Mar 9 2011

From The Space Library

MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-050 NASA TV TO COVER SOYUZ LANDING AND LAUNCH EVENTS

HOUSTON --NASA Television will cover the March 16th return of three crew members who have called the International Space Station home for more than five months. The March 29th launch of three new residents to the station also will be televised and streamed on the agency's website. NASA's Expedition 26 Commander Scott Kelly, Soyuz Commander Alexander Kaleri and Russian Flight Engineer Oleg Skripochka are scheduled to land the Soyuz TMA-01M spacecraft near the town of Arkalyk in northern Kazakhstan at 2:48 a.m. CDT (1:48 p.m. Kazakhstan time) on March 16. Before departing, Kelly will hand over command of the station to Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev during a ceremony at 3:45 p.m. on March 14. On March 29, NASA Flight Engineer Ron Garan, Russian cosmonaut and Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev and Russian Flight Engineer Andrey Borisenko will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 7:41 p.m. (6:41 a.m. Baikonur time March 30) in a Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft. They will join the Expedition 27 commander Kondratyev; NASA astronaut Cady Coleman; and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli. The trio has been aboard the station since mid-December 2010. NASA TV's scheduled coverage includes (all times Central): Friday, March 11 2 p.m. -- Video File of the Soyuz TMA-21 crew news conference at Star City, Russia, and visit to Red Square in Moscow Monday, March 14 3:45 p.m. -- Expedition 26 change of command ceremony Tuesday, March 15 7:30 p.m. -- Soyuz TMA-01M crew farewells and hatch closure (hatch closure at 8 p.m.) 11 p.m. -- Undocking coverage (undocking at 11:24 p.m.) Wednesday, March 16 1:30 a.m. -- Deorbit burn and landing in Kazakhstan (deorbit burn at 1:57 a.m., landing at 2:48 a.m.) 11 a.m. -- Video File of the undocking and landing 4 p.m. -- Video File of the landing and post-landing activities; including post-landing interview with Kelly and the cosmonauts' return to Chkalovsky Airfield, Star City, Russia Thursday, March 17 11 a.m. -- Video File of the Soyuz TMA-21 crew departure for Baikonur ceremony at Star City, Russia Friday, March 25 11 a.m. -- Video File of the crew activities in Baikonur Sunday, March 27 11 a.m. -- Video File of the rocket mating and rollout to the launch pad in Baikonur Monday, March 28 4 p.m. -- Video File of the final pre-launch crew news conference and Russian State Commission meeting in Baikonur Tuesday, March 29 6 p.m. -- Video File of the crew pre-launch activities in Baikonur 6:45 p.m. -- Launch coverage (launch at 7:41 p.m.) 10 p.m. -- Video File of pre-launch, launch and post-launch interviews Thursday, March 31 8:30 p.m. -- Docking coverage (docking at 9:10 p.m. followed by the post-docking news conference from Mission Control, Moscow) 11:30 p.m. -- Hatch opening and welcoming ceremony (hatch opening and welcoming ceremony at 12:10 a.m. April 1) Friday, April 1 1:30 a.m. -- Video File of docking, hatch opening and welcoming ceremony

RELEASE: 11-069 NASA ANNOUNCES TWEETUP FOR SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR'S FINAL LIFT OFF

WASHINGTON -- NASA will give 150 of its Twitter followers an insider's look at the nation's space program and the opportunity to view a space shuttle launch in person. The fourth shuttle launch Tweetup, scheduled April 18-19, will be held at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Attendees will tour the center, view the shuttle launch and speak with NASA managers, astronauts, shuttle technicians and engineers. NASA randomly will select the participants from online registrations. Shuttle Endeavour is targeted to lift off from Kennedy on its mission to the International Space Station at 7:48 p.m. EDT on April 19. It will be Endeavour's final mission and the penultimate mission before the shuttles are retired. "As the Space Shuttle Program draws to a close, it is important to NASA that people have the opportunity to experience a launch and share it with their friends, family, and followers," said Stephanie Schierholz, social media manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This is our fourth and very well could be our final shuttle launch Tweetup, so we're excited about making it a special experience."

MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-053 SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR'S FINAL ROLLOUT DELAYED, CREW Q&A CANCELLED

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavour's move to its launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida has been postponed at least 24 hours because of potential lightning and storms in the area. As a result, Wednesday night's question-and-answer session with the next shuttle crew has been cancelled. Managers will meet Thursday morning to assess weather conditions and determine if Endeavour will move out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at 8 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 10. NASA Television plans to provide live coverage of the rollout's beginning. There will be an 8 p.m. photo opportunity of the rollout to Launch Pad 39A. Interviews with Endeavour Flow Director Dana Hutcherson will begin at 8:30 p.m., but will not be shown on NASA TV. NASA also will provide a sunrise photo opportunity at the launch pad following Endeavour's early morning arrival. STS-133 mission badges are valid for all rollout activities and the media event on Thursday, March 10, to highlight Endeavour's cargo. During the 1 p.m. event at Kennedy's Space Station Processing Facility, reporters will have the opportunity to speak with managers and team members involved in processing the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a particle physics detector designed to increase our understanding of the universe. Endeavour's six astronauts are targeted to launch aboard the shuttle on April 19. The STS-134 mission to the International Space Station is the final scheduled flight for Endeavour before it is retired. NASA TV's Video File will broadcast highlights of the rollout.

RELEASE: 11-068 SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY RETURNS HOME AFTER FINAL MISSION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery and its six-astronaut crew ended a 13-day journey of more than five million miles and concluded the spacecraft's illustrious 27-year career with an 11:57 a.m. EST landing Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. STS-133 was the last mission for the longest-serving veteran of NASA's space shuttle fleet. Since 1984, Discovery flew 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited Earth 5,830 times and traveled 148,221,675 miles. "Discovery is an amazing spacecraft and she has served her country well," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "The success of this mission and those that came before it is a testament to the diligence and determination of everyone who has worked on Discovery and the Space Shuttle Program, over these many years. As we celebrate the many accomplishments of this magnificent ship, we look forward to an exciting new era of human spaceflight that lies ahead." Steve Lindsey commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Steve Bowen, Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott. Discovery delivered the Pressurized Multipurpose Module, or PMM, which was converted from the Multipurpose Logistics Module, Leonardo. The PMM can host experiments in fluid physics, materials science, biology, biotechnology and other areas. STS-133 also brought critical spare components and the Express Logistics Carrier 4 to the International Space Station. Robonaut 2, or R2, became the first human-like robot in space and a permanent resident of the station. The mission's two spacewalks assisted in outfitting the truss of the station and completed a variety of other tasks designed to upgrade station systems. A welcome ceremony for the astronauts will be held Thursday, March 10, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CST event at Ellington Field's NASA Hangar 276. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m. Highlights from the ceremony will be broadcast on NASA Television's Video File.