Welding work on the pressure vessel, or underlying structure, of the Orion crew module was completed at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. It will be shipped to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida Feb. 1 for outfitting and processing. Credits: NASA

Media representatives are invited to attend two events at Kennedy Space Center in Florida marking the arrival of the Orion crew module pressure vessel that will fly atop the Space Launch System rocket on the first integrated flight test, Exploration Mission-1, (EM-1). Delivery of this major Orion hardware marks an important milestone as NASA continues making progress on its journey to Mars.  

At 3 p.m. EST, Monday, February 1, Orion’s recently completed pressure vessel, or underlying structure of the crew module, is scheduled to arrive at Kennedy’s Landing Facility aboard NASA’s Super Guppy cargo aircraft. Members of the news media will have the opportunity to photograph the arrival and unloading of the spacecraft.

At 10 a.m. EST, Wednesday, February 3, media may view the spacecraft in the Neil Armstrong Operations & Checkout Facility and conduct interviews with NASA and Lockheed Martin representatives.

NASA and Lockheed Martin are tracking several milestones for Orion in 2016. The processing of Orion for flight at Kennedy will include outfitting the crew module with the spacecraft’s heat-shielding thermal protection systems, avionics and other subsystems including electrical power storage and distribution, thermal control, cabin pressure control, command and data handling, communications and tracking, guidance, navigation and control, reaction control system propulsion and flight software and computers.

To attend the event, media accreditation requests should be submitted online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

International media accreditation for this event is closed. U.S. must apply for accreditation by 4 p.m. January 29. Two forms of government-issued identification are required to receive a badge, one of which must be a photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport. Badges will be available for pick up at the Kennedy Badging Office 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. Questions concerning accreditation may be addressed to Jennifer Horner at 321-867-6598 or jennifer.p.horner@nasa.gov.

For the February 1 event, media should arrive at the press site by 2 p.m. for transportation to the landing facility.

Media should arrive at the press site by 9 a.m. for transportation to the event Feb. 3.

For both events, all participants must be dressed in full-length pants and shirts with sleeves, and wear flat shoes that cover the feet entirely.

Dates and times are subject to change. Updates for events are available at 321-867-2525.

The Orion spacecraft will carry astronauts farther into the solar system than ever before. It will provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space.

For more information about Orion, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/orion

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