The first flight test of Orion, NASA’s next-generation spacecraft that will send astronauts to an asteroid and onward to Mars, is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 4. NASA will host a series of news conferences and flight test commentary on NASA Television, as well as media events at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Orion will launch, uncrewed, on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket at 7:05 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida. The window for launch is two hours 39 minutes.
NASA TV launch commentary of the flight, designated Exploration Flight Test-1, begins at 4:30 a.m. and will continue through splashdown in the Pacific Ocean approximately 600 southwest of San Diego.
During its 4.5 hour trip, Orion will orbit Earth twice and travel to an altitude of 3,600 miles into space. The flight is designed to test many of the elements that pose the greatest risk to astronauts and will provide critical data needed to improve Orion’s design and reduce risks to future mission crews.
Media events for the flight begin two days before launch.
Tuesday, Dec. 2
- 7 a.m. — Media tour of Kennedy facilities currently being prepared to support future launches of Orion and NASA’s Space Launch System
- Noon – Journey to Mars panel discussion on NASA TV from Kennedy and NASA Headquarters in Washington
- 1 p.m. — Orion flight test status and overview briefing on NASA TV
Wednesday, Dec. 3
- 8:30 a.m. — Media availability with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden at Space Launch Complex 37with Orion and the Delta IV Heavy in the background
- 11 a.m. — Prelaunch news conference on NASA TV
- 1 to 3 p.m. — NASA Social – Orion Overview on NASA TV
A post-flight test briefing also will be held on NASA TV approximately two hours after splashdown on Dec. 4.
MEDIA CREDENTIALING
Media events will take place at Kennedy and CCAFS. The deadlines for media to register to attend in person have passed. All registered media must present two forms of legal, government-issued identification to access Kennedy for launch events. One form must be a photo ID, such as a passport or driver’s license. Media credentials will be accepted for access to mission activities at Kennedy. For more information about media accreditation, contact Jennifer Horner at 321-867-6598.
PRESS ACCREDITATION OFFICE HOURS OF OPERATION
The Press Accreditation Office on State Road 3, Merritt Island, will be open to pick up media credentials at the following times:
Monday, Dec. 1: Noon – 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 2: 5:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 3: 6 a.m. – midnight
Thursday, Dec. 4: Midnight – 6 a.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 are:
Monday, Dec. 1: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 2: 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 3: 6 a.m. – midnight
Thursday, Dec. 4: Midnight – 4:30 p.m.
NASA SOCIAL
https://www.nasa.gov/social-orionflighttest-kennedy/
Wednesday, Dec. 3 – Thursday, Dec. 4. The event opens at 8 a.m. Dec. 3 in the OSB II fifth floor conference room. Up to 150 social media representatives have been invited to cover the flight test from Kennedy. They will view launch from the NASA Causeway. Social media representatives will be given a tour of Space Launch Complex 37, the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building and the Booster Fabrication Facility on Dec. 3.
NASA MEDIA TOUR
Tuesday, Dec. 2 (L-2): Media will receive a tour of the Booster Fabrication Facility, the Vehicle Assembly Building and the Mobile Launcher. Buses will depart the Kennedy Press Site at 7:45 a.m. and return at noon.
NASA’S JOURNEY TO MARS BRIEFING
Tuesday, Dec. 2 (L-2): NASA’s Journey to Mars panel discussion will be held at Kennedy’s Press Site and NASA Headquarters in Washington at noon. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participants in the briefing will be:
Jason Crusan, Director, Advanced Exploration Systems Division, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate
Jim Reuther, Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs, Space Technology Mission Directorate
Jim Green, Director, Planetary Division, Science Mission Directorate
Chris Crumbly, Manager, Space Launch System Spacecraft/Payload Integration and Evolution
Mike Bolger, Program Manager, Ground Systems Development and Operations
Media may participate in the news conferences in person at Kennedy 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.
