NASA Opens Media Accreditation for December Orbital Sciences Cargo Resupply Mission to International Space Station

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Nov 07, 2013, 03:26 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Media accreditation is open for the launch of the first contracted cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station from Virginia.

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Following successful demonstration flights of its Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft earlier this year, Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., will launch the Orbital-1 cargo resupply mission no earlier than Dec. 15 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Pad-0A at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility along Virginia's east coast.

This will be the first of eight planned cargo resupply missions by Orbital Sciences for NASA under the agency's $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services contract, which ensures a robust national capability to deliver critical science research to orbit, significantly increasing NASA's ability to conduct new science investigations to the only laboratory in microgravity.

International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by Nov. 15 for credentials to cover the prelaunch and launch activities. The application deadline is Dec. 10 for media who are U.S. citizens. Journalists should send their accreditation request to Keith Koehler at [email protected].

For questions about accreditation or additional information, contact Keith Koehler by email or at 757-824-1579.

For information about Orbital Sciences, and its Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft, visit:
http://www.orbital.com/antares-cygnus

For more information about the International Space Station and Commercial Resupply Services, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station

SOURCE NASA