NASA Sets Coverage for GOES-O Launch on June 26

June 22, 2009

George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468


Cynthia O'Carroll
Goddard Space Flight Center, Md.
301-286-4647


MEDIA ADVISORY: 33-09

NASA SETS COVERAGE FOR GOES-O LAUNCH ON JUNE 26

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Geostationary Operational Environmental
Satellite-O, or GOES-O, is scheduled for a liftoff on Friday, June
26, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The one-hour
launch window extends from 6:14 to 7:14 p.m. EDT.

NASA will provide television, Internet and photo coverage of the
launch starting with a prelaunch news conference at 1 p.m., on
Thursday, June 25, at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Press Site.

GOES-O is the second of three in the current series of geostationary
weather and environmental satellites built for NASA by Boeing Space
and Intelligence Systems. It will be launched into orbit for NASA
aboard a Boeing Delta IV rocket.

Participating in the June 25 prelaunch news conference will be:



Gary Davis, director, Office of Systems Development
NOAA Satellite and Information Service


Kris Walsh, Commercial Programs manager
United Launch Alliance


Ken Heinly, director, Launch Products and Services
Boeing


Andre Dress, GOES-O deputy project manager
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center


Charlie Maloney, GOES-O program manager
Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems


Bart Hagemeyer, meteorologist in charge
NOAA National Weather Service Forecast Office, Melbourne, Fla.


Joel Tumbiolo, Delta IV launch weather officer
45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station


NASA Television will carry the prelaunch news conference on the
"public channel." On launch day, June 26, NASA TV countdown coverage
will begin on the "media channel" at 4 p.m. and will conclude 30
minutes after liftoff. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules
and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Audio only of the prelaunch news conference and the launch coverage
will be carried on the NASA "V" circuits which may be accessed by
dialing 321-867-1220, - 1240, -1260 and -7135. 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 noon. Launch will also be available on local amateur VHF radio
frequency 146.940 MHz heard within Brevard County.

Prelaunch and launch day coverage of GOES-O mission will be available
on the NASA Web site at:

http://www.nasa.gov

Live countdown coverage on NASA's launch blog begins at 4 p.m., on
June 26. Coverage features real-time updates of countdown milestones,
as well as streaming video and podcast of launch. To access these
features, go to NASA's GOES-O mission Web site at:

http://www.nasa.gov/goes-o

GOES-O will also provide expanded capability for the space and solar
environment-monitoring instruments. Forecasts and warnings for solar
disturbances will be enhanced. GOES-O data will protect investments
of billions of dollars by the government and private sector for
assets on the ground and in space.

GOES-O will feature a highly stable pointing platform, which will
improve the performance of its Imager and Sounder that are important
instruments for creating daily weather-prediction models and for
hurricane forecasting. Data from GOES-O will be valuable for the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Ocean
Service, which provides oceanographic circulation models and
forecasts for U.S. coastal communities.

As with all of NOAA's geostationary and polar-orbiting weather
satellites, GOES-O will be able to relay distress signals detected
from emergency locator beacons on the ground and at sea.

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland is responsible for
designing and developing the spacecraft and its instruments for NOAA.

For further information about GOES-O's launch coverage, contact the
Kennedy Space Center News Center at 321-867-2468.


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