NASA Invites Media to Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer Arrival
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA will host a media event at 10:30 a.m. EDT on Thursday, Aug. 26, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the arrival of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS). The
state-of-the-art device to further our understanding of the universe
will launch to the International Space Station during the last
scheduled space shuttle flight next year.
The AMS will arrive for processing at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing
Facility at 11 a.m. aboard an Air Force C-5 aircraft. The instrument,
sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is a particle
physics detector constructed, tested and operated by an international
team representing 16 countries.
During the media event, reporters will have an opportunity to speak
with AMS' principal investigator, Nobel Prize-winning physicist
Samuel Ting of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Mark
Sistilli, NASA's program manager for AMS. Other members of the
international AMS team, flight processing project managers, DOE staff
and European Space Agency officials, whose facilities were used in
testing the experiment, also will be available for interviews.
U.S. reporters must apply for credentials by noon, Wednesday, Aug. 25.
International journalists must apply by 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 17.
Reporters without permanent Kennedy credentials should submit their
request online at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
Media planning to attend must arrive at Kennedy's news center by 9:30
a.m. for transportation to the event. Participants must be dressed in
full-length pants, flat shoes that entirely cover the feet and shirts
with sleeves. Because times are subject to change, call Kennedy's
media information line for updates at 321-867-2525.
The AMS will fly aboard shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission, targeted
to launch Feb. 26, 2011. The device will be mounted and operated on
the space station. It will use the unique environment of space to
advance knowledge of the universe, leading to a better understanding
of the universe's origin by searching for antimatter, dark matter,
strange matter and measuring cosmic rays. AMS will attempt to answer
such fundamental questions of the origin and nature of the universe
as, is there antimatter in the universe; what is the exact nature of
dark matter; and does strange matter exist. The experiment is
expected to remain active for the duration of the station's life.
For more information about AMS, visit:
http://ams.nasa.gov
For more information about the STS-134 mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_
For more information about the space station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
Source: NASA
