24 Feb 2017-------------M17-023

NASA will discuss plans for an ongoing study to assess the feasibility of adding a crew to Exploration Mission-1, the first integrated flight of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, during a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EST today, Friday, Feb. 24. The call will stream live on NASA’s website.

The teleconference participants are:
• William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator of NASA’s Human Explorations and Operations Mission Directorate in Washington
• William Hill, deputy associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development in Washington

To participate in the teleconference, media should email their name and affiliation to Cheryl Warner at cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov or call 202-358-1100 by noon.
Last week, NASA’s acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot asked Gerstenmaier to initiate the study, and the assessment began on Feb. 17. It is expected to be completed in early spring.

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NASA’s Space Launch System rocket will be the most powerful rocket in the world and, with the agency’s Orion spacecraft, will launch America into a new era of exploration to destinations beyond Earth’s orbit. Their first integrated mission is planned as uncrewed, but NASA now is assessing the feasibility of adding crew.