NASA Sets TV Coverage for Antares Test Flight

April 9, 2013

Trent J. Perrotto
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
trent.j.perrotto@nasa.gov

Josh Byerly
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
josh.byerly@nasa.gov

Jeremy Eggers
Wallops Flight Facility, Va.
757-824-2958
jeremy.l.eggers@nasa.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: M13-059

NASA SETS TV COVERAGE FOR ANTARES TEST FLIGHT

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. -- NASA's commercial partner, Orbital Sciences
Corporation of Dulles, Va., is scheduled to launch its first Antares
rocket from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A at the agency's
Wallops Flight Facility on Wednesday, April 17.

NASA Television coverage of the launch will begin at 4 p.m. EDT.
Liftoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. with a daily launch window that runs
until 8 p.m. If needed, back-up launch opportunities are available
April 18-21.

The Antares test flight is the first of two missions Orbital is
scheduled to conduct this year under NASA's Commercial Orbital
Transportation Services (COTS) Program. This mission will demonstrate
the Antares launch system beginning with its April 6 rollout and
placement on the launch pad through its fueling, launch, and delivery
of a mass simulator payload into orbit.

The mass simulator matches the weight and dimensions of the Cygnus
spacecraft, which Orbital has developed to deliver cargo to the
International Space Station. The simulator carries instruments to
collect data about the launch environment during the Antares flight.

In advance of the launch, NASA will host a media briefing to discuss
the Wallops Flight Facility, Orbital's activities under NASA's COTS
and Commercial Resupply Services initiatives, and the new
Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A. It will begin at 2 p.m.
Tuesday, April 16, at the Wallops Visitors Center. At 3 p.m., NASA
will host a prelaunch news conference about the test launch and
mission. Both briefings will be carried live on NASA TV and the
agency's website.

News media may request accreditation to attend the prelaunch news
conferences and launch by contacting Keith Koehler at 757-824-1579 or
keith.a.koehler@nasa.gov.

The deadline for U.S. media to apply for accreditation is Thursday,
April 11. The deadline has passed for international news media to
apply.

For NASA TV schedule and video streaming information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For an updated scheduled of prelaunch briefings, events and NASA TV
coverage times, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/orbital


-end-



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