N° 45–2014: Call for Media: Space Station year-long mission
12 December 2014
The partner agencies supporting the International Space Station will hold a press conference on 18 December to preview the upcoming year-long expedition and to discuss the future of the international laboratory.
Scott Kelly of NASA and Mikhail Kornienko of Roscosmos will arrive on the Station in March 2015 to begin a year’s stay aboard the orbiting laboratory. This will be the longest time astronauts have spent on the Station on a single mission.
European Astronaut Corps at full speed
During their time aboard, they will work alongside three ESA astronauts: Samantha Cristoforetti, already on the Station; Andreas Mogensen, who will arrive in September 2015; and Timothy Peake, whose launch is scheduled for December 2015.
The briefing will take place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France and will include participants from Station partner agencies and UNESCO. Questions will be taken during the briefing and via phone lines from partner locations.
Press conference participants will include:
– Scott Kelly, NASA astronaut and crewmember,
– Mikhail Kornienko, Roscosmos cosmonaut and crewmember,
– Andreas Mogensen, ESA astronaut and visiting crew flight engineer,
– Soichi Noguchi, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency chief astronaut,
– Jeremy Hansen, Canadian Space Agency astronaut,
– UNESCO representative.
The conference will begin at 16:00 CET (15:00 GMT). Registration will open at 15:30 CET at: UNESCO, 125 Avenue de Suffren, 75007 Paris.
For media wishing to attend the conference in person, or participate please dial the following number:+33 1 45 68 01 01.
The deadline to request credentials is by 16 December. For more information about media accreditation, please contact Nicola Firth (nicola.firth@esa.int).
For webstreaming video visit: http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv
For more information about the mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/oneyear
To stay connected with ESA astronauts, visit: http://astronauts.esa.int/
About the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.
ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA has 20 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, of whom 18 are Member States of the EU. Two other Member States of the EU, Hungary and Estonia, are likely soon to become new ESA Member States.
ESA has Cooperation Agreements with six other Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.
ESA is also working with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes.
By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country.
ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities.
Today, it develops and launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space.
Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int