NASA Television to Provide HD Coverage of Space Shuttle Launch

NASA Television to Provide HD Coverage of Space Shuttle Launch

WASHINGTON -- NASA Television will provide live high definition coverage of Monday's scheduled launch of space shuttle Atlantis on its STS-125 mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.

The NASA Television HD feed (Channel 105) will be available beginning Friday at 12 p.m., EDT, with live images from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch coverage begins Monday, May 11, at 8:30 a.m. Liftoff is slated for 2:01 p.m.

NASA TV Downlink Parameters are:
Uplink provider = Americom
Satellite = AMC 6
Transponder = 17C
72 Degrees West
Transmission Format: DVB-S
Downlink Frequency: 4040 MHz
Polarity: Vertical
FEC= 3/4
Data Rate= 36.860 MHz
Symbol Rate = 26.665 Ms/s

For NASA TV HD Programming:
HD Program = 105
Video PID = 82
AC-3 Audio PID = 238
MPEG-1 Layer II Audio PID =83

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the space shuttle's STS-125 mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For more information about the Hubble Space Telescope, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/hubble

"Student Signatures in Space" during Space Day Celebrations

WASHINGTON -- NASA and Lockheed Martin's Student Signatures in Space (S3) program will be one of the highlighted projects during this year's Space Day, celebrated annually on the first Friday in May. The mission of Space Day is to use space-related activities to inspire and prepare young people for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Student Signatures in Space began in 1997 as a way to draw kids into space studies by giving them a personal connection to space. Participating schools are sent large posters for students to sign on Space Day. NASA and Lockheed Martin, of Bethesda, Md., are currently accepting school names for participation. The program is open to elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as science museums and regional Boy Scout and Girl Scout councils.

After schools return the posters to Lockheed Martin, the signatures are scanned onto a disk and flown aboard a space shuttle mission. Schools also receive lesson plans and information about the mission their signed posters are flying on.

Upon completion of the shuttle flight, the posters are returned to the schools along with a photo of the astronaut crew that took the signatures to space and a NASA flight certification verifying that the signatures flew in space. Schools are allowed to participate in the signatures program once every six years.

The project is free to participants. Program partners cover all program costs, including shipping expenses for return of the signed posters. Schools and other organizations may request a sign-up form by e-mailing S3 Program Manager April Tensen at signatures@mindspring.com

Student Signatures in Space is limited to 500 schools per year, and schools are registered on a first-come, first-served basis. Schools that sign up after the maximum capacity is reached will be put on a list to participate in the following year's program.

For information on Space Day or Student Signatures in Space, visit:
http://www.spaceday.org

For information about NASA education programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education

NASA's Shuttle Atlantis rollout to Launch Pad

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis' rollout to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida has been rescheduled to begin at 4 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 31, as preparations for the STS-125 mission move forward. Atlantis is targeted to lift off May 12 to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

NASA Television's live coverage of the event will begin at 6:30 a.m. Video highlights will air on the NASA TV Video File.

Journalists are invited to a photo opportunity of the shuttle's move to the pad and an interview opportunity with Atlantis Flow Director Angie Brewer at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. Dates and times of this event are subject to change. Updates are available by calling 321-867-2525.

Reporters must arrive at Kennedy's news center by 6:30 a.m. Tuesday for transportation to the viewing area. Media accreditation for this event has closed. Badges can be picked up through Tuesday at the Kennedy Badging Office on State Road 405. The badging office opens at 6 a.m.

The fully assembled space shuttle, consisting of the orbiter, external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters is mounted on a mobile launcher platform and will be delivered to the pad atop a crawler-transporter. The crawler will travel slower than 1 mph during the 3.4-mile journey. The process is expected to take approximately six hours.

During Atlantis' 11-day mission, the crew of seven astronauts will make the final shuttle flight to Hubble. During five spacewalks, they will install two new instruments, repair two inactive ones and replace components. The result will be six working, complementary science instruments with capabilities beyond what is now available, and an extended operational lifespan for the telescope through at least 2014.

Scott Altman will be the commander of Atlantis. Gregory C. Johnson will be the pilot. Mission specialists will be John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino, Megan McArthur, Andrew Feustel and Michael Good.

For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For information about the STS-125 mission and crew, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

NASA Updates Media Credentials Deadlines For Next Space Shuttle Flight

WASHINGTON -- NASA is updating its media accreditation deadlines for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope, targeted to launch May 12. The 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to upgrade the telescope, leaving it better than ever and ready for at least another five years of research. This mission is the last visit to the telescope before the shuttle fleet's planned retirement 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, reporters must work for legitimate, verifiable news-gathering organizations. Journalists may need to submit requests for credentials at multiple NASA facilities as early as April 11.

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, countries on the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism, those under U.S. sanction or embargo, or countries 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 journalists may be extended on a day-by-day basis.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
Because of the length of time between target launch dates, STS-125 media credentials issued in 2008 are no longer valid. Reporters applying for credentials at NASA's Kennedy Space Center should submit requests via the Web at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

Reporters must use work e-mail addresses, not personal accounts, when applying. Once accreditation is approved, applicants will receive confirmation via e-mail.

Accredited journalists with mission badges will have access to Kennedy from launch through the end of the mission. Application deadlines for mission badges are May 1 for U.S. journalists and April 19 for foreign reporters.

Media representatives 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 May 1.

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, journalists must make arrangements with BellSouth at 800-213-4988. Reporters 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 representatives must have a public affairs escort to any other Kennedy area except the Launch Complex 39 cafeteria.

