NASA Sets Launch Date For Final Space Shuttle Mission

Stephanie Schierholz

Headquarters, Washington

Candrea Thomas

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis' Commander Chris Ferguson and his three crewmates are scheduled to begin a 12-day mission to the International Space Station with a launch at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The STS-135 mission is the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program.

The launch date was announced Tuesday at the conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle and station's equipment, support systems and personnel are ready.

Atlantis' STS-135 mission will deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module filled with supplies and spare parts to sustain space station operations after the shuttles are retired.

The mission also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM), an experiment designed to demonstrate and test the tools, technologies and techniques needed to robotically refuel satellites in space - even satellites not designed to be serviced. The crew also will return an ammonia pump that recently failed on the station. Engineers want to understand why the pump failed and improve designs for future spacecraft.

The crew consists of Commander Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim. They are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy on Monday, July 4, for final launch preparations. STS-135 is the 135th shuttle mission, Atlantis' 33rd flight and the 37th shuttle mission to the station.

For more information about the STS-135 mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

For more information about the space station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

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Astronauts Continue Prelaunch Training in Florida

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the four Atlantis astronauts are training at Launch Pad 39A this morning as they practice emergency escape procedures and inspect the payloads inside Atlantis' cargo bay. Later they'll receive operations and payload briefings inside Kennedy's Launch Control Center.

Before beginning their training this morning, the crew members -- Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim -- answered questions from the news media during a live NASA TV broadcast from the launch pad.

Reflecting on the significance of this final space shuttle mission, Commander Ferguson said, "I don't think that the full magnitude of the moment will really hit us until the wheels have stopped on the runway. I'm not sure words will really be able to capture for the crew and for the entire shuttle workforce just how much the shuttle program has meant to us for the last 30 years."

Yesterday the Space Shuttle Program held its program-level Flight Readiness Review at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The team recommended a "go" to proceed to the agency-level review next Tuesday, with a targeted July 8 launch date for the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.

Technicians at the pad have completed their high-tech X-ray scans of the tops Atlantis' external fuel tank stringer support beams. They'll now scan the bottoms of those 21-foot long beams. Other technicians replaced the main fuel valve in space shuttle main engine No. 3 yesterday. Retesting of the valve is up next.

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STS-135 Crew Arrives in Florida for Countdown Rehearsal

The four veteran astronauts for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission arrived Monday evening at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for their prelaunch countdown rehearsal.

"I speak on behalf of the crew, everyone in the astronaut office, and I'm sure everybody here at KSC in saying that we are just trying to savor the moment," said STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson upon arrival. "As our children and our children's children ask us, we want to be able to say, 'We remember when there was a space shuttle.'" As crewmates Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim looked on, Ferguson also thanked the gathered media representatives for taking the message of the space program to the public.

Their T-38 jets touched down at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility at about 5:30 p.m. EDT. The crew will participate in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test and related training. The countdown full dress rehearsal is scheduled for Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians are performing high-tech X-ray scans of the tops and bottoms of 50 support beams, called stringers, on the shuttle-facing side of space shuttle Atlantis' external fuel tank. The scans should take about a week to complete and are expected to confirm there are no problems with the tank's stringers. Scans began Sunday due to strong storms on Saturday, which caused no damage to the shuttle and pad. Technicians are also replacing a suspected leaky valve in Atlantis' space shuttle main engine No. 3.

Atlantis is being prepared for the STS-135 mission, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program, targeted for launch July 8.

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NASA Gives News Media Access To Final Shuttle Simulations

Joshua Buck

Headquarters, Washington                                   

Kylie Clem

Johnson Space Center, Houston

HOUSTON -- As the final space shuttle training simulations take place at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the agency is giving journalists an unprecedented view of the crew and Mission Control team training for the upcoming STS-135 mission.

On Thursday, June 16, news media representatives can witness one of the final launch and ascent simulations conducted by the STS-135 crew, flight controllers and simulation and training teams. The Johnson badging office opens at 6 a.m. CDT and journalists should arrive early to be ready for transportation to the training site at 7 a.m.

Reporters will be able to photograph the crew getting into the motion-based shuttle simulator and gather behind-the-scenes interviews and footage with the teams that train the astronauts before launch. Flight controllers who oversee the shuttle's performance from the ground also will be available.

Filming and photographs will be allowed using only available light inside both the simulation control rooms and the space shuttle flight control room in the Mission Control Center. Reporters also will be able to listen to and record conversations between the crew and mission control, as well as between the flight director and his team as they work through mock shuttle launches.

Following the simulation, STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim and STS-135 Ascent Flight Director Richard Jones will be available for a question-and-answer session in mission control. NASA Television will air the event live at 1 p.m. The training team will be available for interviews afterward.

On Friday, June 17, the space shuttle and space station flight controllers will practice the shuttle's final rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station. Reporters should arrive at Johnson's badging office by 10:30 a.m. for transportation to the training facility.

Journalists will have access to Johnson's fixed-based shuttle simulator and can witness the STS-135 crew preparing for a mock terminal initiation burn and getting the shuttle ready for docking with the station. At noon, news media representatives will be escorted to mission control to tour the space shuttle flight control room and the space station training version. The flight control team will be practicing the shuttle's backflip as it approaches the station and the docking. Reporters will have access to the front of the room and can listen to the flight director's audio and the air-to-ground transmissions from the shuttle crew. The simulated docking is expected to begin at 2 p.m.

Both training events will be recorded for broadcast on NASA TV. The schedule is below.

June 16

1 p.m. - Question-and-answer session with STS-135 crew and flight control team in space shuttle flight control room

2 p.m. - Replay of STS-135 ascent simulation

June 17

3:30 p.m. - Replay of STS-135 rendezvous simulation with shuttle and station flight control teams

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

For more information about the mission and crew, visit http://go.nasa.gov/STS-135.

