NASA Direct, NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Web broadcast network, is featuring a prelaunch webcast and launch day coverage of NASA’s Deep Impact spacecraft. The launch is set for Wednesday, Jan. 12, with an instantaneous launch opportunity at 1:48 p.m. EST. All coverage can be viewed through the NASA portal Web site at http://www.nasa.gov/deepimpact.

Web coverage of the Deep Impact mission begins with a prelaunch webcast discussing the mission’s journey to the Tempel 1 comet at 2:30 p.m. EST on Monday, Jan. 10. The webcast includes informative interviews and question-and-answer sessions with NASA experts about the spacecraft, the science of the mission and what they hope to learn from the impact with the comet.

Live launch coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. EST on Jan. 12. NASA updates its Virtual Launch Control Center throughout launch countdown coverage.

Deep Impact Prelaunch Webcast Participants

Tiffany Nail, KSC Launch Services support specialist, hosts the program focusing on Deep Impact’s science and technology.

Mike Stelzer, Launch Services Program mission integration manager at Kennedy Space Center, provides an overview of the integration of the launch vehicle and spacecraft. He is joined by Tom Shaw, launch vehicle integration manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

Joel Tumbiolo, Delta weather officer, offers a briefing on the weather conditions surrounding the launch.

Omar Baez, NASA launch manager, provides a launch countdown overview.

Dr. Lucy McFadden, Professor of Astronomy at the University of Maryland, gives an overview of the mission and the science it involves.

DEEP IMPACT WEB COVERAGE SCHEDULE

(All times are EST and subject to change)

Monday, Jan. 10, at 2:30 p.m. EST

NASA Direct webcast: “Deep Impact – Mission to a Comet”

http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/nasadirect.html

NASA Direct Question Board: Program guests will answer questions submitted on the board, which can be viewed online.

Deep Impact Science and Spacecraft:
http://webcast.ksc.nasa.gov/vidapp/?event=48

NOTE: The Deep Impact question board closes at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan.
7.

Launch Day (Wednesday, Jan. 12) beginning at 11:30 a.m. EST

Live countdown coverage from the Virtual Launch Control Center, located at

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/deepimpact/launch/vlcc.html.

Coverage will feature real-time updates as milestones occur during
the countdown, as well as streaming video clips of countdown events.
All videos are provided in Real Video format.

For the latest information on this mission, go to NASA’s Deep Impact
Web site at:

http://www.nasa.gov/deepimpact

For more information about the Deep Impact Web events, contact Dennis Armstrong at 321/867-2468.