SWIFT PRELAUNCH WEBCASTS and LAUNCH COVERAGE SET FOR NOV. 15-17

"KSC News Center" <KSCNewsCenter2@kscems.ksc.nasa.gov> · Fri, 12 Nov 2004 10:15:40 -0500

Title: Message

 NASA News  
National 
Aeronautics and
Space 
Administration

John F. Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space 
Center, Florida 32899
AC 321 867-2468
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For 
Release: Nov. 
12, 2004

Bruce 
Buckingham
Kennedy 
Space Center, 
Fla. 

(Phone: 
321/867-2468)

KSC 
Release No. 86-04

SWIFT PRELAUNCH WEBCASTS and LAUNCH COVERAGE SET FOR NOV. 
15-17 

NASA Direct, NASA KSC’s web broadcast network, is featuring two 
prelaunch webcasts and mission launch day coverage of NASA’s Swift spacecraft. 
The launch is set for Wednesday, Nov. 17, 12:09 p.m.  All coverage can be viewed through the 
NASA portal web site at www.nasa.gov/swift.

Web coverage 
of the Swift mission begins with a prelaunch webcast discussing Swift’s science 
elements Monday, Nov. 15, at 2:30 
p.m, EST. A 
second webcast discussing launch details is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 
4 
p.m., EST. (the 
4 
p.m. time is a 
change from the Note To Editors posted Nov. 8)  Each webcast includes informative 
interviews and question-and-answer sessions with NASA 
experts.

Live launch 
coverage begins one hour prior to 12:09 
p.m., EST, 
liftoff of Swift on Nov 17. NASA updates its 
Virtual 
Launch 
Control 
Center throughout 
launch countdown coverage. 

Swift 
Science webcast set for Nov. 15, 2:30 
p.m.

Rex Engelhardt, mission integration manager for KSC's Launch 
Services Program, hosts the program focusing on Swift’s science and technology. 

Tim Gehringer, Swift deputy project manager describes the Swift 
spacecraft and how its trio of specialized instruments are suited to hunt for 
gamma-ray bursts. 

John Nousek, 
mission director from Penn 
State 
University, provides 
an overview of the complex science and technology involved in the Swift 
mission.

Dr. Neil 
Gehrels, Swift's principal investigator for NASA's 
Goddard 
Space 
Flight 
Center, answering 
questions concerning the Swift spacecraft chasing gamma-ray 
bursts.

Swift 
prelaunch webcast set for Nov. 16, 4 
p.m.

Tiffany Nail, KSC Launch Services Support Specialist, hosts the 
program focusing on the Delta II launch of the Swift 
spacecraft.

NASA launch manager Omar Baez discusses the Delta II program and 
Space Launch Complex 17A preparation for launch

Chuck Dovale, NASA launch director, informs the audience on launch 
preparation and answers questions submitted by space enthusiasts from around the 
world.

SWIFT WEB COVERAGE SCHEDULE (all times are EST and 
subject to change)

Program 1 – 
Monday, November 15 at 2:30 p.m. 
EST
NASA Direct webcast: “SWIFT Science and Spacecraft 
Overview”
 http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/nasadirect/elv/Swift/event1.htm

Program 2 – 
Tuesday, November 16 at 4 p.m. 
EST
NASA Direct webcast: “SWIFT Launch Overview”
http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/nasadirect/elv/Swift/event2.htm

NASA Direct 
Question Board: Program 
guests will answer questions submitted on the board, which can be viewed 
online.
Swift 
Science and Spacecraft: http://webcast.ksc.nasa.gov/vidapp/?event=46
Swift 
Launch Operations: http://webcast.ksc.nasa.gov/vidapp/?event=47

Launch Day 
(Wednesday, Nov. 17) beginning at approx. 10:30 a.m. 
EST
Live countdown coverage from the Virtual 
Launch 
Control 
Center, located at 
http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/elvnew/swift/vlcc.htm. Coverage 
will feature real-time updates as milestones occur during the countdown, as well 
as streaming video clips of countdown events. All videos are provided in Real 
Video format.

For the latest 
information on this mission, go to NASA’s SWIFT Web site at http://www.nasa.gov/Swift.

For more 
information about the SWIFT Web events, contact Dennis Armstrong at 
321/867-2468.

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