NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer will study the frontier of space: the dynamic zone high in our atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather above. Credits: NASA

NASA has opened media accreditation for the launch of its Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) mission, targeted to be air-launched over the Atlantic Ocean on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket Wednesday, Oct. 9.

Media prelaunch activities will take place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and neighboring Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, with details of the activities to be announced closer to the launch date. Credentialing deadlines are as follows:

• U.S. media must apply by 4:30 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 20.
• The deadline for international media to apply has passed.

All media accreditation requests should be submitted online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

For questions about accreditation, please email ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. For other questions, contact Kennedy’s newsroom at 321-867-2468.

ICON and Pegasus will take off aboard the L-1011 Stargazer aircraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for a 90-minute launch window opening at 9:25 p.m. ICON will be launching off the coast of Daytona at 39,000 feet at a heading of 105 degrees.

The ionosphere, where Earth’s weather meets space weather, can be a source of great beauty, but also can be disruptive to radio communications and satellites, and astronaut health. ICON will help determine the physical processes at play in this frontier of space, and help find ways to mitigate their negative effects.

For more information about the ICON mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/icon

-end-

Press Contacts

Grey Hautaluoma / Karen Fox
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668 / 301-286-6284
​grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov / karen.fox@nasa.gov

Mary MacLaughlin​
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
mary.maclaughlin@nasa.gov

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