The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) is scheduled to launch at 6:10 p.m. EST Sunday, Feb. 8, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. A backup launch opportunity is available on Feb. 9 at 6:07 p.m., if needed.

NASA Television coverage of the launch will begin at 3:30 p.m. In addition to launch coverage, NASA TV will also air a prelaunch news conference at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7.

DSCOVR is a partnership between NOAA, NASA and the U.S. Air Force and will maintain the nation’s solar wind observations. These observations are critical to the accuracy and lead time of NOAA’s space weather alerts, forecasts, warnings and space weather events like geomagnetic storms caused by changes in solar wind, which affect public infrastructure systems including power grids, telecommunications systems and avionics aboard aircraft.  DSCOVR will succeed NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) in supporting solar observations and provide 15- to 60-minute warning time to improve predictions of geomagnetic storm impact locations.

Media who wish to attend the prelaunch events, including the launch pad photo opportunity, prelaunch news conference and launch, may request accreditation online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

The deadline for U.S. media to apply for accreditation is Feb. 3. The deadline for foreign nationals has passed. For further information about media accreditation, contact Jennifer Horner at 321-867-6598.

For in-depth prelaunch, countdown and launch day coverage of the liftoff of DSCOVR aboard the Falcon 9, visit:

http://blogs.nasa.gov/DSCOVR

For NASA TV schedules and video streaming information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

For more information about the DSCOVR mission, visit:

http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/DSCOVR

PASS AND IDENTIFICATION BUILDING HOURS OF OPERATION

The Pass and Identification Building on State Road 3, Merritt Island, will be open to pick up media credentials based on the following schedule:

Saturday, Feb. 7: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 8: 8 a.m. – 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Media badges will be valid for access to Kennedy’s Press Site through Gate 3 on State Road State Road 405, east of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Gate 2 is closed on weekends. Media badges will only be valid through Gate 3, which can also be accessed via Space Commerce Way located just south of Gate 2.

NASA NEWS CENTER HOURS OF OPERATION

The NASA News Center hours of operation for DSCOVR are:

Saturday, Feb. 7: Noon – 3 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 8: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE

Saturday, Feb. 7 (L-1 day): The prelaunch news conference for the DSCOVR mission will be held at Kennedy’s Press Site at 1 p.m. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming on the Internet.

Participating in the prelaunch news conference will be:

Steven Volz, assistant administrator, NOAA Satellite and Information Service
Silver Spring, Maryland

Tom Berger, director, NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
Boulder, Colorado

Steven Clarke, director, NASA Joint Agency Satellite Division, Science Mission Directorate
Washington

Colonel D. Jason Cothern, chief, Space Demonstrations Division, U.S. Air Force
Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Hans Koenigsmann, SpaceX Vice President of Mission Assurance
Hawthorne, California

Mike McAlaneen, launch weather officer, 45^th Weather Squadron
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

No post-launch news conference is planned.

REMOTE CAMERA SETUPS AND FALCON 9 PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

Sunday, Feb. 8 (L-0 day): Media will be able to establish sound-activated remote cameras at the launch pad. The location is within Space Launch Complex 40 on the east side of the complex outside the pad perimeter fence. Media who want to participate in remote camera setup and the Falcon 9/DSCOVR photo opportunity should be at Kennedy’s Press Site not later than 10:15 a.m. Departure by government bus will be at 10:30 a.m. Arrival back at the Press Site will be at approximately 12:30 p.m. after remote cameras have been established.

NEWS MEDIA LAUNCH VIEWING

Sunday, Feb. 8 (launch day): News media may view the launch from Kennedy’s Press Site or the ITL causeway area located on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Buses will depart from the Press Site parking lot for the viewing area at 4:45 p.m.

NASA TV LAUNCH COVERAGE

Sunday, February 8 (launch day): NASA TV live coverage will begin at 3:30 p.m. and conclude at approximately 7:30 p.m. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

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 starting at 3 p.m. Launch also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.

NASA WEB PRELAUNCH AND LAUNCH COVERAGE

Prelaunch and launch day coverage of the DSCOVR flight will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming and text updates beginning at 3:30 p.m. as the countdown milestones occur.

Follow the launch countdown on NASA’s launch blog which may be accessed at:

http://blogs.nasa.gov/DSCOVR

On-demand streaming video, podcast and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact Nancy Bray at 321-867-9112.

TWITTER

NASA will update Twitter throughout the launch countdown. For updates, visit:

http://www.twitter.com/NASAKennedy

FACEBOOK

NASA also will update Facebook throughout the launch countdown. For updates, visit:

http://www.facebook.com/NASAKennedy

RECORDED STATUS

Recorded status reports on the launch of DSCOVR and associated pre-launch activities will be provided on the Kennedy media phone line starting Thursday, Feb. 5. The telephone number is 321-867-2525.

WIRELESS CAPABILITY

Limited wireless access capability for the news media is available at the Kennedy Press Site as “nasaguest” with the password also “nasaguest.”  Further instructions will be placed on the interview desk counter.

WEB ACTIVITIES UPDATES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

To learn more about the DSCOVR mission by going to NOAA’s mission home page at:

http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/DSCOVR/

-end-