ORION FLIGHT TEST STATUS AND OVERVIEW BRIEFING
Tuesday, Dec. 2 (L-2 days): An Orion flight test status and overview briefing 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 briefing will be:
Mark Geyer, NASA Orion Program manager
Mike Hawes, Lockheed Martin Orion Program manager
Ron Fortson, ULA director of mission management
EXPLORATION DESIGN CHALLENGE WINNING HIGH SCHOOL TEAM BRIEFING
Tuesday, Dec. 2 (L-2): A briefing will be held at Kennedy’s Press Site at 2 p.m. The briefing will not be televised or streamed on the internet.
COALITION FOR SPACE EXPLORATION NEW FACES OF SPACE EXPLORATION MEDIA FORUM
Tuesday, Dec. 2 (L-2): A panel discussion hosted by the Coalition for Space Exploration will be held at Kennedy’s Press Site at 3 p.m. The panel will not be televised or streamed on the internet.
SPECIAL MEDIA AVAILABILITIES
Tuesday, Dec. 2 (L-2): There will be local media interview availabilities with a variety of subject matter experts from 2 – 5 p.m. in the NASA News Center Press Site bullpen.
Bill Hill, deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development
Mark Geyer, Orion Program manager
Todd May, SLS Program manager
Jonathan Walden, Orion Stage Adapter designer
Chris Crumbly, Manager, Spacecraft/Payload Integration and Evolution (SPIE)
Larry Gagliano, LAS deputy project manager
Garth Henning, Orion Program Executive
Scott Wilson, manager of Orion production operations
Jeremy Parsons, Chief of Operations Integration, GSDO
Rex Walheim, astronaut
Jack Fischer, astronaut
Molly White, aerothermodynamics engineer
Mike Hawes, Lockheed Martin Orion program manager
Larry Price, Lockheed Martin Orion deputy program manager
Josh Hopkins, Lockheed Martin space exploration architect
Exploration Design Challenge students
LIVE SHOTS WITH NASA ADMINISTRATOR
Wednesday, Dec. 3 (L-1): NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will be available for live interviews from 5 – 8 a.m. The interviews will air live on NASA TV.
REMOTE CAMERA SETUPS
Wednesday, Dec. 3 (L-1): Media will be able to establish sound-activated remote cameras at the Space Launch Complex 37 launch pad.
Media who wish to participate in remote camera setup will depart from Kennedy’s Press Site by government bus at 7:30 a.m. and return at approximately noon. International media who did not apply by the deadline will depart from the Press Site in a separate government bus and be able to establish remote cameras at 7:30 a.m. and return by 9 a.m.
NASA SOCIAL BEGINS/TOURS
Wednesday, Dec. 3: The NASA Social begins at 8 a.m. in the OSB II fifth floor conference room. After introductions, social media representatives will be given a tour of Space Launch Complex 37, the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building and the Booster Fabrication Facility on L-1. They will board buses from OSB II at 8:55 a.m. for tours from 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
LAUNCH PAD 37 VISIT AND MEDIA AVAILABILITY WITH CHARLES BOLDEN
Wednesday, Dec. 3: Media are invited to Space Launch Complex 37 launch pad for a 30-minute briefing at 8:30 a.m. Participants will include:
Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator
Tory Bruno, ULA Chief Executive Officer
Bob Cabana, Kennedy Director
Ellen Ochoa, Johnson Space Center Director
Mike Hawes, Lockheed Martin Orion Program manager
Buses will depart the Press Site at 7:30 a.m. and return at 9:30 a.m.
PRELAUNCH BRIEFING
Wednesday, Dec. 3 (L-1): The Prelaunch Briefing will be held at Kennedy’s Press Site at 11 a.m. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participants in the briefing will be:
Mark Geyer, NASA Orion Program manager
Mike Hawes, Lockheed Martin Orion Program manager
Mike Sarafin, Orion Flight director
Jeff Angermeier, EFT-1 GSDO mission manager
Ron Fortson, ULA director of mission management
Kathy Winters, U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing Launch Weather Officer
NASA SOCIAL – ORION OVERVIEW EVENT
Wednesday, Dec. 3 (L-1): A NASA Social will be held at Kennedy’s OSB II at 1 p.m. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
The social will include NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and updates on NASA’s Journey to Mars, Orion, Commercial Crew Program, and an astronaut’s perspective on the upcoming missions.
