Jason-3, an international mission led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to continue U.S.-European satellite measurements of the topography of the ocean surfaces, is scheduled for launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Sunday, Jan. 17. Liftoff aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex 4 East is targeted for 10:42:18 a.m. PST (1:42:18 p.m. EST) at the opening of a 30-second launch window. If needed, a backup launch opportunity is available on the Western Range on Jan. 18 at 10:31:04 a.m. PST (1:31:04 p.m. EST).
Jason-3 will maintain the ability to monitor and precisely measure global sea surface heights, monitor the intensification of tropical cyclones and support seasonal and coastal forecasts. Data from Jason-3 will support scientific, commercial and practical applications related to ocean circulation and climate change. Additionally, Jason-3 data will be applied to fisheries management, marine industries and research into human impacts on the world’s oceans.
The mission is planned to last at least three years with a goal of five years.
Jason-3 is a four-agency international partnership consisting of NOAA, NASA, the French Space Agency CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales) and EUMETSAT (the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites). Thales Alenia of France built the spacecraft.
NOAA, in collaboration with the European partners, is responsible for the Jason-3 mission. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, is responsible for NASA Jason-3 project management. NASA’s Launch Services Program at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida provides launch management. SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, is NASA’s launch service provider of the Falcon 9 rocket.
ACCREDITATION
The deadline for media accreditation has passed.
PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE/JASON-3 MISSION SCIENCE BRIEFING
Friday, Jan 15: The Jason-3 Mission Science Briefing and prelaunch news conference will be held starting at 4 p.m. PST (7 p.m. EST) in the main hangar of Building 836 at the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office, Vandenberg Air Force Base. The briefing will be carried live on NASA Television and streamed on NASA.gov.
Accredited media desiring to cover the event should meet at the south gate of Vandenberg on California State Road 246 at 3:30 p.m. to be escorted by 30th Space Wing Public Affairs to the news conference.
Participants in the Jason-3 Mission Science Briefing will be:
— Laury Miller, Jason-3 program scientist and chief, NOAA Laboratory for Satellite Altimetry
— Josh Willis, Jason-3 project scientist, JPL
— Marc Cohen, associate director and chief of Low Earth Orbit Programmes, EUMETSAT
— Sophie Coutin Faye, chief, Altimetry and Precise Positioning Office, CNES
For access to the dial-in question-and-answer capability, news media should call 805-605-3051 within 15 minutes of the planned start of the briefings. Media also can post questions during the briefing via Twitter by using the hashtag #askNASA.
PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE
Following the Jason-3 Mission Science Briefing, or at approximately 4:45 p.m., a prelaunch news conference will be held. Participants in the briefing will be:
— Jim Silva, Jason-3 program manager, NOAA, Washington, D.C.
— Sandra Smalley, director, Science Mission Directorate Joint Agency Satellite Division, NASA Headquarters, Washington
— Tim Dunn, NASA launch manager, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
— Hans Koenigsmann, vice president of Mission Assurance, SpaceX, Hawthorne, California
— Parag Vaze, Jason-3 project manager, JPL
— Lt. Joseph Round, launch weather officer, 30th Operations Support Squadron, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
REMOTE CAMERAS
Saturday, Jan. 16: Media who have already confirmed their intention to establish sound-activated remote cameras at the launch pad should meet at the Vandenberg south gate on California State Road 246 at 1:15 p.m. to be escorted to Space Launch Complex 4 East. The deadline for confirming this opportunity has passed.
NEWS MEDIA LAUNCH PAD PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Saturday, Jan. 16: Media who have confirmed their participation in photographing the Falcon 9 with Jason-3 at the launch pad should be at the Vandenberg south gate on California State Road 246 at 1:15 p.m. in preparation for going to Space Launch Complex 4 East. The deadline for confirming this opportunity has passed.
LAUNCH DAY MEDIA COVERAGE
Sunday, Jan. 17: Media covering the Jason-3 launch aboard the Falcon 9 rocket should meet at 9:15 a.m. at the Vandenberg main gate located on California State Road 1 to be escorted to the press viewing site on north Vandenberg. Press credentials and identification from a bona fide news organization will be required for access. A driver’s license alone will not be sufficient.
For photographers, the launch azimuth after liftoff will be 142.8 degrees.
After launch, media will be escorted back to the main gate. A post-launch news conference will not be held.
NASA TELEVISION COVERAGE
NASA Television will carry the prelaunch news conference starting at 1 p.m. PST (4 p.m. EST) on Friday, Jan. 15. The prelaunch news conference also will be webcast at:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
The news conference will also be streamed live at:
www.ustream.tv/NASAJPL2
On launch day, Jan. 17, NASA TV launch commentary coverage of the countdown will begin at 8 a.m. PST (11 a.m. EST). Launch is targeted for 10:42:18 a.m. PST (1:42:18 p.m. EST). The launch window is 30 seconds in duration. Spacecraft separation from the rocket occurs 55 minutes after launch.
For information on receiving NASA TV, go to:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html
VOICE CIRCUIT COVERAGE
Audio only of the press conference activities and the launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, -1260. 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 8 a.m. PST (11 a.m. EST).
NASA WEB PRELAUNCH AND LAUNCH COVERAGE
For extensive prelaunch, countdown and launch day coverage of the liftoff, including the prelaunch webcast of Jason-3 aboard the Falcon 9 rocket, go to:
http://blogs.nasa.gov/Jason3
SOCIAL MEDIA
Throughout the launch countdown, the NASA Launch Services Program and NASA JPL Twitter and Facebook accounts will be continuously updated at:
https://www.twitter.com/NASALSP
https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy
https://twitter.com/NASAJPL
https://www.facebook.com/NASALSP
https://www.facebook.com/NASAJPL
https://www.facebook.com/NASAKennedy
Live countdown coverage on NASA’s launch blog begins at 8 a.m. PST
(11 a.m. EST). Coverage features real-time updates of countdown milestones, as well as streaming video clips highlighting launch preparations and liftoff.
NASA JASON-3 AND FALCON 9 NEWS CENTER
The Jason-3 and Falcon 9 News Center at the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office has opened. To speak with a NASA communications specialist, call 805-605-3051. A recorded launch status report also will be available by dialing 805-734-2693.
For more information about the Jason-3 mission, visit:
http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/jason-3/
