This illustration depicts the Joint Polar Satellite System-1, or JPSS-1, spacecraft designed to provide forecasters with crucial environmental science data to provide a better understanding of changes in the Earth's weather, oceans and climate. Credits: Ball Aerospace

Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA are preparing for the upcoming launch of the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 (JPSS-1), the first in a series of four highly advanced NOAA polar-orbiting satellites designed to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts out to seven days.

JPSS-1 is scheduled to launch at 4:47 a.m. EST (1:47 a.m. PST) Friday, Nov. 10, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. NASA Television and the agency’s website will provide live coverage.

JPSS-1 will use the most-advanced technology NOAA has ever flown in a polar-orbiting satellite to capture more precise observations than ever of our atmosphere, land and waters. It will provide meteorologists and other scientists with a variety of observations, including atmospheric temperature and moisture, sea-surface temperature, ocean color, sea ice cover, volcanic ash and fire detection.

Prelaunch and Science Briefings Nov. 8

NASA TV will air two JPSS-1 prelaunch news briefings on Wednesday, Nov. 8. Both briefings will be broadcast from NASA’s Press Site Auditorium at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

The prelaunch news conference will be held at 4 p.m. EST.

Briefing participants will be:

• Steve Volz, director, NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service
• Greg Mandt, director, Joint Polar Satellite System Program
• Sandra Smalley, director, Joint Agency Satellite Division, NASA Headquarters
• Omar Baez, NASA launch director
• Scott Messer, United Launch Alliance program manager for NASA missions
• Capt. Ross Malugani, launch weather officer, Vandenberg Air Force Base 30th Space Wing

Following the prelaunch news conference, a science briefing will be held at 5:30 p.m.

Briefing participants will be:

• Mitch Goldberg, NOAA chief program scientist, Joint Polar Satellite System
• Joe Pica, director, NOAA’s National Weather Service Office of Observations
• James Gleason, NASA senior project scientist, Joint Polar Satellite System
• Jana Luis, division chief, predictive services, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Media also can ask questions during the briefings via Twitter, using the hashtag #askNASA.

NASA TV Launch Coverage Nov. 10

NASA TV live coverage will begin at 4:15 a.m. Coverage will conclude after spacecraft separation. There is no planned post-launch news conference. A post-launch news release will be issued as soon as the state-of-health of the spacecraft can be verified.

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.

To learn more about the JPSS-1 mission, visit:

http://www.jpss.noaa.gov/

and

https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/jpss-1

Join the conversation and follow the JPSS-1 mission on social media by using Twitter and Facebook at:

https://twitter.com/NOAASatellites

and

https://www.facebook.com/NOAANESDIS/

-end-

Press Contacts

Tori McLendon
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
tori.n.mclendon@nasa.gov

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

John Leslie
NOAA, Silver Spring, Md.
202-527-3504
john.leslie@noaa.gov

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