SpaceX has confirmed it will target its next cargo mission launch to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, for 10:50 p.m. EDT, Sunday, March 30.
NASA Television launch coverage begins at 9:45 p.m. for the company’s third contracted resupply mission to the orbital laboratory. A post-launch news conference will follow at approximately 90 minutes after liftoff. If for any reason the launch is postponed, the next launch opportunity is 9:39 p.m. Wednesday, April 2, with NASA TV coverage beginning at 8:30 p.m.
NASA TV also will air a prelaunch news conference at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A 2 p.m. briefing on the science and technology cargo being delivered to the space station by SpaceX will follow.
A March 30 launch would result in SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft arriving at the station on Wednesday, April 2, at approximately 7 a.m. NASA TV coverage of rendezvous and berthing will begin at 5:45 a.m. for a 7 a.m. capture. Coverage of Dragon’s installation will begin at 9:30 a.m.
MEDIA CREDENTIALING
Media may request accreditation online to attend the prelaunch events, including the launch pad photo opportunity, prelaunch news conference and launch, at:
The deadline for U.S. media to apply for accreditation is March 25. The deadline has passed for international media to apply.
Media credentials will be valid for mission activities from launch through splashdown at both the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Johnson Space Center in Texas.
For further information about media accreditation, contact Jennifer Horner at 321-867-6598.
PASS AND IDENTIFICATION BUILDING HOURS OF OPERATION
The Pass and Identification Building on State Road 3, Merritt Island, will be open to pick up media credentials at the following times:
Friday, March 28: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturday, March 29: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday, March 30: 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Media badges will be valid for access to Kennedy’s Press Site through Gate 2 on State Road 3 and through Gate 3 on State Road 405, east of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
NASA NEWS CENTER HOURS OF OPERATION
The NASA News Center hours of operation for SpaceX-3 are:
Friday, March 28: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 29: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, March 30: 9:30 a.m. – 2 a.m. March 31
Monday, March 31: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE
Saturday, March 29 (L-1 day): The prelaunch news conference for the NASA/SpaceX-3 mission will be held at Kennedy’s Press Site at 1 p.m. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participants in the prelaunch news conference will be:
TBD, International Space Station Program
Johnson Space Center, Houston
Gwynne Shotwell, president, SpaceX
Hawthorne, Calif.
Mike McAleenan, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
SPACEX-3 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PAYLOAD NEWS CONFERENCE
Saturday, March 29 (L-1 day): A NASA/SpaceX-3 science and technology briefing will be held at Kennedy’s Press Site at 2 p.m. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participants in the science briefing will be:
TBD, International Space Station Program Science
Johnson Space Center, Houston
TBD, Space Technology Mission Directorate
NASA Headquarters
TBD, Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS)
Melbourne, Fla.
POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE
A post-launch news conference will be held approximately 90 minutes after launch. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participants in the post-launch news conference will be:
TBD, International Space Station Program
Johnson Space Center, Houston
Gwen Shotwell, president
SpaceX
Media may participate in the news conferences in person at Kennedy Space Center or via a phone bridge by calling the newsroom at Kennedy 15 minutes before the briefings begin at 321-867-2468. Audio of the prelaunch briefings will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed directly by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, -1260 or -7135.
REMOTE CAMERA SETUPS
Sunday March 30 (Launch day): Media will be able to establish sound-activated remote cameras at the launch pad. The location is within Space Launch Complex 40 on the east side of the complex outside the pad perimeter fence. Media who want to participate in remote camera setup will depart from Kennedy’s Press Site by government bus at 11:15 a.m. and return at approximately 12:50 p.m. after remote cameras have been established. International media who did not apply by the deadline will be able to establish remote cameras at Universal Camera Site 3 (UCS-3) north of the launch complex.
FALCON 9 LAUNCH PAD PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Sunday, March 30 (Launch day): There will be photo opportunity of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule on the launch pad. Media will depart from Kennedy’s Press Site by government bus at 1:30 p.m. for Space Launch Complex 40 and be returned to the Press Site by approximately 3 p.m. SpaceX security regulations require that news media representatives attending this event be U.S. citizens. International media who did not apply by the deadline will be able to photograph the Falcon 9 from Universal Camera Site 3 (UCS-3) north of the launch complex.
SPECIAL SPACEX-3 PRELAUNCH MEDIA AVAILABILITIES
Sunday, March 30 (Launch day): There will be local media interview availabilities prior to launch in the NASA News Center Press Site bullpen as follows:
4 – 4:30 p.m. CubeSats
Andy Petro – PhoneSat
TBD – Elana V
4:30 – 5 p.m. NASA Robotics
Robert Ambrose, principal investigator, Software, Robotics and Simulation
5 – 5:30 p.m. SpaceX-3 Science and Experiments
Participants TBD
NEWS MEDIA LAUNCH VIEWING
Sunday, March 30 (Launch day): News media may view the launch from the NASA Causeway or Kennedy’s Press Site. Busses will depart from the Press Site parking lot for the NASA Causeway at 9:30 p.m. A sign-up sheet will be available in the newsroom for media desiring to photograph the launch from the roof of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The space available is limited, and media must sign up in person. Departure from the NASA News Center for the VAB will be at 9:55 p.m.
NASA TV LAUNCH COVERAGE
Sunday, March 30 (Launch day): NASA TV live coverage will begin at 9:45 p.m. EDT and conclude at approximately 11 p.m. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:
Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, -1260 or -7135. On launch day, “mission audio,” the launch conductor’s countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135 starting at 9 p.m. Launch also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.
IN-FLIGHT NASA TV COVERAGE
If launch occurs March 30, NASA TV will provide live coverage on Wednesday, April 2, of the arrival of the Dragon cargo ship to the International Space Station. Grapple and berthing coverage begins at 5:45 a.m. for a grapple at 7 a.m. Berthing coverage begins at 9:30 a.m.
NASA WEB PRELAUNCH AND LAUNCH COVERAGE
Prelaunch and launch day coverage of the SpaceX-3 flight will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming and text updates beginning at 9:45 p.m. as the countdown milestones occur. On-demand streaming video, podcast and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact Nancy Bray at 321-867-9112. You can follow countdown coverage on our launch blog and learn more about the SpaceX-3 mission by going to the mission home page at:
The NASA News Twitter feed will be updated throughout the launch countdown. To access the NASA News Twitter feed, visit:
http://www.twitter.com/NASAKennedy
The NASA News Facebook feed will be updated throughout the launch countdown. To access the NASA Facebook feed, visit:
http://www.facebook.com/NASAKennedy
RECORDED STATUS
Recorded status reports on the launch of SpaceX-3 and associated prelaunch activities will be provided on the Kennedy media phone line starting Friday, March 28. The telephone number is 321-867-2525.
WIRELESS CAPABILITY
Wireless capability for the news media is available at the Kennedy Press Site.
WEB ACTIVITIES UPDATES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For updates to these SpaceX-3 prelaunch activities, go to:
For video b-roll and other International Space Station media resources, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/stationnews
For further information about the International Space Station, research in low-Earth orbit, NASA’s commercial space programs and the future of American spaceflight, visit:
For more information about SpaceX, visit:
