NASA Direct, NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Web broadcast network, is
featuring a prelaunch webcast and launch day coverage of NASA’s
NOAA-N mission. The launch is set for Wednesday, May 11, from
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., with a launch opportunity from
6:21 to 6:31 a.m. EDT. All coverage can be viewed through the NASA
portal Web site at
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/main/index.html.

Web coverage of the mission begins with a prelaunch webcast overview
of NOAA-N’s Earth-observing technologies at 7 p.m. EDT Monday, May 9.
The webcast includes informative interviews and question-and-answer
sessions with NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) experts about the spacecraft, science of the
mission and what they hope to learn from NOAA-N’s observations.

Live launch coverage begins at 4 a.m. EDT May 11. NASA updates its
Virtual Launch Control Center throughout launch countdown coverage.

NOAA-N Prelaunch Webcast Participants

Tiffany Nail, Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Services support
specialist, hosts the program focusing on NOAA-N’s mission, science
and technology.

Kennedy Space Center Director Jim Kennedy opens the program with an
introduction to the NOAA-N mission.

Karen Halterman, NASA’s POES project manager will discuss the
NASA/NOAA partnership and important features of the NOAA-N satellite.

U. S. Air Force Capt. Paul Lucyk, launch weather officer, gives a
forecast of the latest weather conditions for launch day.

Omar Baez, NASA launch manager, describes the preparation of the Delta
II rocket and provides a launch countdown overview.

Steve Pszcolka, NOAA-N’s observatory manager and Bill Mazur, POES
satellite acquisition manager for NOAA, will answer questions about
the mission submitted to the NASA Direct question board by space
enthusiasts.

NOAA-N Web Coverage Schedule

(All times are subject to change)

Monday, May 9 at 7 p.m. EDT

NASA Direct webcast from Vandenberg AFB: “Mission, Spacecraft, Science
and Technology Webcast” at
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/launch/event-NOAA-N.html.

The NASA Direct Question Board closes at 11 a.m. May 6. Program guests
will answer questions submitted by the public. The questions can be
viewed online at NOAA-N: Mission, Science and Technology:
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/nasadirect.html.

Launch Day (Wednesday, May 11) beginning at 4 a.m. EDT

Live countdown coverage from the Virtual Launch Control Center,
located at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/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 NOAA-N Web
site at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/main/index.html.

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