Boeing and United Launch Alliance (ULA) will mark the start of construction of the Commercial Crew access tower at Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, at 2:30 p.m. EST Friday, Feb. 20. Media are invited to tour operations and attend the formal groundbreaking event.

Groundbreaking participants include:

• John Mulholland, vice president of Boeing commercial programs
• Jim Sponnick, vice president of Atlas and Delta Programs at ULA
• Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
• Robert Cabana, director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida
• Col. Shawn Fairhurst, vice commander of the U.S. Air Force’s 45th Space Wing
• Jim Kuzma, chief operating officer for Space Florida
• Lynda Weatherman, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast

The new crew access tower at SLC-41 will reach 200 feet in height and include an elevator, as well as means for quick evacuation from the structure in the event of an emergency. SLC-41 is one of the most active launch complexes on the Space Coast, so construction of this tower is scheduled to take place between launches, with segments of the structure being built off site, then assembled at the pad.

Under a Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract with NASA, Boeing’s Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft, currently in development, will be certified by NASA's Commercial Crew Program to fly crews to and from the International Space Station. The spacecraft will launch on a ULA Atlas V rocket from SLC-41.

Media buses will depart Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site at 2 p.m. Media should be at the Press Site no later than 1:45 p.m. Return to the Press Site is targeted for 3:30 p.m. Attendees must wear long pants; flat, closed-toe shoes; and shirts with sleeves.

Media without permanent credentials must apply for accreditation by 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19. Accreditation now is closed for international media and those representing foreign media outlets. Media must apply for credentials online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

Green card holders must submit a scanned copy of their cards to jennifer.p.horner@nasa.gov for processing no later than noon Feb. 19. Questions about accreditation may be addressed to Jennifer Horner by email or at 321-867-6598.

Badges will be available for pickup Feb. 20 at the Kennedy Badging Office, located on State Road 405, east of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Hours for the Kennedy Badging Office are 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Two forms of current, government-issued identification are required to receive a badge. One must include a photo, such as a driver’s license or passport.

For more information about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

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