Jan. 08, 2009

John Yembrick
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
john.yembrick-1{at}nasa.gov

Candrea Thomas
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
candrea.k.thomas{at}nasa.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-003

NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY TO MOVE TO LAUNCH PAD WEDNESDAY

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll
out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday,
Jan. 14, as preparations for the STS-119 mission move forward.
Discovery is targeted to lift off Feb. 12 to the International Space
Station.

The first motion of the shuttle out of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly
Building is scheduled for 4 a.m. EST. The fully assembled space
shuttle, consisting of the orbiter, external fuel tank and twin solid
rocket boosters, will be delivered to the pad atop a crawler
transporter that will travel slower than 1 mph during the 3.4-mile
journey. The process is expected to take approximately six hours.

NASA Television will provide live coverage of Discovery's rollout to
the launch pad beginning at 6:30 a.m. Video highlights of the rollout
will air on NASA TV's Video File.

News media are invited to photograph the shuttle's move to the pad
and
interview Discovery Flow Director Stephanie Stilson at 8:30 a.m.,
Wednesday. Dates and times of this event are subject to change.
Updates are available by calling 321-867-2525.

News media must arrive at Kennedy's news center by 6 a.m., Wednesday,
for transportation to the viewing area. Foreign news media
accreditation for the event is closed. Foreign media with credentials
must arrive at the Pass and I-D Building on State Road 3 by 6 a.m.
for transportation to the news center.

U.S. media without permanent Kennedy Space Center credentials must
apply for accreditation online by 4 p.m., Monday, Jan. 12, at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov


News media must pick up badges by 4 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 13, at the
new
Kennedy Badging Office on State Road 405, west of Gate 3, just past
the Kennedy Visitor's Complex.

During Discovery's 14-day mission, the crew will install the S6 truss
segment and its solar arrays to the starboard side of the station,
completing the station's backbone, or truss. Discovery's crew members
are Commander Lee Archambault, Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission
Specialists Joseph Acaba, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold, John
Phillips and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi
Wakata.

For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming
video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the STS-119 mission and crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

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