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NASA Announces Final Shuttle Mission Preview Events

Joshua Buck

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Kylie Clem

Johnson Space Center, Houston

 

HOUSTON -- NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston has scheduled briefings, interview opportunities and demonstrations to highlight the final space shuttle mission, targeted to launch on July 8.

On June 30, NASA will hold news media briefings to preview the STS-135 mission and a news conference with the shuttle crew: Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim. NASA Television and the agency's website will carry the news briefings live.

Round-robin interview opportunities will be available with each crew member on June 30, but direct participation may be limited to networks, wire services and other major news outlets. Decisions regarding participation in the interviews will be based on the number of requests received and finalized about one week before the event. Remote participation in news briefings and round-robin interviews is permitted; however, priority will be given to reporters in attendance at Johnson.

On July 1, journalists can tour the shuttle simulators and mockups that are being used to train the astronauts for the shuttle's final flight to the International Space Station. Journalists also can tour a mockup of NASA's Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, the spacecraft that is being developed to carry humans into deep space. The deadline to participate in the June 30 and July 1 events, and to request a round-robin crew interview, is 5 p.m. June 20. For credentials, reporters must call the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111.

On June 16 and 17, news outlets can document the shuttle crew and mission control teams during their training exercises. To attend, U.S. reporters must apply by 5 p.m. CDT on Monday, June 13. International journalists must apply for credentials and return all required paperwork by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8.

The schedule of activities includes (all times CDT):

-- June 16: STS-135 crew and ascent flight control team training

Journalists will have a behind-the-scenes look at the crew and Mission Control Center team training. There will be a photo opportunity of the crew getting into the motion-based simulator in launch and entry suits. Broadcast outlets can film on the floor of mission control for two launch simulations, with access to air-to-ground and flight director loop audio feeds. The training will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the crew, flight director, mission control team and trainers. Accredited journalists must be at the badging office, bldg. 110, by 7 a.m. for transportation to the event. The badging office opens at 6 a.m.

-- June 17: STS-135 crew; shuttle and station flight control team rendezvous training

Journalists will be allowed into the shuttle flight control room and the training version of the space station control room during a simulation of the shuttle's final docking to the International Space Station. Limited opportunities will be available to film the crew in the stationary shuttle simulator. Media representatives again will have access to air-to-ground and flight director loop audio feeds. Accredited journalists must be at the badging office, bldg. 110, by 11 a.m. for transportation to the event.

-- June 30: Mission overview, crew news conference, interviews

7 a.m. STS-135 video b-roll feed on NASA TV

8 a.m. Shuttle Program Overview

9:30 a.m. STS-135 Mission Overview

12 p.m. STS-135 Spacewalk Overview

1 p.m. STS-135 Crew News Conference

2-6 p.m. Individual crew round robin interviews (not on NASA TV)

-- July 1: Hands-on experience with shuttle mockups

Journalists can tour shuttle mockups and simulators and meet mission support and training team members. Journalists will have access to the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, motion and fixed based trainers at the Jake Garn Training Facility, Shuttle Engineering Simulator dome, Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory and Virtual Reality Lab. Activities will be available throughout the day. The Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle mockup will again be available for touring.

A switched video and audio feed of the training events, including video inside the simulator and mission control, will air on NASA TV. For downlink, schedule and streaming video information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For more information about the mission and crew, visit http://go.nasa.gov/STS-135.

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Last Female Shuttle Astronaut Available For Interviews

Michael Curie

Headquarters, Washington

 

Kylie Clem

Johnson Space Center, Houston

HOUSTON -- NASA astronaut Sandra Magnus, who will fly on the last space shuttle mission next month, is available for live satellite interviews from 7 to 9 a.m. CDT on Monday, June 6. Shuttle Atlantis is targeted to launch July 8 with Magnus, Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Rex Walheim to deliver supplies and spare equipment to the International Space Station.

After her first spaceflight in 2002, Magnus became the 34th out of 47 women to fly aboard the shuttle, which launched the first American woman into space, Sally Ride, in 1983. With the upcoming STS-135 launch, Magnus will be the last female astronaut to fly on the storied vehicle.

Magnus is a native of Belleville, Ill. She earned a bachelor's and a master's from the University of Missouri-Rolla and a doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is a veteran of two shuttle flights and a 4.5-month stay aboard the station as a member of the Expedition 18 crew. Her first spaceflight was aboard shuttle Atlantis on the STS-112 mission in October 2002. She later flew to the station aboard shuttle Endeavour on STS-126 in November 2008 and returned to Earth aboard shuttle Discovery on STS-119 in March 2009.

To arrange an interview, news media representatives must contact Karen Svetaka at 281-483-8684, no later than 4 p.m. on Friday, June 3. Participating media must tune into NASA Television's Live Interview Media Outlet channel. The channel is a digital satellite C-band downlink by uplink provider Americom.

It is on satellite AMC 3, transponder 9C, located at 87 degrees west, downlink frequency 3865.5 MHz based on a standard C-band, horizontal downlink polarity. FEC is 3/4, data rate is 6.0 Mbps, symbol rate is 4.3404 Msps, transmission DVB-S, 4:2:0. NASA TV will air the Magnus interviews live. Video b-roll of STS-135 flight preparations will air June 6 at 6:30 a.m. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For Magnus' complete biography, visit http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/magnus.html.

To follow Magnus on Twitter, visit http://www.twitter.com/astro_sandy.

For more information about the STS-135 mission and crew, visit http://go.nasa.gov/STS-135.

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