricity to support six-person crews later in 2009. During the
first of four spacewalks, Discovery's crew will install and deploy
the arrays, part of the final major U.S. segment of the orbiting
laboratory's backbone. The crew also will continue work on the
station's new water recycling system.

Alibaruho has been a flight director since 2005 and is a veteran
leader of teams that manage shuttle flights and station expeditions.
He grew up in Atlanta and earned a bachelor's degree in avionics from
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

To participate in the interviews, reporters should contact D.J. Jones
at 281-483-8631 or 832-971-1154 before 3 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 5.

The NASA Live Interview Media Outlet channel will be used for the
interviews. The channel is a digital satellite C-band downlink by
uplink provider Americom. It is on satellite AMC 6, transponder 5C,
located at 72 degrees west, downlink frequency 3785.5 Mhz based on a
standard C-band 5150 Mhz L.O., vertical polarity, FEC is 3/4, data
rate is 6.00 Mhz, symbol rate is 4.3404 Mbaud, transmission DVB,
minimum Eb/N0 is 6.0 dB.

The interviews also will be broadcast live on NASA Television. For
streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv


For more information about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station


For more information about the space shuttle, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

[Ford Mustang]

RELEASE: 09-25

SHUTTLE DISCOVERY LAUNCH NOW NO EARLIER THAN FEB. 19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During a review of space shuttle Discovery's
readiness for flight, NASA managers decided Tuesday to plan a launch
no earlier than Feb. 19. The new planning date is pending additional
analysis and particle impact testing associated with a flow control
valve in the shuttle's main engines.

Discovery's STS-119 mission to the International Space Station
originally had been targeted for Feb. 12.

The valve is one of three that channels gaseous hydrogen from the
engines to the external fuel tank. One of these valves in shuttle
Endeavour was found to be damaged after its mission in November. As a
precaution, Discovery's valves were removed, inspected and
reinstalled.

The Space Shuttle Program will convene a meeting on Feb. 10 to assess
the analysis. On Feb. 12, NASA managers and contractors will finalize
the flight readiness review, which began Tuesday, to address the flow
control valve issue and to select an official launch date.

The 14-day mission will deliver the station's fourth and final set of
solar arrays, completing the orbiting laboratory's truss, or
backbone. The arrays will provide the electricity to fully power
science experiments and support the station's expanded crew of six in
May. Altogether, the station's 240-foot-long arrays can generate as
much as 120 kilowatts of usable electricity -- enough to provide
about forty-two 2,800-square-foot homes with power.

Discovery also will carry a replacement distillation assembly for the
station's new water recycling system. The unit is part of the Urine
Processing Assembly that removes impurities from urine in an early
stage of the recycling process. The Water Recovery System was
delivered and installed during the STS-126 mission in November, but
the unit failed after Endeavour's departure.

Joining Archambault on STS-119 will be Pilot Tony Antonelli and
Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, Richard Arnold, John Phillips,
Steve Swanson and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi
Wakata. Wakata will replace Sandra Magnus aboard the station. She
will return home with the Discovery crew after three months in space.

Former science teachers Acaba and Arnold are now fully-trained NASA
astronauts. They will make their first journey to orbit on the
mission and step outside the station to conduct critical spacewalking
tasks.

STS-119 will be Discovery's 36th mission and the 28th shuttle flight
dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.

For more information about the STS-119 mission, including images and
interviews, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

[jacqmans]

RELEASE: 09-026

NASA CONTINUES ASSESSMENT OF THE NEXT SHUTTLE MISSION



WASHINGTON -- Because of an ongoing review of the space shuttle's flow
control valves, NASA managers are rescheduling meetings next week to
assess the launch readiness of shuttle Discovery's STS-119 mission to
the International Space Station.

The Space Shuttle Program will hold a meeting Feb. 13 to review data
and determine whether to move forward with a flight readiness review
on Feb. 18. The official launch date will be set at the readiness
review, but for planning purposes launch now is no earlier than Feb.
22.

There are three valves that channel gaseous hydrogen from the
shuttle's main engines to the external fuel tank. One of these valves
in shuttle Endeavour was found to be damaged after its mission in
November. As a precaution, Discovery's three gaseous hydrogen valves
were removed, inspected and reinstalled.

For information on the STS-119 mission, visit:



http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

[Ronsmytheiii]

And now for something completely different, The Onion's take on Discovery's delay"

Moments after having their shuttle launch delayed, Discovery astronauts complained once again Monday about John Wilkins—that annoying little program manager who insists on every detail of every space mission being exactly right.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/annoying_stickler_insists_on_every

[Ford Mustang]

MEDIA ADVISORY: 09-025

NASA SETS FEB. 20 NEWS CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION

WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold a news conference Friday, Feb. 20,
following a review of space shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight
and an assessment of shuttle flow control valve testing. An official
launch date for the STS-119 mission has not been set, but for
planning purposes, liftoff now is targeted for no earlier than Feb.
27.

The new planning date is not expected to affect the launch dates for
missions that will follow Discovery's flight, STS-125 to NASA’s
Hubble Space Telescope and STS-127 to the International Space
Station.

Teams from multiple NASA centers and contractor sites have made
significant progress in understanding what caused the damage to a
flow control valve in shuttle Endeavour during its mission in
November. There are three valves in each shuttle that channel gaseous
hydrogen from the main engines to the external fuel tank. The
engineering teams have performed a tremendous amount of work,
including computer modeling and actual tests to determine the
consequences if a piece of a valve were to break off and strike
shuttle and external fuel tank components. More time was needed to
complete analyses and testing necessary to fly safely.

NASA Television and the agency's Web site will broadcast the Feb. 20
briefing live. Media may ask questions from participating NASA
locations. Reporters should contact their preferred NASA center to
confirm its participation. The news conference will begin no earlier
than 5 p.m. EST at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The briefing participants are:
- Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier
- Space Shuttle Program Manager John Shannon
- Space Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For STS-119 crew and mission information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

[jacqmans]

MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-027

NASA, CHANNEL ONE NEWS LINKUP WITH NEXT SHUTTLE MISSION; STUDENTS CAN SUBMIT QUESTIONS FOR ASTRONAUTS

HOUSTON -- In a unique event, NASA and Channel One News will offer
students the opportunity to ask questions of the next space shuttle
crew. The crew includes two former science teachers, Joseph Acaba and
Richard Arnold, who are now fully-trained NASA astronauts. They will
make their first journey into orbit on shuttle Discovery's upcoming
mission to the International Space Station, currently targeted to
launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than
Feb. 27.

On the mission's fourth day, Channel One News Anchor Steven Fabian
will interview Acaba, Arnold, shuttle Commander Lee Archambault and
International Space Station Commander Mike Fincke. The questions will
be selected from written and videotaped submissions made on the Web
at:

http://www.channelone.com/news/space-station-q-a

NASA Television and the agency's Web site will broadcast the interview
live. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling
information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

"This is a great opportunity to recognize the important contribution
of teachers inspiring the next generation of explorers," said Joyce
Winterton, NASA's assistant administrator for Education at NASA
Headquarters in Washington.

"We are thrilled for this special opportunity to connect Channel One
students directly to the space shuttle crew," commented Angela
Hunter, senior vice president and executive producer for Channel One
News. "Providing teens with this type of access to an important
journey allows students to share in a unique experience and offers
them tools to further explore a fascinating area of science."

The STS-119 mission will deliver the station's final set of giant
solar arrays, which will provide the electricity to fully power
science experiments and support the station's expanded crew of six in
May. The flight also will replace a failed unit for a system that
converts urine to potable water.

During the 14-day flight, Acaba will conduct two spacewalks and Arnold
will conduct three.
As a complement to the spacewalks, NASA has developed an educational
Web site focused on spacesuits and spacewalks. The site includes
activity guides for kindergarten through 12th grade teachers; a
clickable spacesuit to learn about the parts and functions of the
astronauts' personal spacecraft; and a career corner that features
profiles on spacesuit designers and technicians. To access the
resources designed to enhance classroom discussions and excite
students, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education/spacesuits

For Acaba and Arnold's complete biographies, visit:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/acaba-jm.html