Cynthia O’Carroll
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
(Phone: 301/614-5563)

Patricia Viets
NOAA NESDIS
(Phone: 301-457-5005)

John Leslie
NOAA National Weather Service
(Phone: 301-713-0622)

RELEASE NO: 00-87

NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will hold a
press briefing to announce the planned launch of a new satellite that will
improve weather forecasting, monitor environmental events around the world and
provide search and rescue capability. The briefing will be held on Tuesday,
August 29, at 10:00 a.m. at the Department of Commerce, 14th and
Constitution, Room 6013, Washington, D.C. The NOAA-L satellite is scheduled to
be launched on September 20, 2000.

NOAA-L is the second in a series of five polar-orbiting satellites with
improved imaging and sounding capabilities that will operate over the next
twelve years. Like other NOAA satellites, NOAA-L will collect meteorological
data and transmit the information to users around the world to enhance weather
forecasting. In the United States, the data will be used primarily by the
National Weather Service for its long-range weather and climate forecasts.

Participating in this prelaunch briefing will be:

Harry McCain, Polar Operational Environmental Satellite Program Manager, NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center

Michael Mignogno, Polar Operational Satellite Program Manager, NOAAís
National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service

Gary Davis, Director, Office of Systems Development, NOAAís National
Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service

John Jones, Deputy Director, NOAA, National Weather Service

Ajay Mehta, NOAA, Search and Rescue Manager

Editors Note: A complete NOAA-L video package will be broadcast
during the NASA TV video file scheduled for noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m. and
midnight on August 29, 2000. The video package will also be broadcast at the
same times on L-1 and the day of the launch. NASA TV is broadcast on GE2,
transponder 9C, C-band, located at 85 degrees west longitude. The frequency is
3880MHZ. Polarization is vertical and audio monaural at 6.8MHZ.