[FPSPACE] FW: NASA's Kepler Telescope To Launch Aboard Delta II Rocket

[LARRY KLAES]

> From: ksc at newsletters.nasa.gov
> To: ksc at newsletters.nasa.gov
> Date: 
> Subject: NASA's Kepler Telescope To Launch Aboard Delta II Rocket
> 
> Feb. 26, 2009
> 
> George H. Diller
> Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 
> 321-867-2468
> george.h.diller at nasa.gov 
> 
> J.D. Harrington 
> Headquarters, Washington
> 202-358-5241
> j.d.harrington at nasa.gov
> 
> Michael Mewhinney
> Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. 
> 650-604-3937
> michael.s.mewhinney at nasa.gov
> 
> Whitney Clavin
> Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena. Calif. 
> 818-354-4673
> whitney.clavin at jpl.nasa.gov
> 
> MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-032
> 
> NASA'S KEPLER TELESCOPE TO LAUNCH ABOARD DELTA II ROCKET
> 
> CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Launch of NASA's Kepler telescope is targeted 
> for no earlier than Friday, March 6, from Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral 
> Air Force Station in Florida. There are two launch windows, from 
> 10:49 - 10:52 p.m. and 11:13 - 11:16 p.m. EST.
> 
> Kepler is a spaceborne telescope designed to search the nearby region 
> of our galaxy for Earth-size planets orbiting in the habitable zone 
> of stars like our sun. The habitable zone is the region around a star 
> where temperatures permit water to be liquid on a planet's surface.
> 
> Liquid water is considered essential for the existence of life as we 
> know it. The vast majority of the approximately 300 planets known to 
> orbit other stars are much larger than Earth, and none is believed to 
> be habitable. The challenge for Kepler is to look at a large number 
> of stars in order to statistically estimate the total number of 
> Earth-size planets orbiting sun-like stars in the habitable zone. 
> Kepler will survey more than 100,000 stars in our galaxy.
> 
> Engineers are reviewing all common hardware between the Delta II 
> rocket carrying the Kepler telescope and the Taurus XL launch 
> vehicle. On Tuesday, a Taurus carrying NASA's Orbiting Carbon 
> Observatory failed to reach orbit. Managers want to confirm there 
> will not be similar issues with Kepler's Delta II.
> 
> Kepler's original March 5 target launch date was moved one day later 
> to accommodate the additional time for analysis. The March 6 target 
> date still must be confirmed by the U.S Air Force, which manages the 
> eastern launch range. Kepler's Flight Readiness Review is on Monday, 
> March 2.
> 
> NASA's Launch Services Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., 
> is responsible for the launch of Kepler aboard a Delta II 7925-10L 
> rocket. United Launch Alliance is conducting the launch for NASA. 
> NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., is the home 
> organization of the principal science investigator and is responsible 
> for the ground system development, mission operations and science 
> data analysis. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., is 
> responsible for the spacecraft and the Kepler mission development. 
> Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation of Boulder, Colo., is 
> responsible for developing and building the Kepler spacecraft and 
> supporting mission operations.
> 
> Accreditation and Media Access Badges for Kennedy and CCAFS 
> 
> All news media, including those who are permanently badged at Kennedy, 
> must complete the accreditation process for the activities associated 
> with the Kepler launch. Accreditation requests for the Kepler launch 
> activities at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force 
> Station must be received by the close of business Tuesday, March 3. 
> The media accreditation process is done online: 
> 
> https://media.ksc.nasa.gov 
> 
> On Thursday, March 5, media without permanent credentials may obtain 
> NASA access badges at the Kennedy Space Center Badging Office between 
> 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. This facility is located on State Road 405 just 
> east of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Two forms of 
> government-issued identification are required, including at least one 
> with a picture. For further information about press accreditation, 
> contact Laurel Lichtenberger in the news media accreditation office 
> at 321-867-4036.
> 
> Prelaunch News Conference
> 
> Thursday, March 5: A prelaunch press conference will be held at the 
> Kennedy Space Center news center at 1 p.m. Participating in the 
> briefing will be:
> 
> - Ed Weiler, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, 
> NASA Headquarters
> - Omar Baez, NASA launch director/launch manager, Kennedy Space Center
> - Vernon Thorp, program manager, NASA Missions, United Launch Alliance
> - Jim Fanson, Kepler project manager, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
> - John Troeltzsch, Kepler program manager, Ball Aerospace Corporation
> - Joel Tumbiolo, U.S. Air Force Delta II launch weather officer, 45th 
> Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
> 
> Mission Science Briefing
> 
> Immediately following the prelaunch press conference, a Kepler mission 
> science briefing will be held. Participating in the briefing will be:
> 
> - Ed Weiler, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, 
> NASA Headquarters
> - Bill Borucki, science principal investigator, NASA Ames Research 
> Center
> - Natalie Batalha, co-investigator, San Jose State University
> - Gibor Basri, co-investigator, University of California at Berkeley
> 
> Tower Rollback Photo Opportunity and Remote Camera Placements 
> 
> Thursday, March 5: Photographers who wish to cover the rollback of the 
> mobile service tower from around the Delta II or to set up remote 
> cameras at Pad 17-B will be escorted by NASA and United Launch 
> Alliance representatives to the launch complex.
