NASA, SpaceX Invite Media to First Operational Commercial Crew Launch

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Media accreditation now is open for NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station ? the first operational flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket after certification by NASA for regular flights to the space station.

The launch is targeted for no earlier than late-September, following a successful return from the space station and evaluation of NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 test flight with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley.

Crew Dragon commander Michael Hopkins, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Shannon Walker ? all of NASA ? along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission specialist Soichi Noguchi will launch on the Crew-1 mission from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Media accreditation deadlines for Crew-1 are as follows:

• International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by 4 p.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 10.
• U.S. media must apply by 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24.

All accreditation requests should be submitted online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

NASA continues to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, and a limited number of media will be granted access to Kennedy in order to protect the health and safety of media and employees. Due to COVID-19 safety restrictions at Kennedy, international media coming from overseas will need to follow quarantine requirements.

The agency will follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the agency's chief health and medical officer, and will immediately communicate any updates that may impact media access for this launch.

For questions about media accreditation, email [email protected]. For other questions, contact Kennedy's newsroom at 321-867-2468.

Reporters with special logistics requests for Kennedy, such as space for satellite trucks, trailers, tents, electrical connections, or work spaces, must contact Kathleen Ellis at [email protected] by Monday, Aug. 24.

NASA's Commercial Crew Program is working with the American aerospace industry through a public-private partnership to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil. The goal of the program is to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the space station, which will allow for additional research time and will increase the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity's testbed for exploration. The space station remains the springboard to NASA's next great leap in space exploration, including future missions to the Moon and eventually to Mars.

For launch coverage and more information about the mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

SOURCE NASA