George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
george.h.diller@nasa.gov
Steve Cole
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0918
stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov
Alan Buis
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-0474
alan.d.buis@jpl.nasa.gov
MEDIA ADVISORY: M21-11
AQUARIUS/SAC-D SATELLITE READY FOR LAUNCH JUNE 9
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The launch of the Aquarius/SAC-D
observatory aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket is
scheduled for Thursday, June 9. Liftoff from NASA's Space Launch
Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), Calif., is targeted
during a five-minute launch window that opens at 7:20 a.m. PDT (10:20
a.m. EDT). The spacecraft's final circular polar orbit will be 408
miles (657 kilometers) at an inclination of 98 degrees.
Aquarius is the NASA-built primary instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft.
The observatory was built by Argentina's space agency CONAE. Aquarius
will map global changes in salinity -- the concentration of dissolved
salt -- at the ocean surface. Salinity is a key measurement for
understanding how changes in rainfall, evaporation, and the melting
or freezing of ice influence ocean circulation and are linked to
variations in Earth's climate. The three-year mission will provide
new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to
these fundamental climate processes.
ACCREDITATION
News media desiring accreditation for the prelaunch and launch
activities of Aquarius/SAC-D should fax their requests on news
organization letterhead to:
Jeremy Eggers
30th Space Wing Public Affairs Office
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
Telephone: 805-606-3595
FAX: 805-606-4571
E-mail: jeremy.eggers@vandenberg.af.mil
Information required for U.S. media is full legal name, date of birth
and media affiliation. A legal photo identification will be required
upon arrival at Vandenberg.
PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE
Tuesday, June 7: The prelaunch news conference will be held from 1 to
2:30 p.m. PDT (4 to 5:30 p.m. EDT) in the second floor conference
room of the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office, Building 840, at
Vandenberg Air Force Base. The briefing will be carried live on NASA
Television with question-and-answer capability available from other
NASA field centers.
Media desiring to cover the event should meet at the south gate of
VAFB on California State Road 246 at 12:30 p.m. to be escorted by
30th Space Wing Public Affairs to the news conference.
Participants in the prelaunch news conference will be:
Eric Ianson, Aquarius program executive
NASA Headquarters
Omar Baez, NASA launch director
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Vernon Thorp, program manager, NASA missions
United Launch Alliance, Denver, Colo.
Amit Sen, Aquarius project manager
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Capt. Shawn Hannah, launch weather officer, 30th Weather Squadron
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
AQUARIUS/SAC-D MISSION SCIENCE BRIEFING
Immediately following the prelaunch news conference will be an
Aquarius Mission Science Briefing. Presenting the mission science
objectives will be:
Gary Lagerloef, Aquarius principal investigator
Earth & Space Research, Seattle
Yi Chao, Aquarius project scientist
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
REMOTE CAMERAS
Wednesday, June 8: Media desiring to establish sound-activated remote
cameras at the launch pad should meet at the pass and identification
building located at the Vandenberg main gate on California State Road
1 at 8:30 a.m. to be escorted to the launch pad.
NEWS MEDIA LAUNCH PAD PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Wednesday, June 8: There will be an opportunity for the media to see
and photograph the Delta II with Aquarius/SAC-D at the launch pad and
speak with representatives of CONAE and the government of Argentina.
This is planned to occur at approximately the time the mobile service
tower is to be pulled away from the rocket. Media will depart for the
pad at 9:30 p.m. from the pass and identification building at the
Vandenberg main gate on California State Road 1. Those wishing to
attend should confirm their participation with Jeremy Eggers, 30th
Space Wing Public Affairs office at 805-606-3595.
LAUNCH DAY MEDIA COVERAGE
Thursday, June 9: Media covering the Aquarius/SAC-D launch should meet
at 6 a.m. at the Vandenberg main gate located on California State
Road 1 to be escorted to the press viewing site. Press credentials
and identification from a bona fide news organization will be
required for access. A driver's license alone will not be sufficient.
After launch, media will be escorted back to the main gate. Media
interested in speaking with CONAE representatives, officials from the
government of Argentina and mission officials will be escorted to
NASA Building 840 on south Vandenberg for an informal interview
opportunity following a successful launch. This event will begin at
9:30 a.m. PDT. It will not be carried on NASA Television.
NASA TELEVISION COVERAGE
NASA Television will carry the prelaunch news conference and mission
science briefing starting at 1 p.m. PDT (4 p.m. EDT) on Tuesday, June
7. The prelaunch news conference also will be webcast at:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv On launch day, June 9, NASA TV commentary coverage of the countdown
will begin at 5:30 a.m. PDT (8:30 a.m. EDT). Liftoff is targeted for
7:20:13 a.m. PDT (10:20:13 a.m. EDT). Spacecraft separation from the
Delta II occurs 56 minutes, 42 seconds after launch.
For information on receiving NASA TV, go to:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/digital.html VOICE CIRCUIT COVERAGE
To monitor audio of the prelaunch news conference and the launch
coverage, dial the NASA "V" circuits, which may be accessed directly
at 321-867-1220....-1240....-1260. This audito is monitor only.
"Mission Audio" of countdown activities without NASA launch
commentary will be carried on 321-867-7135 beginning at 5 a.m. PDT (8
a.m. EDT).
WEB COVERAGE
Launch coverage of the Delta II Aquarius/SAC-D countdown activities
will be available on the NASA website by going to the home page at:
http://www.nasa.gov Live countdown coverage on NASA's launch blog begins at 5:30 a.m. PDT
(8:30 a.m. EDT). Coverage features real-time updates of countdown
milestones, as well as streaming video clips highlighting launch
preparations and liftoff.
To access these features, go to NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D mission website
at:
http://www.nasa.gov/aquarius NASA AQUARIUS/SAC-D AND DELTA II NEWS CENTER
The Aquarius/SAC-D News Center at the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office
will be staffed beginning June 1. To speak with a NASA communications
specialist, call 805-605-3051. A recorded launch status report also
will be available starting on June 6 by dialing 805-734-2693.
The Aquarius/SAC-D mission is a collaboration between NASA and
Argentina's space agency with participation by Brazil, Canada, France
and Italy. The Aquarius science instruments were jointly built by JPL
and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. JPL will manage Aquarius
through the mission's commissioning phase and archive mission data.
Goddard will manage the mission's operations phase and process
Aquarius science data. NASA's Launch Services Program at the agency's
Kennedy Space Center in Florida provides launch management. United
Launch Alliance of Denver, Colo., is NASA's launch service provider
of the Delta II 7320.
