| June 21, 2002 NOAA-M/TITAN II ROCKET READY FOR LAUNCH JUNE 24 The launch of the NOAA-M polar-orbiting weather satellite for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aboard a U.S. Air Force Titan II rocket is scheduled to occur on Monday, June 24. Liftoff will be from Space Launch Complex 4 West at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The 10-minute launch window extends from 11:22 - 11:32 a.m. PDT. The NOAA-M satellite will improve weather forecasting and monitor environmental events around the world. NOAA-M is the third in the current series of five polar-orbiting satellites with improved imaging and sounding capabilities that will operate over the next 10 years. NOAA-M, built by Lockheed Martin, will collect meteorological data and transmit the information to the NOAA National Weather Service for its long-range weather and climate forecasts. Users around the world will also be able to access the satellite's images and data.
PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE The prelaunch news conference will be held on Sunday, June 23 at 1 p.m. PDT in the main conference room of the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office, Building 840, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Participants will be: Mike Mignogno, NOAA Polar Satellite Program Manager,
Suitland, Md. Lt. Col. Clinton Crosier, Titan II Launch Director, 2nd Space Launch Squadron
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Omar Baez, NASA Mission Director
Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Karen Halterman, NASA Program Manager,
Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Captain Scott Emert, Launch Weather Officer, 30th Weather Squadron
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Media desiring to cover the prelaunch news conference should meet at the south gate of Vandenberg Air Force Base on California State Road 246 at 12:30 p.m. PDT. They will be escorted to the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office in Building 840. A post-launch news conference will not be held. However, media will have the opportunity to interview launch officials afterward at the NASA Mission Director's Center in Building 840, if desired.
LAUNCH DAY PRESS COVERAGE On launch day, Monday, June 24, media covering the NOAA-M/Titan II launch should meet at the Vandenberg Air Force Base main gate located on California State Road 1 at 10 a.m. PDT to be escorted to the press site located on north Vandenberg Air Force Base. After launch, media will be escorted back to the main gate, or to the NASA Mission Director's Center in Building 840 for interviews if desired.
NASA TELEVISION AND VOICE CIRCUIT COVERAGE NASA Television will carry the prelaunch news conference starting at 1 p.m. PDT on Sunday, June 23. On launch day, June 24, NASA TV coverage of the countdown will begin at 10 a.m. PDT and conclude after the spacecraft reaches orbit at 16 minutes after liftoff. A complete NOAA-M video package will be broadcast on Launch-1 day, Sunday, June 23, following the prelaunch press conference and on Monday, June 24, at noon and 3 p.m. EDT during the NASA TV Video File. NASA Television is carried on GE-2, transponder 9C located at 85 degrees West longitude. Audio only will be available on the "V" circuit numbers that may be accessed directly by dialing 321/867- 1220, 1240, 1260, or 7135. NASA Television coverage of the NOAA-M launch will also be webcast on the NASA-KSC Home Page at http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/. Choose "KSC Live Video Feeds" followed by "NASA Television Coverage."
NASA NOAA-M NEWS CENTER The NOAA-M News Center at the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office will be staffed beginning Thursday, June 20. For launch information beginning at that time, contact George Diller at 805/605-3051. A recorded status report will also be available at that time by dialing 805/734-2693. ### Contacts: Cynthia M. O'Carroll
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Phone: 805/605-3051
Patricia Viets
NOAA Satellite Service
Phone: 301/457-5005
John Leslie
NOAA Weather Service
Phone: 301/713-0622
John Demko
NASA Public Affairs
Phone: 805/605-3024
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