Jan. 24, 2007
Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749
MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-009
NASA OPENS MEDIA ACCREDITATION FOR NEXT SHUTTLE MISSION
Media accreditation is open for NASA's upcoming space shuttle mission
to continue building the International Space Station. The launch of
shuttle Atlantis on the STS-117 mission is targeted for March 15.
All U.S. and international media must apply for credentials to attend
the launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida or to 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, are 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.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
Media applying for credentials at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.,
should submit requests via the Web at
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov.
Media must use work, not personal e-mail addresses, when applying for
credentials. Once accreditation is approved, applicants will receive
confirmation via e-mail. Accredited media will have access to launch
dress rehearsal activities Feb. 20 -23, known as the Terminal
Countdown Demonstration Test, and to launch events. The STS-117
mission badge will be accepted for both events. For the Terminal
Countdown Demonstration Test activities, all media must apply for
credentials by Feb. 12. For launch week events only, all media must
apply by March 8.
Media with special logistic requests for Kennedy Space Center, such as
space for trailers, electrical connections or work stations in the
newsroom, must contact Laurel Lichtenberger at
[email protected] by Feb. 28.
Work stations are provided on a first-come basis. 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. Media must have a
public affairs escort to any Kennedy area except the Launch Complex
39 cafeteria. Kennedy credentials will be honored during the STS-117
mission at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, and NASA's Dryden
Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Media still
should contact NASA Dryden public affairs for access to Edwards.
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER
Media may either present Kennedy STS-117 mission credentials or obtain
Johnson Space Flight Center credentials by calling the Johnson
newsroom at 281-483-5111. Media planning to cover the mission only
from Johnson should only apply at that center.
Deadlines for submitting Johnson Space Center accreditation requests
are Feb. 21 for non-U.S. media, regardless of citizenship, and March
7 for U.S. media who are U.S. citizens.
Media covering the mission from Johnson using Kennedy credentials must
contact the Johnson newsroom by March 7 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, credentials will be arranged by
Johnson.
DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER
Notice for a space shuttle landing at Dryden Flight Research Center on
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., could be short. National media should
consider accrediting Los Angeles-based personnel who could travel
quickly to Dryden.
Deadlines for submitting Dryden Flight Research Center accreditation
requests are Feb. 14 for non-U.S. media, regardless of citizenship,
and March 20 for U.S. media who are U.S. citizens.
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, expiration date, and alien
registration number if applicable.
Media should fax requests for credentials on company letterhead to
661-276-3566.
E-mailed requests to
[email protected] 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.
No substitutions of non-credentialed media are allowed at any NASA
facility. If the STS-117 launch is delayed, the deadline for domestic
media may be extended on a day-by-day basis.
NASA PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS:
Kennedy Space Center: Jessica Rye, 321-867-2468
Johnson Space Center: James Hartsfield, 281-483-5111
Dryden Flight Research Center: Leslie Williams, 661-276-3893
For information about the STS-117 mission or crew, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle-end-