Jun 2 2017

From The Space Library

MEDIA ADVISORY M17-066 Media Invited to Demonstrations of NASA Drone Traffic Management Technologies

NASA’s three-week national campaign to further test and refine its Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) technologies continues, and media are invited to see these technologies in action Tuesday, June 6, at four Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) test sites across the country.

The campaign, known as Technology Capability Level 2, began May 15, and focuses on flying small, remotely-operated aircraft, or drones, beyond the pilot’s line of sight in sparsely populated areas to demonstrate, evaluate and refine functional designs and UTM technology prototypes.

Media attending the demonstrations will be able to talk with engineers, ask questions and, at some sites, watch an actual drone flight demonstration. All times listed below are EDT.

NASA's Ames Research Center, in California's Silicon Valley, will host media at the center's UTM Laboratory, which coordinates the test sites across the country. Representatives from NASA, the FAA, industry and test sites will explain UTM technologies in front of the UTM master display wall. To attend, media should contact Darryl Waller at 650-604-2675 or darryl.e.waller@nasa.gov by June 5, and arrive at 1 p.m. June 6 at Ames’ Airspace Operations Lab (Bldg. N262) in Moffett Field, California.

To attend at the New York test site event, media must contact these individuals by 1 p.m. June 5, and arrive at 592 Hangar Road in Rome by 9:30 a.m. June 6:

• Phil Vanno, 315-798-5800, pvanno@ocgov.net
• Chad Lawrence, 315-736-4171, clawrence@ocgov.net

For media in North Dakota, contact one of the following people by June 6, and arrive at Robin Hall, located at 4275 University Ave. in Grand Forks by 11 a.m. June 6:

• Jesse Bradley, 701-328-5300, jhbradley@nd.gov
• Nick Flom, 701/777-6940, nflom@nd.gov

Media can attend tests in Texas by contacting Casandra Lorentson at 361-945-2771, 361-825-4039 or casandra.lorentson@tamucc.edu by 6 p.m. June 5, and arrive at the Charles R. Johnson Airport in Port Mansfield by 11:30 a.m. June 6.

Media in Alaska must contact the following people by 5 p.m. June 5, and arrive at 903 Koyukuk Drive in Fairbanks by 2 p.m. June 6:

• Lea Gardine, 907-474-7664, lagardine@alaska.edu
• Lynda McGilvary, 907-474-7863, lmmcgilvary@alaska.edu

The FAA test site at Virginia Tech is unable to support a media event at this time. However, they have UTM project materials and b-roll of flight tests to share with local media and an option to conduct subject matter expert interviews by appointment. To receive these materials or schedule an interview, contact Eleanor Nelsen at 540-231-2761 or enelsen@vt.edu.

Because these test ranges have been reserved for the UTM flight campaign, no additional drones may be brought to the test site during this time.

MEDIA ADVISORY M17-068 Vice President Pence to Visit NASA’s Johnson Space Center for Astronaut Class Announcement

Vice President Mike Pence will visit NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston on Wednesday, June 7, to welcome America’s newest astronaut candidates, chosen from more than 18,000 applicants to carry the torch for future human space exploration. The event will air live at 2 p.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency’s website. Additionally, the Vice President will tour the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center and hear briefings on current human spaceflight operations.

Media who wish to cover the Vice President’s visit must contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 1 p.m. CDT Tuesday, June 6. Badges will be available Wednesday morning at the Johnson Security Office, Bldg. 110, adjacent to the center's main gate off NASA Road One. Television media should plan to arrive at Johnson no later than 9 a.m. to allow time for badging. Other media should arrive at the badging office no later than 10 a.m. Transportation to events will be provided from the Bldg. 2 news center.

Media who already have requested credentials to cover the astronaut announcement event are not required to submit an additional request for the Vice President’s visit.

The new astronaut candidates could one day be performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil aboard spacecraft built by American companies, and traveling to the moon or even Mars with the help of NASA’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket.