NASA TV to Air Landsat 9 Launch, Prelaunch Activities

NASA News Releases <hqnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Mon, 20 Sep 2021 17:40:46 +0000

September 20, 2021 
MEDIA ADVISORY M21-116
NASA TV to Air Landsat 9 Launch, Prelaunch Activities

NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the Landsat 9 satellite, a joint NASA and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) mission that will continue the legacy of monitoring Earth’s land and coastal regions that began with the first Landsat satellite in 1972.

Landsat 9 is scheduled to launch at 2:11 p.m. EDT (11:11 a.m. PDT) Monday, Sept. 27, on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Live launch coverage will begin at 1:30 p.m. EDT (10:30 a.m. PDT), on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website, with prelaunch and science briefings beginning Friday, Sept. 24.

Landsat 9 will join its sister satellite, Landsat 8, in orbit in collecting images from across the planet every eight days. This calibrated data will continue the Landsat program’s critical role in monitoring the health of Earth and helping people manage essential resources, including crops, irrigation water, and forests.

Images from Landsat 9 will be added to nearly 50 years of free and publicly available data from the mission – the longest data record of Earth’s landscapes taken from space. Landsat’s medium-resolution imaging capabilities allows researchers to harmonize the images to detect the footprint of human activities and their impact on our home planet over the decades.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, all media participation in news conferences will be remote. A phone bridge will be provided for each briefing.

Full mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern):

Friday, Sept. 24

1 p.m. – Landsat 9 Science Briefing, with the following participants:

Jeff Masek, Landsat 9 project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
	Chris Crawford, Landsat 9 project scientist at USGS
	Inbal Becker-Reshef, director of NASA’s Harvest food security and agriculture program
	Del Jenstrom, Landsat 9 project manager at Goddard
	Brian Sauer, Landsat 9 project manager at USGS
	Sabrina Chapman, manager, system engineering, Northrop Grumman Space Systems
	Sarah Lipscy, OLI-2 senior engineer, Ball Aerospace & Technologies

This event is open to all with valid media credentials. Media who would like to ask questions during the science briefing must provide their name and affiliation by 4 p.m. EDT (1 p.m. PDT) Thursday, Sept. 23, to the Kennedy newsroom at: ksc-newsroom@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. Media may also ask questions via social media using #Landsat.

Saturday, Sept. 25

4 p.m. – Landsat 9 Prelaunch News Conference, with the following participants:

Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate
	Karen St. Germain, director, NASA’s Earth Science Division
	Tanya Trujillo, assistant secretary for water and science, U.S. Department of the Interior
	Michael Egan, Landsat program executive, NASA’s Earth Science Division
	Tim Dunn, launch director, NASA’s Launch Services Program
	Scott Messer, United Launch Alliance Program Manager, NASA Launch Services
	Capt. Addison Nichols, weather officer, Space Launch Delta 30

This event is open to all with valid media credentials. Media who would like to ask questions during the prelaunch briefing must provide their name and affiliation by 2:30 p.m. EDT (11:30 a.m. PDT) Friday, Sept. 24, to the Kennedy newsroom at: ksc-newsroom@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. Media may also ask questions via social media using #Landsat.

Monday, Sept. 27

1:30 p.m. – NASA TV live launch coverage begins

Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, -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.

Interview requests

Members of the media looking for interviews on the Landsat 9 launch should submit a media request to Jake Richmond at: Jacob.a.richmond@xxxxxxxx. Goddard is coordinating all interview requests.

Public participation

Members of the public can register to attend the launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for Landsat 9 includes curated launch resources, a behind-the-scenes look at the mission, and the opportunity for a virtual launch passport stamp following a successful launch. Print, fold, and get ready to fill your virtual guest launch passport.

Engage kids and students in virtual and hands-on activities that are both family-friendly and educational through Camp Landsat.

Virtual NASA Social

As we finalize launch preparations, we are excited to invite the public to join our virtual NASA Social @NASA_Landsat. Stay up to date on the latest mission activities, interact with NASA and USGS team members in real-time, and watch the launch of the ULA Atlas V rocket that will boost Landsat 9 for its journey into orbit #Landsat.

Watch and engage on social media

Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you're following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #Landsat and tag these accounts:

Twitter: @NASA, @NASAEarth, @NASA_Landsat, @NASASocial, @NASA_LSP, @NASA360, @SLDelta30

Facebook: NASA, NASA Earth, NASA LSP, SLDelta30

Instagram: NASA, NASAEarth, Vandenberg_AFB

NASA Goddard manages the Landsat 9 mission. Goddard teams also built and tested one of the two instruments on Landsat 9, the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2 (TIRS-2) instrument. TIRS-2 will use thermal imaging to make measurements that can be used to estimate soil moisture and detect the health of plants. The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will operate the mission and manage the ground system, including maintaining the Landsat archive. Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado, built and tested the Operational Land Imager 2 (OLI-2) instrument, another imaging sensor.

United Launch Alliance is the rocket provider for Landsat 9’s launch. Northrop Grumman in Gilbert, Arizona, built the Landsat 9 spacecraft, integrated the instruments, and tested the observatory.

For more information about Landsat, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/landsat

Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo 321-501-8425.

-end-

Press Contacts

Tylar Greene

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-0030
tylar.j.greene@xxxxxxxx 

Jake Richmond

Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

301-286-6255
Jacob.a.richmond@xxxxxxxx

Mary MacLaughlin

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

321-289-7960
mary.maclaughlin@xxxxxxxx

NASA news releases and other information are available automatically by sending an e-mail to hqnews-join@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.gov (no subject or text in the body is required).

To unsubscribe from the list, send an e-mail message to hqnews-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.gov (no subject or text in the body is required).

	September 20, 2021 MEDIA ADVISORY M21-116 NASA TV to Air Landsat 9 Launch, Prelaunch Activities NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the Landsat 9 satellite, a joint NASA and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) mission that will continue the legacy of monitoring Earth’s land and coastal regions that began with the first Landsat satellite in 1972. Landsat 9 is scheduled to launch at 2:11 p.m. EDT (11:11 a.m. PDT) Monday, Sept. 27, on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Live launch coverage will begin at 1:30 p.m. EDT (10:30 a.m. PDT), on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website, with prelaunch and science briefings beginning Friday, Sept. 24. Landsat 9 will join its sister satellite, Landsat 8, in orbit in collecting images from across the planet every eight days. This calibrated data will continue the Landsat program’s critical role in monitoring the health of Earth and helping people manage essential resources, including crops, irrigation water, and forests. Images from Landsat 9 will be added to nearly 50 years of free and publicly available data from the mission – the longest data record of Earth’s landscapes taken from space. Landsat’s medium-resolution imaging capabilities allows researchers to harmonize the images to detect the footprint of human activities and their impact on our home planet over the decades. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, all media participation in news conferences will be remote. A phone bridge will be provided for each briefing. Full mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern): Friday, Sept. 24 1 p.m. – Landsat 9 Science Briefing, with the following participants: Jeff Masek, Landsat 9 project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Chris Crawford, Landsat 9 project scientist at USGS Inbal Becker-Reshef, director of NASA’s Harvest food security and agriculture program Del Jenstrom, Landsat 9 project manager at Goddard Brian Sauer, Landsat 9 project manager at USGS Sabrina Chapman, manager, system engineering, Northrop Grumman Space Systems Sarah Lipscy, OLI-2 senior engineer, Ball Aerospace & Technologies This event is open to all with valid media credentials. Media who would like to ask questions during the science briefing must provide their name and affiliation by 4 p.m. EDT (1 p.m. PDT) Thursday, Sept. 23, to the Kennedy newsroom at: ksc-newsroom@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. Media may also ask questions via social media using #Landsat. Saturday, Sept. 25 4 p.m. – Landsat 9 Prelaunch News Conference, with the following participants: Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate Karen St. Germain, director, NASA’s Earth Science Division Tanya Trujillo, assistant secretary for water and science, U.S. Department of the Interior Michael Egan, Landsat program executive, NASA’s Earth Science Division Tim Dunn, launch director, NASA’s Launch Services Program Scott Messer, United Launch Alliance Program Manager, NASA Launch Services Capt. Addison Nichols, weather officer, Space Launch Delta 30 This event is open to all with valid media credentials. Media who would like to ask questions during the prelaunch briefing must provide their name and affiliation by 2:30 p.m. EDT (11:30 a.m. PDT) Friday, Sept. 24, to the Kennedy newsroom at: ksc-newsroom@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. Media may also ask questions via social media using #Landsat. Monday, Sept. 27 1:30 p.m. – NASA TV live launch coverage begins Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, -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. Interview requests Members of the media looking for interviews on the Landsat 9 launch should submit a media request to Jake Richmond at: Jacob.a.richmond@xxxxxxxx. Goddard is coordinating all interview requests. Public participation Members of the public can register to attend the launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for Landsat 9 includes curated launch resources, a behind-the-scenes look at the mission, and the opportunity for a virtual launch passport stamp following a successful launch. Print, fold, and get ready to fill your virtual guest launch passport. Engage kids and students in virtual and hands-on activities that are both family-friendly and educational through Camp Landsat. Virtual NASA Social As we finalize launch preparations, we are excited to invite the public to join our virtual NASA Social @NASA_Landsat. Stay up to date on the latest mission activities, interact with NASA and USGS team members in real-time, and watch the launch of the ULA Atlas V rocket that will boost Landsat 9 for its journey into orbit #Landsat. Watch and engage on social media Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you're following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #Landsat and tag these accounts: Twitter: @NASA, @NASAEarth, @NASA_Landsat, @NASASocial, @NASA_LSP, @NASA360, @SLDelta30 Facebook: NASA, NASA Earth, NASA LSP, SLDelta30 Instagram: NASA, NASAEarth, Vandenberg_AFB NASA Goddard manages the Landsat 9 mission. Goddard teams also built and tested one of the two instruments on Landsat 9, the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2 (TIRS-2) instrument. TIRS-2 will use thermal imaging to make measurements that can be used to estimate soil moisture and detect the health of plants. The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will operate the mission and manage the ground system, including maintaining the Landsat archive. Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado, built and tested the Operational Land Imager 2 (OLI-2) instrument, another imaging sensor. United Launch Alliance is the rocket provider for Landsat 9’s launch. Northrop Grumman in Gilbert, Arizona, built the Landsat 9 spacecraft, integrated the instruments, and tested the observatory. For more information about Landsat, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/landsat Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo 321-501-8425. -end-
	Press Contacts Tylar Greene Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0030 tylar.j.greene@xxxxxxxx Jake Richmond Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 301-286-6255 Jacob.a.richmond@xxxxxxxx Mary MacLaughlin Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-289-7960 mary.maclaughlin@xxxxxxxx
	NASA news releases and other information are available automatically by sending an e-mail to hqnews-join@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.gov (no subject or text in the body is required). To unsubscribe from the list, send an e-mail message to hqnews-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.gov (no subject or text in the body is required).