Debra J.

Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, DC September 17, 1999
(Phone: 202/358-1638)

NOTE TO EDITORS: N99-50

PRESS ACCREDITATION PROCEDURES

FOR RUSSIAN ZVEZDA (STAR) SERVICE MODULE LAUNCH

The Zvezda Service Module, the cornerstone of Russia's

contribution to the International Space Station, is scheduled for
launch no earlier than Nov. 12, 1999, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome
in Kazakhstan.

The official launch date will be set at the conclusion of the

Joint Program Review, between NASA and the Russian Aviation and
Space Agency, and the General Designer's Review of launch
preparations by RSC-Energia in Moscow, currently set for Sept. 27-
29, 1999.

Zvezda (Russian for "star") is the Russian-built module that

will serve as the living quarters for the first resident crew and
provide control of the station until the arrival of the U.S.
Destiny Laboratory next year.

News media wishing to cover the Zvezda launch must request

press accreditation no later than Sept. 23, 1999, as follows:

U.S. news media representatives should send a fax 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 fax must be on the organization's letterhead with the

media representative's full name, title, organization, address,
telephone and fax numbers, passport number with issuance and
expiration dates, date and place of birth, citizenship and city
where the visa will be issued. A media representative requiring a
letter of invitation to obtain a Russian visa should fax a copy of
the first page of his or her passport.
 Canadian, European and Japanese news media representatives
should contact their nations' space agency public affairs offices
to request press accreditation as follows:

Canadian Space Agency:

Mr. Stephane Corbin
Manager, Public and Media Relations
St. Hubert, Quebec, Canada
Tel: 450/926-4350
Fax: 450/926-4352
e-mail: Stephane.Corbin@space.gc.ca

European Space Agency:

Mr. Franco Bonacina
Media Relations
Paris, France
Tel: 33 1 5369 7713
Fax: 33 1 5369 7690
e-mail: fbonacin@hq.esa.fr

National Space Development Agency of Japan:

Mr. Yosuke Nishijo
Public Relations Office
Tsukuba, Japan
Tel: 81 298 52 2753
Fax: 81 298 50 2232
e-mail: Nishijo.Yosuke@nasda.go.jp

Each space agency must submit a list of its news media to the
Russian Aviation and Space Agency 45 days prior to launch. A
dual-entry visa is required for anyone traveling to Baikonur. The
Khrunichev Space Center will provide letters of invitation for
news media requiring visas.

Russian visa forms are available in newsrooms at NASA's

Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX; Kennedy Space Center, FL; and
Headquarters, Washington, DC.

Cost: $1,000 U.S. dollars per person. The cost includes

round-trip air transportation from Moscow to Baikonur and return,
local transportation, and meals. Payment must be
transferred no later than 30 days prior to 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

Tour of Baikonur: Arrangements have been made for the news

media to tour the Soyuz launch pad, the Service Module checkout
building and the Proton integration building.

Communication Equipment: News media representatives who plan

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

Mr. Sergei Jiltsov

Head, Public Relations Department
Khrunichev Space Center
Moscow, Russia
Fax: 7 095 145 9203
Tel: 7 095 145 9802

Requests should include a description of the equipment and

frequency. GSM 900 telephones are approved for use at Baikonur.
Mr. Jiltsov can provide a list of companies in Moscow where the
GSM 900 can be purchased or leased.

Baikonur Communication Center: Located in the Proton

Conference Hall. There are telephone and fax machines available.
Telephone and fax charges will be provided closer to launch.

Pre-Launch Tour of Khrunichev Space Center, Moscow, Russia:

A tour of the Proton Assembly Department and the Space Station
hardware will be arranged on Launch minus One Day (L-1). News
media interested in participating should contact Mr. Sergei
Jiltsov directly.

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