04.12.06<br /><br /><br />Erica Hupp<br />Headquarters, Washington<br />(202) 358-1237<br /><br /><br />George Diller/Bruce Buckingham<br />Kennedy Space Center, Fla.<br />(321) 867-2468<br /><br /><br />Alan Buis<br />NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.<br />(818) 354-0474<br /><br /><br />Chris Rink<br />NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.<br />(757) 864-6786<br /><br /><br />NOTE TO EDITORS: 26-06<br /><br /><br />CALIPSO/CLOUDSAT SATELLITES READY FOR APRIL 21 LAUNCH<br /><br /><br />NASA's Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite <br />Observations (CALIPSO) and CloudSat satellites are set to launch <br />aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket at 3:02 a.m. PDT on Friday, April 21, <br />from NASA's Space Launch Complex 2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force <br />Base, Calif. The launch window is instantaneous. The CALIPSO <br />satellite will separate from the Delta II at 62 minutes after <br />liftoff, followed by CloudSat at 96 minutes after launch.<br /><br /><br />Together, CALIPSO and CloudSat will provide new perspectives on <br />Earth's clouds and aerosols, answering questions about how they form, <br />evolve and affect water supply, climate, weather and air quality. <br />They will be launched into an orbit where they will fly just 15 <br />seconds apart as members of NASA's "A-Train," a constellation of <br />several Earth-observing satellites.<br /><br /><br />ACCREDITATION<br /><br /><br />News media desiring accreditation for the launch of CALIPSO/CloudSat <br />should fax their requests on news organization letterhead to:<br /><br /><br />Staff Sgt. Allen Puckett <br />30th Space Wing Public Affairs Office<br />Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.<br />Telephone: 805/606-3595<br /><br /><br />FAX: 805/606-8303<br />E-mail: []Allen.Puckett@vandenberg.af.mil[/]<br /><br /><br />MISSION DIRECTOR'S CENTER RIBBON-CUTTING<br /><br /><br />CALIPSO/CloudSat will be NASA's first countdown and launch at <br />Vandenberg to be managed from the recently completed Mission <br />Director's Center and the associated Launch Vehicle Data Center. This <br />new facility replaces the previous Mission Director's Center, in use <br />since 1964. After the ribbon-cutting, media will be toured through <br />the new launch countdown and flight data facilities. Opportunities <br />for interviews will be available. Media wishing to attend the <br />ribbon-cutting and tour should meet at the Vandenberg south gate on <br />California S.R. 246 at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 19, to be <br />escorted to the event.<br /><br /><br />PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE<br /><br /><br />A prelaunch news conference will be held at 1 p.m. PDT on April 19 in <br />the main conference room of the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office, <br />Building 840, at Vandenberg. Participants will be:<br /><br /><br />Chuck Dovale, NASA Launch Manager<br />NASA Kennedy Space Center, Fla.<br /><br /><br />Kris Walsh, Boeing Director of NASA Programs<br />Boeing Expendable Launch Systems, Huntington Beach, Calif.<br /><br /><br />Kevin Brown, CALIPSO Project Manager<br />NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.<br /><br /><br />Tom Livermore, CloudSat Project Manager<br />NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.<br /><br /><br />1st Lt. Lee Barnhill, Launch Weather Officer, 30th Weather Squadron<br />Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.<br /><br /><br />MISSION SCIENCE BRIEFING<br /><br /><br />Immediately following the prelaunch news conference, a <br />CALIPSO/CloudSat Mission Science Briefing will be held. Participants <br />will be:<br /><br /><br />Hal Maring, CALIPSO/CloudSat Program Scientist<br />NASA Headquarters, Washington<br /><br /><br />David Winker, CALIPSO Principal Investigator<br />NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.<br /><br /><br />Graeme Stephens, CloudSat Principal Investigator<br />Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo.<br /><br /><br />David Hudak, Research Scientist<br />Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada<br /><br /><br />Jacques Pelon, CALIPSO Co-Principal Investigator<br />Institute Pierre Simon Laplace, France<br /><br /><br />Question-and-answer capability will be available from participating <br />NASA centers. To ask questions from other than a NASA center <br />location, media may call the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at <br />818/354-5011 to receive the call-in number and pass code to ask <br />questions by telephone.