LDCM Satellite Ready for Launch

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

 



Jan. 25, 2013

George Diller 
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
george.h.diller@nasa.gov

Steve Cole
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0918
stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov

Rani Gran
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
240-684-0821
rani.c.gran@nasa.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: M04-13

LDCM SATELLITE READY FOR LAUNCH

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The launch of NASA's Landsat Data 
Continuity Mission, or LDCM satellite, aboard a United Launch 
Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 11.

Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base 
(VAFB), Calif., is targeted to occur at the opening of a 48-minute 
launch window that extends from 10:02 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. PST (1:02 to 
1:50 p.m. EST). The spacecraft's final circular polar orbit will be 
438 miles (705 kilometers) at an inclination of 98.2 degrees.

LDCM is a joint NASA and U.S. Geological Survey mission. It is the 
eighth satellite in the Landsat series, which began in 1972, and will 
add to the longest continuous data record of Earth's surface as 
viewed from space. The mission will extend the history of global land 
observations that are critical in many areas, such as energy and 
water management, forest monitoring, human and environmental health, 
urban planning, disaster recovery and agriculture.

ACCREDITATION

News media desiring accreditation for the prelaunch and launch 
activities of LDCM should fax their requests on news organization 
letterhead to:

2nd Lt. Kaylee Ausbun
30th Space Wing Public Affairs Office
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

Telephone: 805-606-3595
FAX: 805-606-4571
E-mail: kaylee.ausbun@us.af.mil

Information required for U.S. media is full legal name, date of birth 
and media affiliation. A legal photo identification will be required 
upon arrival at Vandenberg.

PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE

Friday, Feb. 8: The prelaunch news conference and mission science 
briefing will be held from noon to 2 p.m. PST (3 to 5 p.m. EST) in 
the second floor conference room of the NASA Vandenberg Resident 
Office, Building 840, at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The briefing will 
be carried live on NASA Television with question-and-answer 
capability available from other NASA field centers. Media can also 
post questions via Twitter by using the hashtag #askNASA during the 
briefings.

Media desiring to cover the event should meet at the south gate of 
VAFB on California State Road 246 at 11:30 a.m. to be escorted by 
30th Space Wing Public Affairs to the news conference.

Participants in the prelaunch news conference will be:

David Jarrett, LDCM program executive
NASA Headquarters

Omar Baez, NASA launch director
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

Vernon Thorp, program manager, NASA missions
United Launch Alliance, Denver, Colo.

Ken Schwer, LDCM project manager
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

1st Lt. Jennifer Kelley, launch weather officer, 30th Operations 
Support Squadron
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

LDCM MISSION SCIENCE BRIEFING

Immediately following the prelaunch news conference will be an LDCM 
Mission Science Briefing. Presenting the mission science objectives 
will be:

Dr. Jim Irons, LDCM project scientist
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Dr. Thomas Loveland, senior scientist; co-chair, Landsat Science Team
U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science
(EROS) Center, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Dr. Mike Wulder, senior research scientist, Landsat Science Team
Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Kass Green, Landsat scientist
President, Kass Green and Associates

REMOTE CAMERAS

Sunday, Feb. 10: Media desiring to establish sound-activated remote 
cameras at the launch pad should meet at the pass and identification 
building at the Vandenberg south gate on California State Road 246 
and Arguello Boulevard at 9:30 a.m. to be escorted to Space Launch 
Complex 3.

NEWS MEDIA LAUNCH PAD PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

Sunday, Feb. 10: There will be an opportunity for the media to see and 
photograph the Atlas V with LDCM within the gantry at the launch pad. 
Media should be at the pass and identification building at the 
Vandenberg main gate on California State Road 1 at 1:15 p.m. Those 
wishing to attend should confirm their participation with 2nd Lt. 
Kaylee Ausbun in the 30th Space Wing Public Affairs office at 
805-606-3595.

LAUNCH DAY MEDIA COVERAGE

Monday, Feb. 11: Media covering the LDCM launch aboard the Atlas V 
rocket should meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Vandenberg main gate on 
California State Road 1 to be escorted to the press viewing site. 
Press credentials and identification from a bona fide news 
organization will be required for access. A driver's license alone 
will not be sufficient.

