Michael Braukus<br />Headquarters, Washington Nov. 4, 2004<br />(Phone: 202/358-1979)<br /><br />MEDIA ADVISORY: M04-176<br /><br />NASA RESCHEDULES DART SPACECRAFT LAUNCH <br /><br /> NASA has rescheduled the Demonstration of Autonomous <br />Rendezvous Technology (DART) spacecraft launch for Tuesday, <br />Nov. 9, 2004, from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), Calif. <br />The seven-minute launch window opens at 1:07:40 p.m. EST.<br /><br />DART, launched onboard an Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket, <br />provides a key step in establishing autonomous rendezvous <br />capabilities in support of the U.S. space program's Vision <br />for Space Exploration. While astronauts have piloted previous <br />rendezvous and docking efforts, the unmanned DART spacecraft <br />has only computers and sensors to perform all of its <br />rendezvous functions.<br /><br />Launch coverage on NASA TV begins Tuesday at noon EST. NASA <br />TV is available on the Web and via satellite in the <br />continental U.S. on AMC-6, Transponder 9C, C-Band, at 72 <br />degrees west longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. <br />Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz. <br />In Alaska and Hawaii, NASA TV is available on AMC-7, <br />Transponder 18C, C-Band, at 137 degrees west longitude. The <br />frequency is 4060.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio <br />is monaural at 6.80 MHz. For NASA TV information and <br />schedules on the Internet, visit:<br />http://www.nasa.gov/ntv<br /><br />The NASA News Center for DART is at VAFB. It opens Monday <br />morning and may be reached at: 805/605-3051.<br /><br />For information about NASA, DART, and other agency programs <br />on the Web, visit:<br /><br />http://www.nasa.gov