The next SpaceX mission to the International Space Station under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract is scheduled to launch Sunday, March 16, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The company’s Falcon 9 rocket, carrying its Dragon cargo capsule, will lift off at 4:41 a.m. EDT. NASA Television coverage of the launch begins at 3:45 a.m. If for any reason the launch is postponed, the next launch opportunity is Monday, March 17, at 4:19 a.m., with NASA TV coverage beginning at 3:15 a.m.
The mission, designated SpaceX-3, is the third of 12 SpaceX flights contracted by NASA to resupply the space station. It will mark the fourth trip by a Dragon capsule to the orbiting laboratory.
The capsule will be filled with almost 5,000 pounds of scientific experiments and supplies. The Dragon will remain attached to the space station’s Harmony module for more than three weeks, and splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California on April 17 with more than 3,500 pounds of experiment samples and equipment returning from the station.
NASA will host a prelaunch news conference at 1 p.m., Saturday, March 15, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, followed by a SpaceX science and technology cargo news conference at 2 p.m. Both briefings will be carried live on NASA TV and the agency’s website.
MEDIA CREDENTIALING
Media may request accreditation to attend the prelaunch events, including the launch pad photo opportunity, prelaunch news conference and launch online at:
The deadline for U.S. media to apply for accreditation is March 10. The deadline has passed for international media to apply.
Media credentials will be valid for mission activities from launch through splashdown at both the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Johnson Space Center in Texas.
For further information about media accreditation, contact Jennifer Horner at 321-867-6598.
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 at the following times:
Friday, March 14: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Saturday, March 15: 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday, March 16: 12:30 a.m. – 3:30 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 for SpaceX-3 are:
Friday, March 14: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 15: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, March 16: 1:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
EFT-1 FACILITIES MEDIA EVENT
Friday, March 14 (L-2 Days): Media will have an opportunity to see Kennedy facilities involved in preparations for Exploration Flight Test-1. Media will be taken to the Launch Control Center (LCC), the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), and the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) and will receive updates on the preparations. Buses for this event will depart the Kennedy Press Site at 8:45 a.m. Media will return to the press site at approximately 12:15 p.m.
For this event, long pants and flat, closed-toe shoes are required. No sandals, shorts or tank tops can be worn. Lighters, matches or cell phones are not permitted.
There will be absolutely no RF transmitting devices permitted in the LASF. This includes cell phones, key FOBs, or cameras that transmit electronically. Cell phones in airplane mode will not be permitted.
Flash photography is not permitted in the LASF.
PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE
Saturday, March 15 (L-1 day): The prelaunch news conference for the NASA/SpaceX-3 mission 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 prelaunch news conference will be:
Dan Hartman, NASA deputy program manager, International Space Station
Johnson Space Center, Houston
Gwynne Shotwell, president, SpaceX
Hawthorne, Calif.
Maj. Perry Sweat, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, USAF
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
SPACEX-3 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PAYLOAD NEWS CONFERENCE
Saturday, March 15 (L-1 day): A NASA/SpaceX-3 science and technology briefing will be held at Kennedy’s Press Site at 2 p.m. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participants in the science briefing will be:
Tara Ruttley, associate program scientist, International Space Station
Michael Roberts, senior research pathway manager, CASIS
Michael Gazarik, associate administrator, NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate
Jason Crusan, director, NASA Advanced Exploration Systems Division
POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE
A post-launch news conference will be held approximately two hours after launch. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participants in the post-launch news conference will be:
Gwen Shotwell, president
SpaceX
Media may 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.
REMOTE CAMERA SETUPS
Saturday, March 15 (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 complex outside the pad perimeter fence. Media who want to participate in remote camera setup will depart from Kennedy’s Press Site by government bus at 2 p.m. and return at approximately 3:30 p.m. after remote cameras have been established. International media who did not apply by the deadline will be able to establish remote cameras at Universal Camera Site 3 (UCS-3) north of the launch complex.
FALCON 9 LAUNCH PAD PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Saturday, March 15 (L-1 day): There will be a photo opportunity of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule on the launch pad. Media will depart from Kennedy’s Press Site by government bus at 3 p.m. for Space Launch Complex 40 and be returned to the Press Site by approximately 4:15 p.m. SpaceX security regulations require that news media representatives attending this event be U.S. citizens. International media who did not apply by the deadline will be able to photograph the Falcon 9 from Universal Camera Site 3 (UCS-3) north of the launch complex.
SPECIAL SPACEX-3 PRELAUNCH MEDIA AVAILABILITIES
Sunday, March 16 (Launch day): There will be local media interview availabilities prior to launch in the NASA News Center Press Site bullpen as follows:
2 a.m.: CubeSats
Andy Petro – PhoneSat
Scott Higginbotham – Elana V
2:15 a.m.: NASA Robotics
Robert Ambrose, principal investigator, Software, Robotics and Simulation
2:30 a.m.: SpaceX-3 Science and Experiments
Millie Hughes-Fulford or BJ Navarro on T-Cells
Gioia Massa on Veggie
University Research-1 payload
Willie Williams, NASA ISS research portfolio manager
Dr. Pamela Denkins, deputy, JSC Human Systems Academy; NASA technical lead and scientist for UR-1
Dr. Alamelu Sundaresan, UR-1 principle investigator
Misti Moore, NASA JSC Minority University Research and Education Program manager
NEWS MEDIA LAUNCH VIEWING
Sunday, March 16 (Launch day): News media 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 3:45 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 3:50 a.m.
NASA TV LAUNCH COVERAGE
Sunday, March 16 (Launch day): NASA TV live coverage will begin at 3:45 a.m. EDT and conclude at approximately 5 a.m. 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 3 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
If launch occurs March 16, NASA TV will provide live coverage on Tuesday, March 18, of the arrival of the Dragon cargo ship to the International Space Station. Grapple and berthing coverage begins at 5:45 a.m. for a grapple at 7 a.m. Berthing coverage begins at 9:30 a.m.
NASA WEB PRELAUNCH AND LAUNCH COVERAGE
Prelaunch and launch day coverage of the SpaceX-3 flight will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming and text updates beginning at 3:45 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 SpaceX-3 mission by going to the mission home page at:
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/NASAKennedy
FACEBOOK
The NASA News Facebook feed will be updated throughout the launch countdown. To access the NASA Facebook feed, visit:
http://www.facebook.com/NASAKennedy
RECORDED STATUS
Recorded status reports on the launch of SpaceX-3 and associated prelaunch activities will be provided on the Kennedy media phone line starting Friday, March 14. 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 SpaceX-3 prelaunch activities, go to:
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:
For International Space Station video b-roll and other media resources, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/stationnews
For more information about SpaceX, visit:
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George Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
george.h.diller@nasa.gov
Rachel Kraft
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov
Josh Byerly
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
josh.byerly@nasa.gov