The launch of the Jason-1, NASA’s latest Earth Science oceanography
satellite,
and TIMED, NASA’s Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics and Dynamics
space science satellite, is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 7, from Vandenberg Air
Force Base, Calif.
In preparation for the launch, NASA will hold mission science briefings starting
at 1 p.m. EST Monday, Nov. 19, in the James Webb Memorial Auditorium, NASA
Headquarters, 300 E Street SW, Washington. The Jason mission team will present
first, followed by the TIMED mission team at 2 p.m. EST.
Jason 1 is a joint U.S./French oceanography mission. The spacecraft will build
on
the heritage of the Topex/Poseidon satellite in observing global climate
interactions between the sea and the atmosphere. Jason 1 will monitor world
ocean
circulation, study interactions of the oceans and atmosphere, improve climate
predictions and observe events like El Nino. Speakers for the Jason 1 mission
briefing will be:
— Ghassem R. Asrar, Associate Administrator for Earth Science,
NASA Headquarters, Washington
— Eric Lindstrom, Oceanography Program Scientist, NASA Headquarters
— Nicole Papineau; Program Coordinator, Atmosphere, Climate and Ocean;
Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales; Paris
— Charles Yamarone, Deputy Director of the Earth Science and Technology
Directorate, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif.
— Lee-lueng Fu, Project Scientist, JPL
NASA’s TIMED mission will study a mysterious region in our atmosphere called the
Mesosphere, Lower Thermosphere/Ionosphere, or “MLTI.” Located about 40-110 miles
(60-180 kilometers) above the Earth, the MLTI is one of the last frontiers for
atmospheric exploration.
During its two-year mission, TIMED will study the basic structure of the MLTI,
its chemistry and the flow of energy to and from this layer of the atmosphere.
Scientists will analyze how the MLTI region affects, and is changed by, the
lower
atmosphere; how it influences the space near Earth occupied by low-Earth
orbiting
satellites; and how events on the Sun affect the MLTI. TIMED is a joint mission
between NASA and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL), Laurel, Md.
Speakers for the TIMED mission briefing will be:
— George Withbroe, Division Director, Sun-Earth Connection, NASA Headquarters
— Mary Mellott, TIMED Program Scientist, NASA Headquarters
— Sam Yee, TIMED Project Scientist, APL
— Dave Kusnierkiewicz, TIMED Mission System Engineer, APL
— Bruce Campbell, TIMED Project Manager, Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, Md.
The briefings will be carried live on NASA Television with two-way question-and-
answer capability for reporters covering the briefing from participating NASA
centers. Reporters must coordinate in advance with NASA Center Newsrooms to
participate remotely. NASA TV is broadcast on satellite GE-2, transponder 9C, at
85 degrees West longitude, vertical polarization, frequency 3880 MHz, audio of
6.8 MHz. The briefing also will available on the Internet at:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv/ntvweb.html