<br /><br /><br />Media desiring to cover the prelaunch news conference should meet at <br />the south gate of Vandenberg on California S.R. 246 at 12:30 p.m. on <br />April 19. They will be escorted by 30th Space Wing Public Affairs <br />representatives to the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office.<br /><br /><br />REMOTE CAMERAS<br /><br /><br />April 20: Media desiring to establish sound-activated remote cameras <br />at the launch pad should meet at the pass and identification building <br />located at the main gate of Vandenberg on California S.R. 1. <br />Departure for SLC-2 is planned to occur at 9 a.m.<br /><br /><br />TOWER ROLLBACK PHOTO OPPORTUNITY AT SLC-2<br /><br /><br />April 20: There will be an opportunity to observe rollback of the <br />mobile service tower from around the CALIPSO/CloudSat/Delta II launch <br />vehicle at SLC-2. Media will depart by Air Force van from the <br />Vandenberg main gate on California S.R. 1 at 5 p.m. Press credentials <br />and identification from a bona fide news organization will be <br />required for access. A driver's license alone will not be sufficient.<br /><br /><br />LAUNCH DAY PRESS COVERAGE<br /><br /><br />April 21: Media covering the CALIPSO/CloudSat/Delta II launch should <br />meet at 2 a.m. at the Vandenberg main gate located on California S.R. <br />1 to be escorted to the press site located on north Vandenberg. After <br />launch, media will be escorted back to the gate. A post-launch news <br />conference will not be held. However, media interested in speaking <br />with launch officials will be escorted to the NASA Mission Director's <br />Center for an interview opportunity after CALIPSO/CloudSat spacecraft <br />separation from the Delta II has occurred. <br /><br /><br />NASA TELEVISION AND VOICE CIRCUIT COVERAGE<br /><br /><br />NASA Television will carry the prelaunch news conference starting at 1 <br />p.m. PDT on April 19. On launch day, April 21, NASA TV coverage of <br />the countdown will begin at 1 a.m. PDT and conclude after both <br />spacecraft have separated from the Delta II.<br /><br /><br />In the continental United States, NASA Television is on AMC-6, <br />Transponder 17C located at 72 degrees West longitude (4040.0 MHz <br />video, 6.8 MHz audio, MPEG-2 digital signal). In Alaska and Hawaii, <br />all CALIPSO/CloudSat events will be on AMC-7 Transponder 18, located <br />at 137 degrees West longitude (4060.0 MHz video, 6.8 MHz audio).<br /><br /><br />To monitor audio of the prelaunch news conference and the launch <br />coverage, dial the NASA "V" circuits, which may be accessed directly <br />at 321/867-1220...1240...1260...7135. This system is not two-way <br />interactive.<br /><br /><br />NASA Television launch coverage will be webcast at:<br /><br /><br />http://www.nasa.gov/ntv<br /><br /><br />WEB COVERAGE<br /><br /><br />NASA Direct, Kennedy Space Center's Internet broadcasting network, is <br />featuring a prelaunch webcast of the CALIPSO and CloudSat missions. <br />All online launch and mission coverage can be viewed through the NASA <br />portal Web site at:<br /><br /><br />http://www.nasa.gov/calipso<br /><br /><br />or<br /><br /><br />http://www.nasa.gov/cloudsat<br /><br /><br />Web coverage begins with a prelaunch webcast offering an overview of <br />the CALIPSO and CloudSat missions at 4:30 p.m. PDT (7:30 p.m. EDT) on <br />April 19. The program includes informative interviews with <br />representatives from NASA's Langley Research Center and Colorado <br />State University. Experts will also take part in a <br />question-and-answer session discussing the goals of the mission, as <br />well as science and technology involved in CALIPSO and CloudSat. <br />Participants will be:<br /><br /><br />Jim Kennedy<br />Kennedy Space Center Director<br /><br /><br />Darren Bedell<br />NASA Chief Engineer<br /><br /><br />Chuck Dovale<br />NASA Launch Manager<br /><br /><br />David Winker<br />CALIPSO Principal Investigator<br /><br /><br />Graeme Stephens<br />CloudSat Principal Investigator <br /><br /><br />Tiffany Nail, KSC's launch services specialist, hosts the program.<br /><br /><br />Live launch day coverage from the Virtual Launch Control Center starts <br />at 4:30 a.m. EDT on April 21, offering continuous updates throughout <br />the launch countdown.<br /><br /><br />For more information about the CALIPSO and CloudSat online events, <br />contact Dennis Armstrong at 321/867-4493.<br /><br /><br />CALIPSO/CLOUDSAT NEWS CENTER<br /><br /><br />The CALIPSO/CloudSat News Center at the NASA Vandenberg Resident <br />Office will be staffed beginning Monday, April 17, and may be reached <br />at 805/605-3051. A recorded status report will also be available <br />starting at that time by dialing 805/734-2693.