> 
> Departure by vehicle convoy will be at 11:30 a.m. from the Space 
> Florida parking lot located on Poseidon Avenue, adjacent to Gate 1 of 
> Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
> 
> Launch Day Press Site Access to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
> 
> Friday, March 6: Verification of pre-issued press credentials and 
> sign-in will begin at 9:30 p.m. at the Space Florida parking lot. 
> 
> Media covering the launch will be required to show their permanent 
> Kennedy credentials or temporary Kennedy machine badges before being 
> allowed to participate in the caravan traveling to the media viewing 
> site. Following the launch, media will be escorted via caravan back 
> to Gate 1. Those media requiring access to the Kennedy news center 
> after launch must proceed through Gate 2 on State Road 3. Media 
> requiring remote camera retrieval will remain at Press Site 1 until 
> escorted to the launch pad. Following camera retrieval, participating 
> media will be escorted back to Gate 1.
> 
> To reach the Space Florida parking lot, after passing the Pass and 
> Identification Building outside Gate 1 of Cape Canaveral Air Force 
> Station, turn right at the traffic light at the intersection of State 
> Road 401 and Poseidon Avenue. Make an immediate left turn at the 
> Navaho display.
> 
> Post-Launch Activities
> 
> No post-launch news conference is planned. A post-launch news release 
> will be issued once first contact has been made with Kepler and the 
> state of health of the spacecraft can be determined. This should 
> occur within one hour after spacecraft separation from the Delta II. 
> Official spokespersons also will be available at the Kennedy news 
> center for interviews then.
> 
> News Center Hours for Launch
> 
> The Kennedy news center will be open for Kepler news operations 
> beginning on Tuesday, March 3, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 
> continuing through launch day. Starting at that time, status reports 
> on the launch of Kepler and any updates to the media advisory will be 
> recorded on the Kennedy news media update phone line at 321-867-2525.
> 
> NASA Television Coverage 
> 
> NASA Televison coverage of the Kepler prelaunch press conference and 
> of the launch will be carried on the NASA TV Public Channel (Channel 
> 101).
> 
> NASA Television coverage of the Kepler prelaunch news conference and 
> mission science brfiefing at Kennedy will begin at 1 p.m. on 
> Thursday, March 5. Two-way question-and-answer capability will be 
> available from other participating NASA centers. On Friday, March 6, 
> NASA Television coverage of the launch will begin at 9 p.m. and 
> conclude after spacecraft separation from the Delta II rocket at 62 
> minutes after launch.
> 
> Audio of the prelaunch news conference will be carried on the NASA "V" 
> circuits. The briefings begin at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, and may 
> be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, -1260 or -7135.
> 
> On launch day, Friday, March 6, "Mission Audio" countdown activities 
> without NASA launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135 
> beginning at 8 p.m. Audio of the NASA launch commentary will begin at 
> 9 p.m. and will be available on 321-867-1220, -1240 or -1260. It will 
> also be available on amateur radio frequency 146.940 MHz (VHF), heard 
> within Brevard County. For information on receiving NASA Television, 
> go to: 
> 
> http://www.nasa.gov/ntv 
> 
> NASA Web Prelaunch and Launch Coverage
> 
> NASA's home on the Internet, http://www.nasa.gov, will provide 
> extensive prelaunch and launch day coverage of the Kepler mission.
> 
> Kepler's prelaunch webcast featuring Kepler's Deputy Principal 
> Investigator Dr. David Koch and Kennedy Mission Manager Armando 
> Piloto will be streamed on the Web and broadcast on NASA TV on 
> Thursday, March 5, at 11:30 a.m.
> 
> Live countdown coverage through NASA's launch blog begins at 9 p.m., 
> Friday, March 6. Coverage features real-time updates as countdown 
> milestones occur, as well as streaming video clips highlighting 
> launch preparations and liftoff. For questions, contact Jeanne Ryba 
> at 321-867-7824. 
> 
> To view the webcast, the blog or to learn more about the Kepler 
> mission, go to the mission's home page at:
> 
> http://www.nasa.gov/kepler 
> 
> 
> -end-
> 
> 
> 
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