[FPSPACE] FW: OSTM/Jason 2 Satellite Ready For June 20 Launch From California

[LARRY KLAES]

>From: KSC News Center <ksc at newsletters.nasa.gov>
>To: KSC News Center <ksc at newsletters.nasa.gov>
>Subject: OSTM/Jason 2 Satellite Ready For June 20 Launch From California
>Date: Wed Jun 11 14:45:01 EDT 2008
>
>June 11, 2008
>
>George Diller
>Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
>321-867-2468
>george.h.diller at nasa.gov
>
>Steve Cole
>Headquarters, Washington
>202-358-0918
>scole at hq.nasa.gov
>
>Alan Buis
>Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
>818-354-0474
>alan.d.buis at jpl.nasa.gov
>
>MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-116
>
>OSTM/JASON 2 SATELLITE READY FOR JUNE 20 LAUNCH FROM CALIFORNIA
>
>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The launch of the Ocean Surface Topography
>Mission, or OSTM/Jason 2, aboard a Delta II rocket is scheduled for
>Friday, June 20, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The
>launch window extends from 12:46 a.m. to 12:55 a.m. PDT. The
>satellite will be placed in an 830-mile-high orbit at an inclination
>of 66 degrees after separating from the Delta II 55 minutes after
>liftoff.
>
>The five primary science instruments of the Ocean Surface Topography
>Mission aboard the Jason 2 spacecraft are dedicated to measuring
>ocean surface height. These measurements will be used to evaluate and
>forecast climate changes and improve weather forecasting. The results
>also are expected to help forecasters better predict hurricane
>intensity.
>
>The mission is an international collaboration between NASA, the
>National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the French
>space agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), and the
>European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological
>Satellites (EUMETSAT). NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,
>Calif., manages the mission for NASA. NASA's Kennedy Space Center's
>Launch Services Program is responsible for the agency's launch
>management of the Delta II rocket.
>
>ACCREDITATION
>Journalists seeking accreditation for the launch should fax their
>request on news organization letterhead to: 2nd Lt. Raymond Geoffroy,
>30th Space Wing Public Affairs Office, Vandenberg Air Force Base, at
>805/606-8303 or by e-mail to raymond.geoffroy at vandenberg.af.mil. The
>Vandenberg public affairs office can be reached by phone at
>805-606-3595.
>
>PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE
>A prelaunch news conference will be held at 1 p.m. PDT, Wednesday,
>June 18, in the main conference room of Building 12000 on North
>Vandenberg Air Force Base. Participants will be:
>- Steve Neeck, OSTM/Jason 2 program executive, NASA Headquarters,
>Washington
>- Omar Baez, NASA launch director, Kennedy Space Center
>- Kris Walsh, director of NASA and commercial programs, United Launch
>Alliance
>- Parag Vaze, OSTM/Jason 2 project manager, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
>- Gary Davis, deputy launch weather officer, 30th Weather Squadron
>
>MISSION SCIENCE BRIEFING
>Immediately following the prelaunch news conference, an OSTM/Jason 2
>mission science briefing will be held. Participants will be:
>- Eric Lindstrom, OSTM/Jason 2 program scientist, NASA Headquarters
>- Lee-Lueng Fu, OSTM/Jason 2 project scientist, Jet Propulsion
>Laboratory
>- Laury Miller, chief scientist, NOAA Laboratory for Satellite
>Altimetry
>- Mikael Rattenborg, director of operations, EUMETSAT, Darmstadt,
>Germany
>
>Media not attending the press conference may fax questions to be
>considered for inclusion in the briefing to 805-606-8303. Questions
>must be received prior to the start of the 1 p.m. PDT briefings.
>
>Media desiring to attend the prelaunch news conference and mission
>science briefing should meet at the main gate of Vandenberg on
>California S.R. 1 at 12:30 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, June 18, to be
>escorted by 30th Space Wing public affairs representatives to the
>press conference.
>
>REMOTE CAMERAS
>Media wanting to place sound-activated remote cameras at the launch
>pad should meet at noon, June 19, at the pass and identification
>building, located at the main gate of Vandenberg Air Force Base on
>California S.R. 1.
>
>TOWER ROLLBACK PHOTO OPPORTUNITY AT NASA SPACE LAUNCH COMPLEX-2
>On June 19, there will be an opportunity to photograph rollback of the
>mobile service tower from around the Delta II launch vehicle at
>NASA's Space Launch Complex-2. Media will depart by Air Force van
>from the Vandenberg main gate on California S.R. 1 at 2 p.m. PDT.
>Television vans, or those media with a large amount of equipment,
>will be allowed direct escorted access. Press credentials and
>identification from a bona fide news organization will be required
>for access. A driver's license alone is not sufficient.
>
>NEWS COVERAGE OF LAUNCH
>Reporters attending the launch should meet at 11:30 p.m. PDT, June 19,
>at the Vandenberg main gate to be escorted to the press viewing on
>north Vandenberg. After launch, reporters will be escorted back to
>the gate. A post-launch news conference will not be held. However,
>reporters interested in speaking with launch officials will be
>escorted to the NASA Mission Director's Center for an interview
>opportunity after spacecraft separation from the Delta II and solar
>array deployment have occurred, approximately 55 minutes after
>liftoff.
>
>NASA TELEVISION AND VOICE CIRCUIT COVERAGE
>NASA Television will carry the prelaunch news conference and mission
>science briefing starting at 1 p.m. PDT, June 18. NASA TV coverage of
>launch countdown will begin at 10:45 p.m. PDT, June 19, and conclude
>after the spacecraft separates from the rocket and the solar arrays
>are deployed. Coverage will be webcast at:
>
>http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
>
>TV coverage of the OSTM/Jason 2 launch also will be available on
>satellite AMC-6, transponder 12.
>
>Audio of the prelaunch news conference and launch coverage may be
>accessed directly at 321/867-1220, 1240 or 1260. Launch mission audio
>of countdown activities without NASA launch commentary will be
>carried on 321-867-7135, beginning at 9:45 p.m. PDT.
>
>WEB COVERAGE
>Extensive prelaunch and launch day coverage of the OSTM/Jason 2
>mission will be available on the NASA Web site at:
>
>http://www.nasa.gov
>
>A prelaunch webcast is set for June 19 at 9 a.m. PDT. The webcast will
>give visitors a close-up look at the mission, including how the
>countdown will unfold, what goes into a launch and why the spacecraft
>will be sent into orbit from California. Launch and mission experts
>will talk about the mission and what similar spacecraft have told us
>about Earth's oceans.
>
>On June 19, live countdown coverage on NASA's launch blog begins at
>10:45 p.m. PDT. Coverage features real-time updates of countdown
>milestones, as well as streaming video clips highlighting launch
>preparations and liftoff.
>
>To access these interactive features, go to NASA's OSTM/Jason 2
>mission Web site at:
>
>http://www.nasa.gov/ostm
>
>OSTM/JASON 2 NEWS CENTER
>The OSTM/Jason 2 news center at NASA's Vandenberg Resident Office will
>be staffed beginning Monday, June 16, and may be contacted at
>805-605-3051. A recorded status report will be available starting at
>that time by dialing 805-734-2693.
>
>
>-end-
>
>
>
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