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER
Reporters may obtain credentials for NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston by calling the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 or by presenting STS-125 mission credentials from Kennedy. Media representatives planning to cover the mission only from Johnson need to apply for credentials only at Johnson. Deadlines for submitting Johnson accreditation requests are April 11 for non-U.S. reporters, regardless of citizenship, and May 7 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 May 7 to arrange workspace, phone lines and other logistics. Johnson is responsible for credentialing media if the shuttle lands at NASA's 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 outlets should consider accrediting Los Angeles-based personnel who could travel quickly to Dryden. Deadlines for submitting Dryden accreditation requests are April 14 for non-U.S. media, regardless of citizenship, and May 15 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, their driver's license number and the name of the issuing state, and the last six digits of their social security number.

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.

Journalists should fax requests for credentials on company letterhead to 661-276-3566. E-mailed requests to Alan Brown at alan.brown@nasa.gov are acceptable for reporters 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. Those journalists who previously requested credentials will not have to do so again.

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:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For information about the Hubble Space Telescope, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/hubble

NASA's Space Shuttle Mission Reports Now Available in Spanish

WASHINGTON - NASA has a variety of resources available for Language of Spanish-speaking media interested in covering the ongoing space shuttle mission. The shuttle crew includes Puerto Rican astronaut Joseph Acaba, a former teacher who is now a fully-trained spacewalker.

For Spanish versions of status reports about the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts119/news/spanish/Mission_Status-Spanish.html

For biographical information about current and former Hispanic astronauts, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/spacesuits/careercorner

Acaba recorded a Spanish message to students before launching on his mission to the station. To view the video, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education/spacesuits

NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of the STS-119 mission, which is the 125th shuttle flight. NASA Television features live mission events, daily mission status news conferences and 24-hour commentary. NASA TV is webcast at:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

The STS-128 mission, currently targeted to launch in August, will be the first to include two Hispanic astronauts, Jose Hernandez and Danny Olivas. To request interviews, contact Johnson Space Center at 281-483-5111.

Space Station and Shuttle Crews Hold News Conference From Space

HOUSTON - The 10 crew members aboard International Space Station and the space shuttle Discovery will hold a news conference at 12:08 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, March 24.

U.S. reporters may ask questions in person from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Headquarters in Washington. Questions also will be taken from Russian reporters at Mission Control, Moscow, and Japanese reporters at Johnson.

To participate in the news conference, U.S. journalists must call the public affairs office at their preferred NASA center by 1 p.m. Monday. Media must be in place at participating locations at least 20 minutes prior to the start of the news conference.
NASA Television will provide live coverage of the 40-minute news conference. For NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

During Discovery's STS-119 mission, the crews are installing the final set of solar arrays to fully power science experiments and support the station's expanded crew of six in May.

For more information about the STS-119 mission and its crew, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For more information about the space station and its crew, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station

NASA Shuttle Launch Targeted for No Earlier Than March 15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery's launch to the International Space Station now is targeted for no earlier than March 15. NASA managers postponed Wednesday's planned liftoff due to a leak associated with the gaseous hydrogen venting system outside the external fuel tank. The system is used to carry excess hydrogen safely away from the launch pad.

Liftoff on March 15 would be at 7:43 p.m. EDT. The exact launch date is dependent on the work necessary to repair the problem. Managers will meet Thursday at 4 p.m. to further assess the troubleshooting plan.

Discovery's STS-119 flight is delivering the space station's fourth and final set of solar array wings, completing the station's truss, or backbone. The arrays will provide the electricity to fully power science experiments and support the station's expanded crew of six in May. The 14-day mission will feature four spacewalks to help install the S6 truss segment to the starboard, or right, side of the station and the deployment of its solar arrays. The flight also will replace a failed unit for a system that converts urine to potable water.

Commander Lee Archambault is joined on STS-119 by Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold, John Phillips and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will replace space station crew member Sandra Magnus, who has been aboard the station for more than four months. He will return to Earth during the next station shuttle mission, STS-127, targeted to launch in June 2009.

For the latest information about the STS-119 mission and its crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For information about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

NASA Holds Briefing on Status of Space Shuttle Discovery

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA managers will hold a news conference no earlier than 6:30 p.m. EDT to discuss the status of space shuttle Discovery's launch to the International Space Station. The launch was postponed Wednesday due to a leak associated with the gaseous hydrogen venting system outside the external fuel tank. The system is used to carry excess hydrogen safely away from the launch pad. At 2:37 p.m., managers officially scrubbed the launch for at least 24 hours.

Mission managers are holding a meeting that started at 5 p.m. to discuss potential repair options and Discovery's launch attempt opportunities. The news conference will follow the meeting's conclusion and will air live on NASA Television and the agency Web site.

Discovery's STS-119 flight is delivering the space station's fourth and final set of solar array wings, completing the station's truss, or backbone. The arrays will provide the electricity to fully power science experiments and support the station's expanded crew of six in May. The 14-day mission will feature four spacewalks to help install the S6 truss segment to the starboard, or right, side of the station and the deployment of its solar arrays. The flight also will replace a failed unit for a system that converts urine to potable water.

Commander Lee Archambault is joined on STS-119 by Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold, John Phillips and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will replace space station crew member Sandra Magnus, who has been aboard the station for more than four months. He will return to Earth during the next station shuttle mission, STS-127, targeted to launch in June 2009.

For information about NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For the latest information about the STS-119 mission and its crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For information about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station