NASA Sets Coverage, Invites Public to Virtually Join Starliner Launch
NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch, launch, and docking activities for the agency's Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) mission to the International Space Station. Scheduled to launch at 2:53 p.m. EDT Friday, July 30, OFT-2 is the second uncrewed flight for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program.
Starliner will launch on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. About 31 minutes after launch, Starliner will reach its preliminary orbit. It is scheduled to dock to the space station at 3:06 p.m. Saturday, July 31. Prelaunch activities, launch, and docking will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website.
The spacecraft will carry more than 400 pounds of NASA cargo and crew supplies to the space station and return to Earth with more than 550 pounds of cargo, including reusable Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) tanks that provide breathable air to station crew members.
OFT-2 will demonstrate the end-to-end capabilities of the Starliner spacecraft and Atlas V rocket from launch to docking to a return to Earth in the desert of the western United States. The uncrewed mission will provide valuable data toward NASA certifying Boeing's crew transportation system for regular flights with astronauts to and from the space station.
The deadline has passed for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch. More information about media accreditation is available by emailing: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
NASA has updated its coronavirus (COVID-19) policies to remain consistent with new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance. Credentialed media will receive additional details from the media operations team at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA's Boeing OFT-2 mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern):
Thursday, July 22
6 p.m. - Flight Readiness Review (FRR) Media Teleconference at Kennedy (or no earlier than one hour after completion of the FRR), with the following participants:
Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA
Norm Knight, director, Flight Operations Directorate
Steve Stich, manager, NASA's Commercial Crew Program
Joel Montalbano, manager, NASA's International Space Station Program
John Vollmer, vice president and program manager, Boeing Commercial Crew Program
Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 22, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Tuesday, July 27
TBD – Prelaunch News Conference on NASA TV (or no earlier than one hour after completion of the Launch Readiness Review):
Steve Stich, manager, NASA's Commercial Crew Program
Joel Montalbano, manager, NASA's International Space Station Program
Jennifer Buchli, deputy chief scientist, NASA's International Space Station Program
John Vollmer, vice president and program manager, Boeing Commercial Crew Program
Gary Wentz, vice president, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA
Will Ulrich, launch weather officer, U.S. Space Force, 45th Weather Squadron
Media may ask questions in-person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 28, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Thursday, July 29
10:30 a.m. – NASA Administrator Media and Social Briefing on NASA TV, with the following participants:
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy
Janet Petro, director, NASA's Kennedy Space Center
Chris Ferguson, director, Starliner Mission Operations and Integration/Crew Systems
Barry "Butch" Wilmore, NASA astronaut, Crew Flight Test
E. Michael "Mike" Fincke, NASA astronaut, Crew Flight Test
Nicole Mann, NASA astronaut, Crew Flight Test
Jennifer Buchli, deputy chief scientist, NASA's International Space Station Program
Media may ask questions in-person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 10 a.m. Thursday, July 29, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Friday, July 30
2 p.m. – NASA TV launch coverage begins. NASA TV will have continuous coverage through Starliner orbital insertion.
4 p.m. (approximately) – Postlaunch news conference on NASA TV:
TBD, NASA Representatives
TBD, Boeing Representative
TBD, United Launch Alliance Representative
Media may ask questions in-person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 3:30 p.m. Friday, July 30, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Saturday, July 31
12 p.m. – NASA TV rendezvous and docking coverage begins
3:06 p.m. (approximately) – Docking
Sunday, Aug. 1
9:15 a.m. – NASA TV hatch opening and welcoming remarks coverage begins
9:35 a.m. (approximately) – Hatch opening and welcoming remarks about 10:35 a.m.
NASA TV Launch Coverage
NASA TV live coverage will begin at 2 p.m. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv
Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA "V" circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, -1260 or -7135. On launch day, "mission audio," countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135.
On launch day, a "clean feed" of the launch without NASA TV commentary will be carried on the NASA TV media channel. Launch also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz and UHF radio frequency 444.925 MHz, heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.
NASA Website Launch Coverage
Launch day coverage of NASA's Boeing OFT-2 mission will be available on the agency's website. Coverage will include livestreaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 2 p.m. Friday, July 30, as the countdown milestones occur. On-demand streaming video and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact the Kennedy newsroom at: 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on our launch blog at:
http://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
Additional Media Opportunities
Live shots and remote live interviews via Zoom will be offered in English with limited availability from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Thursday, July 29, and Friday, July 30. Additional limited slots will be available 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday, July 29. To book a live shot window, media should complete and submit the form available at:
https://go.nasa.gov/3rbiM9T
SOURCE NASA
Related Links
http://www.nasa.gov
