CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., June 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Media accreditation is open for the launch of NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission. Liftoff is scheduled for 4:08 a.m. EDT, Thursday, Aug. 23, aboard an Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
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The two-year RBSP mission will help scientists develop an understanding of Earth's Van Allen radiation belts and related regions that pose hazards to human and robotic explorers.
International news media who want to cover the RBSP launch must apply for accreditation by 5 p.m., July 18. NASA and the U.S. Air Force require international media to apply for accreditation at least 30 days in advance of the scheduled launch. U.S. media also may begin their application process at this time. All news media must use the online accreditation system at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov/
International media are required to provide their full legal name, date of birth, nationality, passport number and media affiliation. Two forms of legal identification are required upon arrival at Kennedy. At least one form must be legal photo identification, such as a passport or driver license.
International media with questions about accreditation should contact:
Jennifer Horner
NASA Public Affairs Office
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-6598 or 321-867-2468
jennifer.p.horner@nasa.gov
RBSP will use twin probes to explore space weather -- changes in Earth's space environment caused by the sun -- that can disable satellites, create power grid failures and disrupt GPS service. The mission also will allow researchers to understand fundamental radiation and particle acceleration processes throughout the universe.
The RBSP is part of NASA's Living with a Star Program, which is managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md., built the pair of RBSP spacecraft and will manage the mission for NASA. The Launch Services Program at Kennedy is responsible for launch management. United Launch Alliance is the provider of the Atlas V launch service.
For more information about the RBSP mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/rbsp
SOURCE NASA
