NASA Announces Space Shuttle Return to Flight Activities
NASA announced today news conferences, events and operating hours for the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) News Center to support the targeted July 26 launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery on the Return to Flight mission (STS-114).
Events will be carried live on NASA TV unless otherwise indicated. Beginning tomorrow, news media representatives accredited for STS-114 may pick up credentials from KARS Park on Hall Road (off State Road 3, south of KSC) during published hours.
For the latest, detailed information about the Return to Flight mission on the Web, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight
Launch Minus 3 Days (L-3 Days) Saturday, July 23 (ALL TIMES EDT)
10 a.m. Countdown Status Briefing: Pete Nickolenko, NASA test director; Kathy Winters, Shuttle weather officer
Noon: Launch countdown officially begins
L-2 Days: Sunday, July 24
10 a.m. Countdown Status Briefing: Jeff Spaulding NASA test director; Kathy Winters
NET 4:30 p.m. STS-114 Launch Readiness Press Conference: Wayne Hale, Shuttle deputy program manager; Bill Gerstenmaier, Space Station program manager; Mike Wetmore, Director, Shuttle processing; USAF Lt. Mindy Chavez, launch weather officer
L-1 Day: Monday, July 25
10 a.m. Countdown Status Briefing: Jeff Spaulding; Scott Higginbotham, STS-114 payload mission manager; Kathy Winters
Launch Day: Tuesday, July 26
12:01 a.m. NASA TV live launch programming begins/tanking activities commentary
4:45 a.m. Live launch commentary begins
10:39 a.m. Launch
LAUNCH + 1 HOUR: PRESS CONFERENCE: Michael Griffin, NASA administrator; William Readdy, associate administrator, Space Operations; Bill Parsons, Shuttle program manager; Mike Leinbach, Shuttle launch director
Crew Activities: (– on NASA TV)
12:30 a.m. Crew wake up
— 5 a.m. Crew photo
— 6:20 a.m. Suit up
6:30 a.m. Weather briefing
— 6:49 a.m. Walkout
— 7:19 a.m. Arrive at pad
— 8:34 a.m. Close hatch
KSC News Center hours (For Center information call: 321/867-2468)
| Saturday, July 23 | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Sunday, July 24 | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Monday, July 25 | 7 a.m. to RTC |
| Tuesday, July 26 | 24-hours |
| Wednesday, July 27 | Midnight to 8 p.m. |
| July 28- Aug. 5 Flight day 3-11 | 12 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 6 Flight Day 12 | 12 a.m. to RTC |
| Sunday, Aug. 7 (Landing) Flight day 13 | Midnight to 8 p.m. |
Public Affairs escort for media is required at KSC, except in the News Center or Complex 39 Cafeteria. Foreign national media must have escorts while at KSC and must ride a bus to and from the press site.
NASA TV is carried by MPEG-2 digital signal accessed via satellite AMC-6, at 72 degrees west longitude, transponder 17C, 4040 MHz, vertical polarization. It’s available in Alaska and Hawaii in analog through Return to Flight on AMC-7, at 137 degrees west longitude, transponder 18, at 4060 MHz, vertical polarization, audio at 6.8 MHz. A Digital Video Broadcast compliant Integrated Receiver Decoder is required for reception. NASA TV is also available on the Internet at:
