05.04.05 Bruce Buckingham Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321/867-2468 RELEASE: 36-05 NOAA-N PRELAUNCH WEBCAST, LAUNCH COVERAGE SET FOR MAY 9-11 NASA Direct, NASA Kennedy Space Center's Web broadcast network, is featuring a prelaunch webcast and launch day coverage of NASA's NOAA-N mission. The launch is set for Wednesday, May 11, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., with a launch opportunity from 6:21 to 6:31 a.m. EDT. All coverage can be viewed through the NASA portal Web site at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/main/index.html. Web coverage of the mission begins with a prelaunch webcast overview of NOAA-N's Earth-observing technologies at 7 p.m. EDT Monday, May 9. The webcast includes informative interviews and question-and-answer sessions with NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) experts about the spacecraft, science of the mission and what they hope to learn from NOAA-N's observations. Live launch coverage begins at 4 a.m. EDT May 11. NASA updates its Virtual Launch Control Center throughout launch countdown coverage. NOAA-N Prelaunch Webcast Participants Tiffany Nail, Kennedy Space Center's Launch Services support specialist, hosts the program focusing on NOAA-N's mission, science and technology. Kennedy Space Center Director Jim Kennedy opens the program with an introduction to the NOAA-N mission. Karen Halterman, NASA's POES project manager will discuss the NASA/NOAA partnership and important features of the NOAA-N satellite. U. S. Air Force Capt. Paul Lucyk, launch weather officer, gives a forecast of the latest weather conditions for launch day. Omar Baez, NASA launch manager, describes the preparation of the Delta II rocket and provides a launch countdown overview. Steve Pszcolka, NOAA-N's observatory manager and Bill Mazur, POES satellite acquisition manager for NOAA, will answer questions about the mission submitted to the NASA Direct question board by space enthusiasts. NOAA-N Web Coverage Schedule (All times are subject to change) Monday, May 9 at 7 p.m. EDT NASA Direct webcast from Vandenberg AFB: "Mission, Spacecraft, Science and Technology Webcast" at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/launch/event-NOAA-N.html. The NASA Direct Question Board closes at 11 a.m. May 6. Program guests will answer questions submitted by the public. The questions can be viewed online at NOAA-N: Mission, Science and Technology: http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/nasadirect.html. Launch Day (Wednesday, May 11) beginning at 4 a.m. EDT Live countdown coverage from the Virtual Launch Control Center, located at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/launch/vlcc.html. 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 NOAA-N Web site at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/main/index.html. For more information about the NOAA-N Web events, contact Dennis Armstrong at 321/867-2468. -end- To subscribe to the list, send a message to: ksc-subscribe@newsletters.nasa.gov To remove your address from the list, send a message to: ksc-unsubscribe@newsletters.nasa.gov
