NASA Invites Media to Vehicle Assembly Building Refurbishment Event

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Media are invited to a photo and interview opportunity Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 8 a.m. EDT at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., to view the modifications under way in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) high bay 3. Media should arrive at Kennedy’s Press Site by 7:30 a.m. for transportation to the VAB.

Journalists will have an opportunity to photograph platforms being removed from the high bay and interview NASA officials knowledgeable about the modifications.

Journalists without NASA Kennedy accreditation need to apply for credentials by noon, Oct. 2. International media accreditation for this event is closed. Media accreditation for Sunday’s SpaceX launch will be honored for the event. Badges for this specific event can be picked up at the Kennedy Space Center Badging Office on State Road 3. Media must apply for credentials online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is leading an extensive refurbishment of one of space exploration’s unique facilities. The modernization calls for a flexible setting inside the VAB rather than configuring the whole building toward supporting one design.

Part of the effort includes removing about 150 miles of Apollo and shuttle-era cabling from high bays 1 and 3 to make room for installation of future state-of-the-art command, communication, and control systems that will be needed by future users to perform vehicle testing and verification prior to rollout to the launch pad.

Future work also will replace the antiquated communications, power and vehicle access resources with modern, efficient systems. Some of the utilities and systems slated for replacement have been used since the VAB opened in 1965.

GSDO’s mission is to prepare Kennedy Space Center to process and launch the next generation of rockets and spacecraft in support of NASA’s exploration objectives by developing the necessary ground systems, infrastructure and operational approaches, including the agency’s Space Launch System carrying the Orion spacecraft, which is scheduled for its first launch in 2017.

For more information about the program, visit: http://go.nasa.gov/groundsystems

For more information about Kennedy Space Center, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy