APR 29, 2024
MEDIA ADVISORY M24-061
Boeingâs Starliner spacecraft approaches the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will launch aboard
Starliner on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for NASAâs Boeing Crew Flight Test.
Credits: NASA
NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities for the agencyâs Boeing Crew Flight Test, which will carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to and
from the International Space Station.
Launch of the ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket and Boeing Starliner spacecraft is targeted for 10:34 p.m. EDT Monday, May 6, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral
Space Force Station in Florida.
The flight test will carry Wilmore and Williams to
the space station for about a week to test the Starliner spacecraft and its subsystems before NASA certifies the transportation system for rotational missions to the orbiting laboratory for the agencyâs Commercial Crew Program.
Starliner will dock to the forward-facing port of the stationâs Harmony module at 12:48 a.m., Wednesday, May 8.
The deadline for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch has passed. The agencyâs media
credentialing policy is available online. For questions about media accreditation, please email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
NASAâs mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
Wednesday, May 1
1:30 p.m. â Virtual news conference at Kennedy with the flight test astronauts:
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NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore
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NASA astronaut Suni Williams
Coverage of the virtual news conference will stream live on NASA+,
NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube,
and the agencyâs website.
Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 1, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Friday, May 3
12:30 p.m. â Prelaunch news conference at Kennedy (no earlier than one hour after completion of the Launch Readiness Review) with the following participants:
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NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
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Steve Stich, manager, NASAâs Commercial Crew Program
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Dana Weigel, manager, NASAâs International Space Station Program
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Emily Nelson, chief flight director, NASA
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Jennifer Buchli, chief scientist, NASAâs International Space Station Program
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Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
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Gary Wentz, vice president, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA
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Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Coverage of the prelaunch news conference will stream live on NASA+,
NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube,
and the agencyâs website.
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, media should contact the
Kennedy newsroom no later than 11:30 a.m., Friday, May 3, at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
3:30 p.m. â NASA Social panel live stream event at Kennedy with the following participants:
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Ian Kappes, deputy launch vehicle office manager, NASAâs Commercial Crew Program
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Amy Comeau Denker, Starliner associate chief engineer, Boeing
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Caleb Weiss, system engineering and test leader, ULA
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Jennifer Buchli, chief scientist, NASAâs International Space Station Program
Coverage of the panel live stream event will stream live at @NASAKennedy on
YouTube, @NASAKennedy on
X, and @NASAKennedy on
Facebook. Members of the public may ask questions online by posting questions to the YouTube, X, and Facebook livestreams using #AskNASA.
Monday, May 6
6:30 p.m. â Launch coverage begins on NASA+, NASA Television,
the NASA app, YouTube,
and the agencyâs website.
10:34 p.m. â Launch
Launch coverage on NASA+ will end shortly after Starliner orbital insertion. NASA Television will provide continuous
coverage leading up to docking and through hatch opening and welcome remarks.
Tuesday, May 7
12 a.m. â Postlaunch news conference with the following participants:
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NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy
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Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, NASAâs Space Operations Mission Directorate
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Steve Stich, manager, NASAâs Commercial Crew Program
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Dana Weigel, manager, NASAâs International Space Station Program
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Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
-
Gary Wentz, vice president, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA
Coverage of the postlaunch news conference will air live on NASA+,
NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube,
and the agencyâs website.
NASA+ will resume coverage and NASA Televisionâs media channel will break from in-orbit coverage to carry the postlaunch news conference. Mission operational coverage will continue
on NASA Televisionâs public channel and the agencyâs website. Once the postlaunch news conference is complete, NASA+ coverage will end, and mission coverage will continue on both NASA channels.
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, media should contact the
Kennedy newsroom no later than 10:30 p.m., Monday, May 6, at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
10:15 p.m. â Arrival coverage resumes on NASA+,
the NASA app, and YouTube,
and continues on NASA Television and the agencyâs website.
Wednesday, May 8
12:48 a.m. â Targeted docking to the forward-facing port of the stationâs Harmony module
2:35 a.m. â Hatch opening
3:15 a.m. â Welcome remarks
4:15 a.m. â Post-docking news conference at Johnson with the following participants:
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NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free
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Steve Stich, manager, NASAâs Commercial Crew Program
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Dana Weigel, manager, NASAâs International Space Station Program
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Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
Coverage of the post-docking news conference will air live on NASA+,
NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube,
and the agencyâs website.
All times are estimates and could be adjusted based on operations after launch. Follow the space station blog for
the most up-to-date operations information.
Audio Only Coverage
Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA âVâ circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240 or -7135. On launch day, âmission
audio,â countdown activities without NASA Television launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135.
Launch audio also will be available on Launch Information Service and Amateur Television Systemâs VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz and KSC Amateur Radio Clubâs UHF radio frequency 444.925
MHz, FM mode, heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.
Live Video Coverage Prior to Launch
NASA will provide a live video feed of Space Launch Complex-41 approximately 48 hours prior to the planned liftoff of the mission. Pending unlikely technical issues, the feed will be
uninterrupted until the prelaunch broadcast begins on NASA Television, approximately four hours prior to launch. Once the feed is live, find it here: http://youtube.com/kscnewsroom.
NASA Website Launch Coverage
Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the agencyâs website. Coverage will include live
streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 6:30 p.m., May 6 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 the commercial
crew or the Crew Flight Test blog.
Attend the Launch Virtually
Members of the public can register to
attend this launch virtually. NASAâs virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following launch.
Watch and Engage on Social Media
Let people know youâre following the mission on X, Facebook, and Instagram by using the hashtags #Starliner and #NASASocial. You can also stay connected by following and tagging these
accounts:
X: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASASocial, @Space_Station, @ISS_Research, @ISS
National Lab, @BoeingSpace, @Commercial_Crew
Facebook: NASA, NASAKennedy, ISS, ISS
National Lab
Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @ISS, @ISSNationalLab
Coverage en Espanol
Did you know NASA has a Spanish section called NASA en Espanol? Check out NASA en Espanol on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for additional mission coverage.
Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comunÃquese con Antonia Jaramillo:
321-501-8425; antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov; o Messod Bendayan: 256-930-1371; messod.c.bendayan@nasa.gov.
NASAâs Commercial Crew Program has delivered on its goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station from the United States through
a partnership with American private industry. This partnership is changing the arc of human spaceflight history by opening access to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station to more people, science, and commercial opportunities. The space station
remains the springboard to NASAâs next great leap in space exploration, including future missions to the Moon and, eventually, to Mars.
For NASAâs launch blog and more information about the mission, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
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