Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) of Sparks, Nev., will announce expansion plans for its Dream Chaser Space System program in a news conference Thursday, Jan. 23, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The announcement will be carried live on NASA Television and the agency's website at 3 p.m. EST.

SNC officials will discuss the company’s plans for expansion in the Kennedy area and the current status of the Dream Chaser program. Others will join the briefing to discuss how these developments assist in creating jobs and investment opportunities on the Space Coast that support Kennedy's transformation into a multi-user spaceport.

The news conference will take place at Kennedy’s Press Site Television Auditorium. NASA TV will air the news conference prior to the launch of the agency’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)-L. Liftoff of TDRS-L on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida is targeted for 9:05 p.m.

Mark Sirangelo, corporate vice president and head of SNC’s Space Systems, will make the announcements and be joined by:

-- Bob Cabana, Kennedy Space Center director
-- Michael Gass, United Launch Alliance president and CEO
-- Frank DiBello, Space Florida president and CEO
-- Larry Price, Lockheed Martin Space Systems deputy program manager for NASA's Orion spacecraft
-- Steve Lindsey, Sierra Nevada Corporation Dream Chaser program manager

Media can participate in the news conference in person or by telephone by calling 321-867-2468 no later than 15 minutes before the start of the conference to establish a position in the phone queue.

Audio only of the news conference will be carried on the NASA "V" circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, 321-867-1240, 321-867-1260 or 321-867-7135.

For questions about media accreditation, contact Jennifer Horner at 321-867-6598. Media already credentialed to cover TDRS-L activities may pick up their badges from the Press Accreditation Office (PIDS) on State Road 3 on Merritt Island Tuesday, Jan. 21 (6 a.m. to noon), Wednesday, Jan. 22 (6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.), or Thursday, Jan. 23 (8 to 10 a.m. or 4 to 8 p.m.).

For more information about Kennedy Space Center, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy

For more information about Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser, visit:

http://www.SNCDreamChaser.com

For NASA Television downlink information, schedule information and streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

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