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
Cynthia O'Carroll
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
240-684-0821
cynthia.m.ocarroll@nasa.gov
MEDIA ADVISORY: M38-11
NPP SATELLITE READY FOR LAUNCH OCT. 27
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The launch of the NPOESS
Preparatory Project (NPP) satellite aboard a United Launch Alliance
Delta II rocket is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 27. Liftoff from
NASA's Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB),
Calif., is targeted during a nine-minute, 10 second launch window
that opens at 2:48:01 a.m. PDT (5:48:01 a.m. EDT). The spacecraft's
final circular polar orbit will be 512 miles (824 kilometers) at an
inclination of 98 degrees.
NPP, a NASA Earth-observing satellite, represents a critical first
step in building the next-generation of U.S. polar-orbiting climate
and weather monitoring spacecraft. NPP is the bridge between NASA's
Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites and the forthcoming series of
Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) satellites. The mission will test
key technologies and instruments for the JPSS missions.
The second of NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellite, or ELaNa,
missions also will be launched on the Delta II. These auxiliary
payloads are small satellites called CubeSats. Each is designed and
created by university and college students. Five satellites will be
deployed on ELaNa-2.
ACCREDITATION
News media desiring accreditation for the prelaunch and launch
activities of NPP should fax their requests on news organization
letterhead to:
Austin Fallin
30th Space Wing Public Affairs Office
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
Telephone: 805-606-6159
FAX: 805-606-4571
austin.fallin@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, Oct. 25: The prelaunch news conference will be held from 1 to
3 p.m. PDT (4 to 6 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:
Andrew Carson, NPP program executive
NASA Headquarters
Tim Dunn, NASA launch director
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Vernon Thorp, program manager, NASA missions
United Launch Alliance, Denver, Colo.
Ken Schwer, NPP project manager
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Capt. Emili Weis, Launch Weather Officer, 30th Weather Squadron
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
NPP/ELaNa MISSION SCIENCE BRIEFINGS
Immediately following the prelaunch news conference will be an NPP
mission science briefing. Presenting the mission science objectives
will be:
Jim Gleason, NPP project scientist
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Mitch Goldberg, chief, Satellite Meteorology and Climatology
NOAA Satellite and Information Service, Silver Spring, Md.
Immediately following the NPP mission science briefing will be an
ELaNa CubeSat briefing. Participating will be:
Jason Crusan, ELaNa program executive
Chief technologist for Space Operations, NASA Headquarters
Garrett Skrobot, ELaNa mission manager
NASA Launch Services Program, Kennedy Space Center
REMOTE CAMERAS
Wednesday, Oct. 26: 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, Oct. 26: There will be an opportunity for the media to see
and photograph the Delta II with NPP at the launch pad. This is
planned to occur at approximately the time the mobile service tower
is to be pulled away from the rocket. Media should be at the pass and
identification building at the Vandenberg main gate on California
State Road 1 at 3:45 p.m. 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, Oct. 27: Media covering the NPP launch aboard the Delta II
rocket should meet at 2 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 participating in a post-launch news conference with NPP
spacecraft officials discussing the NPP spacecraft's state of health
will be escorted to NASA Building 840 on south Vandenberg. This event
will begin at 5:30 a.m. PDT (8:30 a.m. EDT) and will be carried live
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, Oct.
25. The prelaunch news conference also will be webcast at:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv On launch day, Oct. 27, NASA TV commentary coverage of the countdown
will begin at 12:01 a.m. PDT (3:01 a.m. EDT). Liftoff is targeted for
2:48:01 a.m. PDT (5:48:01 a.m. EDT). Spacecraft separation from the
Delta II occurs 58 minutes, 45 seconds after launch.
For information on receiving NASA TV, go to:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/digital.htmlVOICE 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 12:01 a.m.
PDT (3:01 a.m. EDT).
WEB COVERAGE
Launch coverage of the Delta II NPP 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 12:01 a.m. PDT
(3:01 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 NPP mission website at:
http://www.nasa.gov/nppNASA NPP AND DELTA II NEWS CENTER
The NPP and Delta II News Center at the NASA Vandenberg Resident
Office will be staffed beginning Oct. 18. To speak with a NASA
communications specialist, call 805-605-3051. A recorded launch
status report also will be available starting Oct. 20 by dialing
805-734-2693.
The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., is responsible
for the project management of NPP. Ball Aerospace and Technologies
Corp. of Boulder, Colo., built the NPP satellite. 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 7920.