After launch, media will be escorted back to the main gate. Media 
interested in participating in a post-launch news conference with 
spacecraft officials discussing the LDCM observatory satellite's 
state of health will be escorted to NASA Building 840 on south 
Vandenberg. This event will begin at noon PST (3 p.m. EST) and will 
be carried live on NASA Television.

NASA TELEVISION COVERAGE

NASA Television will carry the prelaunch news conference and mission 
science briefing starting at noon PST (3 p.m. EST) on Friday, Feb. 8. 
The prelaunch news conference also will be webcast at:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv 

On launch day, Feb. 11, NASA TV launch commentary coverage of the 
countdown will begin at 7:15 a.m. PST (10:15 a.m. EST). Liftoff is 
targeted for 10:02 a.m. PST (1:02 p.m. EST). Spacecraft separation 
from the Atlas V occurs 1 hour, 17 minutes, 58 seconds after launch.

For information on receiving NASA TV, go to:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/digital.html

HD Broadcast video of LDCM spacecraft and videos are available for 
download at http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Landsat.html.

VOICE CIRCUIT COVERAGE

Audio only of the press conference and the launch coverage will be 
carried on the NASA "V" circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 
321-867-1220 or -1240 or -1260 or -7135. On launch day, "mission 
audio," the launch conductor's countdown activities without NASA TV 
launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135 starting at 6:30 
a.m. PST (9:30 a.m. EST). Launch also will be available on local 
amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz heard within Brevard County.

NASA WEB PRELAUNCH AND LAUNCH COVERAGE

Extensive prelaunch and launch day coverage of the liftoff of the LDCM 
spacecraft aboard the Atlas V rocket will be available on NASA's home 
page on the Internet at:

http://www.nasa.gov 

A prelaunch webcast for the LDCM mission will be streamed on NASA's 
website at noon on Sunday, Feb. 10. Live countdown coverage through 
NASA's Launch Blog begins at 7:15 a.m., Monday, Feb. 11. Coverage 
features live updates as countdown milestones occur, as well as 
streaming video clips highlighting launch preparations and liftoff. 
For questions about countdown coverage, contact Jeanne Ryba at 
321-867-7824.

To view the webcast and the blog or to learn more about the LDCM 
mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/landsat

SOCIAL MEDIA

Join the conversation and follow the LDCM mission online by using 
hashtag #Landsat on Twitter and Facebook at:

https://twitter.com/NASA_Landsat

https://www.facebook.com/NASA.Landsat

Throughout the launch countdown, the NASAKennedy Twitter and Facebook 
accounts will be continuously updated throughout the launch countdown 
at:

http://www.twitter.com/NASAKennedy

https://www.facebook.com/NASAKennedy

Launch coverage of the Atlas V/LDCM countdown activities will be 
available on the NASA website by going to the home page at:

http://www.nasa.gov 

Live countdown coverage on NASA's launch blog begins at 7:15 a.m. PST 
(10:15 a.m. EST). Coverage features real-time updates of countdown 
milestones, as well as streaming video clips highlighting launch 
preparations and liftoff.

A post-launch news conference will be held at noon PST (3 p.m. EST), 
or approximately two hours after launch.

To access these features, go to NASA's LDCM mission website at:

http://www.nasa.gov/landsat

NASA LDCM AND ATLAS V NEWS CENTER

The LDCM and Atlas V News Center at the NASA Vandenberg Resident 
Office will open Feb. 6. To speak with a NASA communications 
specialist beginning at that time, call 805-605-3051. A recorded 
launch status report also will be available by dialing 805-734-2693.

The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., is responsible 
for the project management of LDCM. Orbital Sciences Corp. built the 
LDCM satellite. NASA's Launch Services Program at the agency's 
Kennedy Space Center in Florida provides launch management. United 
Launch Alliance of Denver, Colo., is NASA's launch service provider 
of the Atlas V 401 rocket. After launch and the initial checkout 
phase, the U. S. Geological Survey will take operational control of 
the satellite, and LDCM will be renamed Landsat 8. 

	
-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


[Index of Archives]     [KSC Site]     [NASA News]     [NASA Science News]     [JPL]     [Marshall Space Flight Center]     [NTSB]     [Yosemite News]     [Tuolumne Meadows Campground]     [STB]     [Deep Creek Forum]     [Cassini Status Reports]     [Telescopes]

  Powered by Linux