Debra J.

Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, DC August 25, 1998
(Phone: 202/358-1638)

James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
(Phone: 281/483-5111)

NOTE TO EDITORS: N98-53

GUIDELINES FOR MEDIA COVERAGE OF ZARYA LAUNCH FROM

BAIKONUR

U.S. news media representatives wishing to cover

the launch of the first component of the International Space
Station, the Zarya Control Module, from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome in Kazakstan on Nov. 20, 1998, will be required to
send a fax or e-mail requesting press accreditation to:

Ms. Debra Rahn

PAO for International Relations
NASA Headquarters
Washington, DC 20546
Fax: 202/358-2983
E-mail: debra.rahn@hq.nasa.gov

The approximate time for the Zarya launch is 2:30 a.m.

EST (12:30 p.m. local Baikonur time).

Please include your full name, title, organization,

passport number and expiration date, date and place of birth,
telephone and fax numbers. U.S. media should request
accreditation no later than close of business Sept.
16, 1998.

Canadian, European and Japanese news media

representatives must request press accreditation by providing
the same information to their own space agency public affairs
offices as follows:

Canadian Space Agency:

Ms. Carole Duval
Media Relations
St-Hubert, Quebec, Canada
Tel: 514/926-4705
Fax: 514/926-4352

European Space Agency:

Mr. Franco Bonacina
Media Relations
Paris, France
Tel: 33 1 5369 7713
Fax: 33 1 5369 7690

National Space Development Agency of Japan:

Mr. Yosuke Nishijo
Public Relations Office
Tokyo, Japan
Tel: 81 3 3438 6109
Fax: 81 3 5402 6513

NASA will prepare a consolidated list of U.S. and

international news media and send it to the Khrunichev Space
Center 45 days before launch. In addition, NASA will obtain
a letter of invitation from the Russian Space Agency for all
news media on the press accreditation list.

Russian visa forms are available in the newsrooms

at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX; Kennedy Space
Center, FL; and Headquarters, Washington, DC.

Khrunichev Space Center, Moscow, Russia, has hired

InfoMOST INC./InfoWest Group, Vienna, VA, to make logistical
arrangements for news media traveling to Baikonur for the
Zarya launch.

The cost of round-trip air transportation from

Moscow to Baikonur and return, local transportation and meals
is $1,500 U.S. dollars per person. Payment must be
transferred no later than 45 days before launch to:

The Riggs National Bank

McLean Branch
 6805 Old Dominion Drive
McLean, Virginia 22101 USA
Account No. 01-819-232/InfoMOST
Transit code: 05-600-00-12-60

Communication Equipment:

News media representatives planning to use satellite

phones or other communication equipment at the Baikonur
launch site must send a fax requesting approval no later than
45 days before launch directly to:

Mr. Sergei Jiltsov

Head, Press Department
Khrunichev Space Center
Moscow, Russia
Fax: 7 095 142 5900
Tel: 7 095 145 9802

Requests should include a description of the equipment

and frequency.

Baikonur Communication Center:

The Baikonur Communication Center is located at the

Proton Conference Hall at launch pad #95. Telephone and fax
machines will be available.

A detailed media schedule at Baikonur is being

finalized and will be distributed before launch. For
planning purposes, the preliminary schedule follows:

Launch Minus 3 Days:

NASA, Russian and International Partners ISS officials
will hold a press conference at the Russian Mission Control
Center (TsUP), Korolev, to discuss the Zarya launch. It will
be broadcast on NASA Television with questions from reporters
in attendance at TsUP. Time and participants remain to be
determined.

Launch Day:

Launch minus TBD hours: News media meet at a Moscow

hotel (TBD) to be bused to Novetel Hotel near airport.
Launch minus TBD hours: Zarya Launch Countdown Status
Briefing at Novetel Hotel near airport with Khrunichev
Space Center and Boeing participants. The briefers will
provide launch status and logistical update.

Launch minus 3 hours: Arrive at the airport near

Baikonur (³Yuobileynyi²). A press release will be
distributed on the plane.

Launch minus 2 hours: Arrive Baikonur launch site.

Tour of the Baikonur launch site (launch pad #1), Gagarin
launch pad (launch pad #2), Zarya integration hangar
(launch pad #254), and Proton-booster integration hangar
(launch pad #95).

Launch minus 30 minutes: Arrive at the launch viewing

site. Pre-launch commentary will be provided at the
viewing site.

Launch T-0: View the launch of the Zarya on a Proton

booster.

Launch plus 30-60 minutes: Attend short post-launch

briefing at the Proton Conference Hall (launch pad #95).
Participants will include Russian, U.S., Canadian, European
and Japanese space officials. Note: This will not be
carried on NASA Television.

In addition to the briefing, a video of the Zarya launch

preparation at Baikonur, Zarya integration on the Proton,
and the Proton-Zarya roll out will be shown.

Launch plus 90 minutes: Post-launch press briefing with

NASA and Russian officials from the Russian Mission Control
Center, Korolev, Russia, will be carried back to the U.S.
on NASA Television.

Launch plus 2 hours: Departure from the airport near

Baikonur (³Yuobileynyi²).

Launch plus 5 hours: Arrive Moscow airport. Return by

bus to hotel.

Launch plus one day: Khrunichev Space Center will hold a

press conference on the Zarya launch and future ISS plans.
This briefing will not be carried on NASA Television.

NASA Television is broadcast on GE-2, transponder 9C, C-

Band, located at 85 degrees West longitude. The frequency is
3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical and audio is monaural
at 6.8 MHz.

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