NASA Sets Coverage for GOES-P Weather Satellite Launch on March 2

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-P, or GOES-P, is scheduled for launch aboard a Delta IV rocket on Tuesday, March 2, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The one-hour launch window extends from 6:19 to 7:19 p.m. EST.

If the launch is postponed 24 hours, the launch window on March 3 is 6:18 to 7:18 p.m. EST, one minute earlier.

NASA will provide television, Internet and photo coverage of the launch starting with a prelaunch news conference at 4 p.m. on Monday, March 1, at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site.

GOES-P is the last of three in the current series of geostationary weather and environmental satellites built for NASA by Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. It will be launched into orbit for NASA by Boeing Launch Services aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket. The spacecraft will be checked out by Boeing and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center before being turned over to NOAA for operational use.

Participating in the March 1 prelaunch news conference will be:

Steve Kirkner, NOAA GOES Program Manager
NOAA Satellite and Information Service

Kris Walsh, Commercial Programs Manager
United Launch Alliance

Hieu Lam, Delta Commercial Program Manager
Boeing Launch Services

Andre Dress, GOES Deputy Project Manager
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Charlie Maloney, GOES N-P Program Manager
Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems

Bart Hagemeyer, meteorologist in charge
NOAA National Weather Service forecast office, Melbourne, Fla.

Joel Tumbiolo, Delta IV Launch Weather Officer
45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

NASA Television will carry the prelaunch news conference live. On launch day, March 2, NASA TV countdown coverage will begin at 4 p.m., and will conclude 30 minutes after liftoff. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Audio only of the prelaunch news conference and the launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, – 1240, -1260 and -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 noon. Launch will also be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz heard within Brevard County.

Prelaunch and launch day coverage of the GOES-P mission will be available on the NASA Web site at: http://www.nasa.gov

Live countdown coverage on NASA’s launch blog begins at 4 p.m., on March 2. Coverage features real-time updates of countdown milestones, as well as streaming video and a podcast of launch. To access these features, go to NASA’s GOES-P mission Web site at:http://www.nasa.gov/goes-p

Media Credentialing

Media attending the NASA prelaunch media briefing and also plan to cover launch may request accreditation by going to: https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

The Kennedy Space Center Badging Office on SR-405 is open Monday – Friday from 6 a.m. – 4 p.m. For those needing credentials, further information about accreditation is available by contacting Laurel Lichtenberger at 321-867-4036.

GOES-P will provide expanded capability for the space and solar environment-monitoring instruments. Forecasts and warnings for solar disturbances will be enhanced. GOES-P data will protect investments of billions of dollars by the government and private sector for assets on the ground and in space.

GOES-P will feature a highly stable pointing platform, which will improve the performance of its Imager and Sounder that are important instruments for creating daily weather-prediction models and for hurricane forecasting. Data from GOES-P will be valuable for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service, which provides oceanographic circulation models and forecasts for U.S. coastal communities.

As with all of NOAA’s geostationary and polar-orbiting weather satellites, GOES-P will be able to relay distress signals detected from emergency locator beacons on the ground and at sea in support of the international search and rescue system.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland is responsible for designing and developing the spacecraft and its instruments for NOAA.

For further information about the GOES-P launch, contact the NASA News Center at Kennedy at 321-867-2468 or visit: http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy