07.31.06 Allard Beutel Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4769 Tracy Young Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 MEDIA ADVISORY: M06-123 NASA'S NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE CREW READY FOR COUNTDOWN TEST The astronauts and ground crews for Space Shuttle Atlantis' upcoming mission, STS-115, will participate in a full launch dress rehearsal Aug. 7-10 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The demonstration test provides the crew of each shuttle mission with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency egress training. Permanently badged media interested in attending the event should contact the Kennedy News Center at 321-867-2468 by 4 p.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 4. U.S. media without Kennedy credentials may apply for accreditation online through 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2, at: https://media.ksc.nasa.gov Accreditation for foreign news media for this event is closed. The STS-115 crew members are Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Chris Ferguson and mission specialists Joe Tanner, Dan Burbank, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve MacLean of the Canadian Space Agency. The launch window for Atlantis' mission to the International Space Station opens on Aug. 27. Media Events (All Times Eastern) -- Aug. 7 - STS-115 Crew Arrival: The crew will arrive at 5 p.m. at the Shuttle Landing Facility and make a statement. Media should arrive at Kennedy's News Center by 4 p.m. for transportation to the facility. There will be no live NASA TV coverage. -- Aug. 9 - STS-115 Crew Media Q&A: Atlantis' crew will take media questions at Launch Pad 39B at 8:30 a.m. Media must arrive at the News Center by 7:30 a.m. for transportation to the launch pad. The session will be carried live on NASA TV. -- Aug. 10 - STS-115 Crew Walkout Photo Opportunity: The astronauts will depart from the Operations and Checkout Building at 7:45 a.m. in their flight entry suits in preparation for the countdown demonstration test at the launch pad. Media need to arrive at the News Center by 6:45 a.m. to cover the event. There will be no live NASA TV coverage. Since dates and times of events are subject to change, updates are available at 321-867-2525. The events will take place in operational areas, so all participants must be properly dressed in full-length pants, flat shoes that entirely cover the feet and shirts with sleeves. No tank tops. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv For information about the STS-115 mission and crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle -end- To subscribe to the list, send a message to: ksc-subscribe@newsletters.nasa.gov To remove your address from the list, send a message to: ksc-unsubscribe@newsletters.nasa.gov
