SpaceX 2 Briefings and Events Coverage
02.22.13
The second SpaceX mission to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract is scheduled to launch Friday, March 1, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. NASA Television coverage begins at 8:30 a.m. EST.
Media Credentialing
Those media who would like to attend the prelaunch events, including the launch pad photo opportunity, prelaunch news conference and launch, may request accreditation online at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
The deadline for U.S. media to apply for accreditation is Feb. 25. The deadline has passed for international news media to apply.
Media credentials will be valid for mission activities from launch through splashdown at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Johnson Space Center in Houston.
For more information about media accreditation, contact Jennifer Horner at 321-867-6598 or 321-867-2468.
Pass and Identification Building Hours of Operation
The Pass and Identification Building on State Road 3, Merritt Island, will be open to pick up media credentials on the following schedule:
Wednesday, Feb. 27: 8 a.m. – noon
Thursday, Feb. 28: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Friday, March 1: 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Update on the Orion Program Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Launch Abort System Motor
Wednesday, Feb. 27: NASA will host a photo opportunity and briefing on the Orion EFT-1 Launch Abort System. At
9:30 a.m., the bus departs Press Site for Launch Abort System Facility. The briefing and photo opportunity will run from 10 to 11 a.m., and the bus departs for Press Site at 11:05 a.m.
Participating in the update will be:
- Brian Duffy, ATK Exploration Systems Vice President, KSC and JSC Programs
Update on NASA's Human Deep Space Exploration Progress
Wednesday, Feb. 27: NASA will host a briefing at Kennedy's Launch Control Center at 2 p.m. on the agency's Orion crew vehicle, Space Launch System rocket and Ground Systems Development and Operations progress. The bus departs for Launch Control Center (LCC) at 1:30 p.m. The briefing will air live on NASA Television.
Participating in the update will be:
- Dan Dumbacher, deputy associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Division
- Mark Geyer, Orion program manager
- Todd May, Space Launch System program manager
- Pepper Phillips, Ground Systems Development and Operations program manager
Mission Science Briefing
Thursday, Feb 28 (L-1 day): A mission science 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.
Participating in the science briefing will be:
- Julie Robinson, program scientist, International Space Station
- Simon Gilroy, BRIC-17 Lead Investigator
University of Wisconsin
- Marshall Porterfield, division director, Life and Physical Sciences
NASA Headquarters
- Michael Johnson, Chief Technical Officer, NanoRacks
- Michael Roberts, Research Scientist, CASIS
Prelaunch News Conference
Thursday, Feb 28 (L-1 day): The prelaunch news conference for the mission will be held at Kennedy’s Press Site at 3 p.m. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participating in the prelaunch news conference will be:
- Mike Suffredini, NASA program manager, International Space Station, Johnson Space Center
- Gwynne Shotwell, president, SpaceX
- Joel Tumbiolo, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Media can participate in the news conferences in person at Kennedy Space Center 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..
Falcon 9/Dragon Pad Photo Opportunity/Remote Camera Set-up (Complex 40/UCS-3)
Thursday, Feb. 28 (L-1 day): Media will be able to establish sound-activated remote cameras at the launch pad. The location is within Space Launch Complex 40 on the east side of the launch pad. SpaceX security regulations require that news media representatives participating in any activity inside the pad be U.S. citizens.
- 4 p.m. - Three buses arrive at Press Site lower lot
- 4:30 p.m. - U.S. media depart for Complex 40; Foreign nationals depart for UCS-3 via van
- 5 – 6 p.m. - Photograph Falcon 9/Dragon in horizontal position; Begin remote camera set-up
- 6 p.m. - Media not setting up remotes return to Press Site
- 6:45 p.m. - Complete remote set-up
- 7 p.m. - All remaining media return to Press Site
News Media Launch Viewing
Friday, March 1 (Launch day): News media may view the launch from the NASA Causeway or Kennedy’s Press Site. Busses will depart from the Press Site parking lot for the NASA Causeway at 9 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. The space available is limited, and media must sign up in person.
NASA TV Launch Coverage
Friday, March 1 (Launch day): NASA TV live coverage will begin at 8:30 a.m. EST and conclude at approximately 10:45 a.m. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
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 8 a.m. Launch also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.
In-flight NASA TV Coverage
NASA TV will provide live coverage on March 2 of the arrival of the next SpaceX cargo ship to arrive at the International Space Station.
SpaceX’s Dragon cargo craft will be grappled by Expedition 34 Commander Kevin Ford and Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn of NASA around 6:30 a.m. EST. NASA TV coverage of the rendezvous and capture of Dragon will begin at 3:30 a.m.
NASA TV coverage will resume at 8 a.m. for the installation of Dragon to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module. This maneuver will be ground-commanded from Mission Control Houston. Installation operations should begin around 8:40 a.m. and completed by 10 a.m.
Dragon’s hatch is scheduled to be opened on Sunday, March 3, for the start of the unloading of more than 1,200 pounds of supplies. Dragon is scheduled to spend more than three weeks at the station with its removal and release planned for Monday, March 25. Its engines will fire later that day to send Dragon back into the Earth’s atmosphere, headed for a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean west of the coast of Baja California.
NASA Web Prelaunch and Launch Coverage
Prelaunch and launch day coverage of the SpaceX 2 flight will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming and text updates beginning at 8:30 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 Jeanne Ryba at 321-867-7824. You can follow countdown coverage on our launch blog and learn more about the SpaceX 2 mission by going to the mission home page at::
http://go.nasa.gov/spacex2
Twitter
The NASA News Twitter feed will be updated throughout the launch countdown. To access the NASA News Twitter feed, visit:
http://www.twitter.com/nasa
Kennedy News Center Hours of Operation
Wednesday, Feb. 27: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 28: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday, March 1: 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.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.
Recorded Status
Recorded status reports on the launch of SpaceX CRS-2 and associated pre-launch activities will be provided on the Kennedy media phone line starting Wednesday, Feb. 27. The telephone number is 321-867-2525.
Wireless Capability
Wireless capability for the news media is available at the Kennedy Press Site for the news media.
For updates to these SpaceX 2 prelaunch activities, go to:
go.nasa.gov/13hO0IY
For further information about the International Space Station, research in low-Earth orbit, NASA’s commercial space programs and the future of American spaceflight, visit:
www.nasa.gov/station
For more information about SpaceX, visit:
www.spacex.com
