WASHINGTON — NASA has set media accreditation deadlines for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission to return to the Hubble Space Telescope, targeted to launch Oct. 8. The 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to make final repairs and upgrades to the telescope, leaving it better than ever and ready for another five years — or more — of research. This is the last visit to the telescope before the shuttle fleet retires in 2010.
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, 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, 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.
No substitutions of credentials are allowed at any NASA facility. If the STS-125 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 NASA’s Kennedy Space Center should submit requests via the Web at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
Media must use work e-mail addresses, not personal accounts, when applying. Once accreditation is approved, applicants will receive confirmation via e-mail.
Accredited media with mission badges will have access to Kennedy from launch through the end of the mission. Application deadlines for mission badges are Sept. 22 for U.S. journalists and Sept. 12 for foreign reporters.
Access requests must be submitted separately for Atlantis’ roll out to the launch pad on Aug. 29, and the launch dress rehearsal activities, known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, Sept. 17-19. For rollout, U.S. reporters must apply by Aug. 25 and foreign journalists by Aug. 15. For the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, U.S. reporters must apply by Sept. 12 and foreign journalists by Sept. 3.
Media with special logistic requests for the Kennedy Space Center, such as space for satellite trucks, trailers, electrical connections or work space, must contact Laurel Lichtenberger at laurel.a.lichtenberger@nasa.gov by Sept. 30.
Work space in the News Center and the News Center Annex is provided on a first-come basis – one space per organization. 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. To obtain an assigned seat, contact Patricia Christian at patricia.christian-1@nasa.gov. Media must have a public affairs escort to any other Kennedy area except the Launch Complex 39 cafeteria.
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER
Reporters may obtain NASA Johnson Space Center credentials by calling the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 or by presenting Kennedy STS-125 mission credentials. Media planning to cover the mission only from Johnson need to apply for credentials only at Johnson. Deadlines for submitting Johnson accreditation requests are Sept. 5 for non-U.S. reporters, regardless of citizenship, and Sept. 26 for U.S. reporters who are U.S. citizens.
Journalists covering the mission from Johnson using Kennedy credentials also must contact the Johnson newsroom by Sept. 26 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, Johnson will arrange credentials.
DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER
Notice for a space shuttle landing at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California could be short. Domestic media should consider accrediting Los Angeles-based personnel who could travel quickly to Dryden. Deadlines for submitting Dryden accreditation requests are Sept. 3 for non-U.S. media, regardless of citizenship, and Oct. 8 for U.S. media who are U.S. citizens or who have permanent residency status.
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 and their expiration date. Foreign nationals representing either domestic or foreign media who have permanent residency status must provide their alien registration number and expiration date.
Media should fax requests for credentials on company letterhead to 661-276-3566. E-mailed requests to alan.brown@nasa.gov 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.
NASA PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS:
Kennedy Space Center: Candrea Thomas, 321-867-2468, candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov
Johnson Space Center: James Hartsfield, 281-483-5111, james.a.hartsfield@nasa.gov
Dryden Flight Research Center: Leslie Williams, 661-276-3893, leslie.a.williams@nasa.gov
For information about the STS-125 mission, visit:
For information about the Hubble Space Telescope, visit:
