CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Atlas V first stage booster that will help send NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover to the Red Planet later this year will be available for a media opportunity on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
The United Launch Alliance (ULA) booster is scheduled to be transported to the Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., the following day.
NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden is planning to attend the photo op, as well as spokespeople from NASA and ULA who will be available to answer questions.
To participate, previously accredited journalists should be at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Press Site at 8:15 a.m. EDT for transportation to the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center. Media will be returned to the Press Site in time for the GRAIL mission science briefing, which is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. GRAIL mission badges for U.S. media will be honored for the Atlas media opportunity. However, we are past the deadline for foreign national journalists to apply for this particular photo op and GRAIL badges cannot be honored for international media.
Also on Sept. 7, the time has changed for the photo opportunity of the Delta II rocket mobile service tower rollback in preparation for the launch of GRAIL. Media now should meet in the parking lot of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Gate 1 Pass and Identification Building for a 10:30 p.m. departure by government bus to the launch pad.
Updates for GRAIL’s prelaunch activities will be provided on the Kennedy media phone line starting Tuesday, Sept. 6. The telephone number is 321-867-2525.
To learn more about NASA’s Mars Science Lab mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/msl
To learn more about NASA’s GRAIL mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/grail
