01.12.06 Bruce Buckingham Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Phone: (321) 867-2468 RELEASE: 06-06 NEW HORIZONS PRELAUNCH WEBCAST, LAUNCH COVERAGE SET NASA Direct, Kennedy Space Center's Internet broadcasting network, is featuring a prelaunch webcast of the New Horizons mission. Launch is set for 1:24 p.m. EST Tuesday, Jan. 17 aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Online launch and mission coverage can be viewed through the NASA Web portal at: http://www.nasa.gov/newhorizons Web coverage begins with a prelaunch webcast offering an overview of the New Horizons mission at 3:30 p.m. EST Sunday, Jan. 15. The program includes informative interviews with NASA's launch manager, as well as scientists and engineers from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland and the University of Colorado. Experts also will take part in a question-and-answer session discussing the goals of the missions, as well as science and technology involved in New Horizons. On launch day, live coverage from the Virtual Launch Control Center starts at 11 a.m. EST Jan. 17, offering continuous updates throughout the launch countdown. New Horizons Prelaunch Webcast Participants * Kennedy Space Center Director Jim Kennedy opens the webcast with an introduction to the New Horizons mission. * Launch Weather Officer Joel Tumbiolo offers a forecast for the latest weather conditions on launch day. * Omar Baez, NASA launch manager, shares details about the Atlas V rocket preparations and provides a launch countdown overview. * New Horizons Mission Project Manager Glen Fountain describes the challenges of designing and developing the New Horizons spacecraft. * Fran Bagenal, co-investigator, discusses the science of the New Horizons mission and the importance of knowing more about Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. * Mission Systems Engineer David Kusnierkiewicz answers questions about the New Horizons spacecraft and describes its payload of specially designed science instruments. * Project Scientist Hal Weaver answers questions regarding the science and technical aspects of the New Horizons mission. * Tiffany Nail, KSC's launch services specialist, hosts the program. New Horizons Web Coverage Schedule (All times are subject to change) Webcast: Sunday, Jan. 15, at 3:30 p.m. EST NASA Direct webcast from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station: "Mission, Spacecraft, Science and Technology Webcast" at: http://www.nasa.gov/nasadirect The NASA Direct question board closes at 11 a.m. EST Friday, Jan. 13. Program guests will answer selected questions submitted by the public. The questions can be viewed online at: http://webcast.ksc.nasa.gov/vidapp/?event=56 Launch Day Coverage: Tuesday, Jan. 17, starting at 11 a.m. EST Live countdown coverage from the Virtual Launch Control Center can be found at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/launch/vlcc.html Coverage features real-time updates as countdown milestones occur, as well as streaming video clips highlighting launch preparations and liftoff. For more information about the New Horizons online events, contact Dennis Armstrong at 321/867-4493. -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
