I'm on Board for Orion's Exploration Flight Test

My name is on board Orion's first exploration flight test (EFT-1) scheduled for launch from Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 4. If you missed the Oct. 31 deadline (or didn't even know about this chance) to send your name into space, you can still submit your e-mail to NASA to be notified about future opportunities.

If you aren't sure what Orion is or why this test flight is important, check out this article about the "Five Things We'll Learn From Orion's First Test Flight."

I won't be in Florida to see the launch of EFT-1, but I was selected to attend a NASA Social on Dec. 3-4 at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. It will be my first time visiting this facility, and I'm excited for all the activities planned for the days that I'll be there.

Here's the two-day agenda:

Marshall Space Flight Center NASA Social for Orion’s First Flight Test

December 3 - U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Davidson Center for Space Exploration  

8:15 AM Board Bus to Marshall Space Flight Center

Redstone Rocket Test Stand (I'm second from the right)

8:30 AM Arrive at Gate 9 Redstone Arsenal  

8:45 AM Marshall Contributions to Orion’s First Flight Overview
Tour of the facility where the spacecraft adapter to mate Orion to the Delta IV and that will also be used to mate Orion to the Space Launch System was designed and built  

9:15 AM Advanced Manufacturing & 3D Printing
Learn about the Marshall Center’s contributions to the 1st 3D printer recently installed on the International Space Station  UPDATE: Check out this video I took of the 3D printer in action! 
https://www.facebook.com/julie.tuttle/videos/vb.56202830/867001630183/?type=3

9:50 AM BOARD BUS 

10 AM Propulsion Research & Development Laboratory.
Visit the Space Launch System Avionics and Software Lab where the SLS core stage avionics system is being developed and tested  

10:30 AM Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environment Simulator & iSAT tour
Learn about research the Marshall Center is doing on nuclear propulsion and with iSAT 

11 AM LUNCH 

11:30 AM BOARD BUS  

11:45 AM Arrive at TV studio  

12 PM – 2 PM Live KSC NASA Social/NASA TV Interactive Broadcast
This will be a live broadcast between Kennedy Space Center and all the NASA centers participating in the Orion NASA Social. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions from the panel of experts being broadcast live from KSC.  

2:15 PM BOARD BUS  

2:30 PM ISS Payload Operations & Integration Center & Laboratory Training
Complex. See where technicians, engineers, and scientists work around the clock
supporting the experiments onboard the International Space Station.  

3:30 PM BOARD BUS 

3:45 PM SLS Scale Model Acoustic Testing Demonstration at East Test Stand
Scale model acoustic testing is done on a scaled model of the Space Launch System to see how much water will be needed to dilute the massive sounds made by the rocket. You will get to see the model that is being used for the testing and also speak with experts who describe the process.  

4:45 PM BOARD BUS  

5 PM Arrive at USSRC  

December 4 - U.S. Space & Rocket Center

5:30 AM Arrive at USSRC Davidson Center

6 AM Live Broadcast of EFT-1 Launch 

7 AM – 10 AM USSRC activities – Orion simulation, MAT, etc. 

10 AM Live broadcast of splashdown  

I'll be posting on Twitter during my adventures at Marshall Space Flight Center. Also, check out my husband, Scott on Twitter. He was also invited to a NASA Social, but he's going to the one at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.