KSC VISITOR COMPLEX POP-INS
Wednesday, Dec. 3 (L-1): There will be a series of speakers at NASA Central at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex at 4 p.m. Participants include:
Jason Crusan, Advanced Exploration Systems Division
Garth Henning, Orion Program Executive
Todd May, Space Launch System Program Manager
Jason Hopkins, NASA GSDO
Exploration Design Challenge students
SPECIAL MEDIA AVAILABILITIES
Wednesday, Dec. 3 (L-1): There will be local media interview availabilities with subject matter experts from 2 – 5 p.m. in the NASA News Center Press Site bullpen.
John Grunsfeld, AA for SMD
Michael Gazarik, AA for STMD
David Miller, Chief Technologist
Steve Stitch, director of JSC’s Exploration Integration and Science Directorate
Todd May, SLS Program manager
Commercial Crew Program: Phil McAlister, commercial spaceflight development division director
Jose Ortiz, LAS System Engineer and Integration Team
Nicholas Cummings, GSDO exploration integration manager
Douglas Lenhardt, GSDO EFT-1 mission integration manager
Bobbie Gail Swan, project manager, RadWorks – Advanced Radiation Technologies
Cady Coleman, astronaut and OCT detail
Rex Walheim, astronaut
Jack Fischer, astronaut
Mike Hawes, Lockheed Martin Orion program manager
Larry Price, Lockheed Martin Orion deputy program manager
Josh Hopkins, Lockheed Martin space exploration architect
Michelle Pelersi, Director, Missile & Space Systems at Textron
Jim Tibaudo, Director, Business Development at Textron
STATIC PAD SHOT BEGINS ON NASA TV
Wednesday, Dec. 3 (L-1): NASA TV will air a live shot of Space Launch Complex 37 beginning at 6 p.m. on the Media Channel. Sundown is approximately 5:29 p.m.
UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE ROLLS BACK MOBILE SERVICE TOWER
Wednesday, Dec. 3 (L-1): NASA TV will air a live shot of the Mobile Service Tower rollback. First motion is expected at 11:05 p.m.
Media are invited to Space Launch Complex 37 to view the rollback. Buses will depart the Press Site at 10:15 p.m. and return at 11:55 p.m.
POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE
Thursday, Dec. 4: A post-launch news conference will be held at approximately two hours after splashdown. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participants in the post-launch news conference will be:
William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations
Mark Geyer, Orion Program manager
Mike Hawes, Lockheed Martin Orion Program manager
NEWS AND SOCIAL MEDIA LAUNCH VIEWING
Thursday, Dec. 4: (Launch day): News media and social media participants may view the launch from the NASA Causeway or Kennedy’s Press Site. Buses will depart from the Press Site parking lot for the NASA Causeway at 5 a.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 6 a.m.
Social media participants departing form the old PIDS 3 parking area at 5:40 p.m. must check with Andres Adorno at Andres.r.adorno@nasa.gov
NASA TV LAUNCH COVERAGE
Thursday, Dec. 4: (Launch day): NASA TV live coverage will begin at 4:30 a.m. and conclude after splashdown. 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 4 a.m. Launch also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.
NASA WEB PRELAUNCH AND LAUNCH COVERAGE
Prelaunch and launch day coverage of the Orion flight test will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming and text updates beginning at 4:30 a.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 Orion flight test by visiting:
The NASA News Twitter feed will be updated throughout the launch countdown. To access the NASA News Twitter feed, visit:
@NASA and @NASAKennedy
The NASA News Facebook feed will be updated throughout the launch countdown. To access the NASA Facebook feed, visit:
and
http://www.facebook.com/NASAKennedy
RECORDED STATUS
Recorded status reports on the launch of Orion and associated prelaunch activities will be provided on the Kennedy media phone line starting Tuesday, Dec. 2. 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 Orion prelaunch activities, go to:
For a full schedule of prelaunch briefings, events and NASA TV coverage items, visit:
For NASA TV schedule and video streaming information, visit:
For video b-roll, NASA’s flight test blog and other Orion media resources, visit:
-end-
Amber Philman / George Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
amber.n.philman@nasa.gov
george.h.diller@nasa.gov
Rachel Kraft
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov
Brandi Dean
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
brandi.k.dean@nasa.gov