WASHINGTON – NASA’s Kennedy Space Center will host a media event at 10 a.m. EST on Friday, Jan. 8, to highlight the next pressurized element to be launched to the International Space Station. The Tranquility node will fly aboard space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-130 mission, targeted for launch Feb. 7.
During the event, reporters at the Space Station Processing Facility will have the opportunity to speak with mission managers involved in processing Tranquility for flight. Media planning to attend must arrive at Kennedy’s news center by 9 a.m. for transportation to the event. Participants must be dressed in full-length pants, flat shoes that entirely cover the feet and shirts with sleeves.
Tranquility will provide room for many of the station’s life support systems. Attached to the node is a cupola, a unique work station with windows on its six sides and top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station’s exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency.
Media must apply for credentials by 4:30 p.m., Dec. 31. Reporters without permanent Kennedy credentials should submit a request online at: https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
For more information on the space station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station
For more on the STS-130 mission and its crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
