NASA Announces Media Accreditation for August Mars Rover Landing

PASADENA, Calif. — Media representatives planning to cover the Aug. 5, 2012, landing of the most advanced rover ever sent to Mars can apply online for access to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

NASA’s Curiosity rover, carried by the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft, will land near the Martian equator about 10:31 p.m. Aug. 5 PDT (1:31 a.m. Aug. 6 EDT).

The landing and news conferences will be carried live on NASA TV and the agency’s website. Further details and updates will be announced as they become available.

Credentialed reporters will have access to interviews, photo and b-roll opportunities, and pre- and post-landing news conferences. To be accredited, media must work for legitimate, verifiable news- gathering organizations. Additional time is required to process accreditation requests by journalists from foreign countries. For certain designated countries, the access process may take up to four weeks. Journalists should confirm they have been accredited before making travel arrangements.

The JPL Curiosity newsroom will open beginning at 9 a.m. PDT on Wednesday, Aug. 1.

The Curiosity rover will assess whether Mars was or is today an environment favorable for microbial life. The mission is managed by JPL for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The mission is managed by JPL for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

Media who wish to apply for credentials should visit: http://media-credentials.jpl.nasa.gov

Specific questions about the credentialing process may be submitted to: media-credentials@list.jpl.nasa.gov

For more information about the mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/msl

The public can follow the mission on Facebook and Twitter at: http://www.facebook.com/marscuriosity http://www.twitter.com/marscuriosity

For more information about NASA TV, streaming video and downlink information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv