NASA to Hold 30th Anniversary Ceremony at Kennedy Space Center and Announce Permanent Space Shuttle Locations

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will participate in a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Tuesday, April 12 on the 30th anniversary of the first space shuttle launch. During the 1 p.m. EDT ceremony, Bolden and Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana will honor the shuttle work force’s dedication, which has made it possible for NASA to take the next steps in exploration and retire the shuttle fleet later this year.

During the ceremony, which will feature an astronaut from the first shuttle mission, Bolden also will name the four institutions that will receive a shuttle orbiter for permanent display. The announcement and ceremony will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

At 3 p.m. on April 12, NASA will hold a media teleconference to discuss the placement of the orbiters. Senior NASA officials will be available to answer questions. The teleconference will be streamed live at: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio

The 1 p.m. ceremony is open to Kennedy employees and will take place outside the hangar for shuttle Atlantis, known as Orbiter Processing Facility-1. Atlantis is being prepared for its upcoming STS-135 mission to the International Space Station, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program. U.S. journalists who want to cover the event must apply online for NASA media credentials by 5 p.m. on April 11 at: https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

International accreditation for this event is closed. Badged media need to arrive at Kennedy’s Press Site Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. for transportation to the event.

For more information about NASA’s placement of the space shuttle orbiters, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/transition

For information about the Space Shuttle Program, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle