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KSC Public Affairs Contact:
George Diller (fax 407-867-2692)
E-mail: George.Diller-1@ksc.nasa.gov
XTE SCHEDULED FOR LAUNCH ABOARD DELTA
ROCKET DEC. 10
The launch of NASA’s X-RAY TIMING
EXPLORER (XTE) aboard a McDonnell Douglas Delta II rocket is scheduled
for Sunday, Dec. 10 at the opening of a 90-minute minute launch window
which extends from 9:38 a.m. to 11:03 a.m. EST. Liftoff will occur from
Launch Complex 17-Pad A on Cape Canaveral Air Station.
PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE
The prelaunch news conference is
scheduled for Friday, Dec. 8 at 11 a.m. in the KSC News Center
auditorium and will be carried live on NASA Television. Participating in
the briefing will be:
Floyd Curington, NASA Launch Manager,
Kennedy Space Center
David Mitchell, Launch Vehicle Manager, Goddard Space Flight Center
Dale Schulz, Mission Director/XTE Project Manager
Dr. Hale Bradt, XTE Principal Investigator, Mass. Institute of
Technology
Joel Tumbiolo, Launch Weather Officer, Department of the Air Force
Immediately after the news conference
there will be a replay of the XTE mission science briefing on NASA
Television.
ACCREDITATION
Those media without permanent
accreditation who wish to cover the launch of Delta/XTE including the
prelaunch news conference on L-1 day should send a letter of request to
the NASA-KSC News Center on news organization letterhead. It should
include name and Social Security number or passport number. Letters
should be faxed to 407/867-2692 or addressed to:
XTE Launch Accreditation
NASA PA-MSB
Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899
XTE mission badges may be picked up at
Gate 2 on State Road 3 on Merritt Island on Dec. 8 between 8:30 a.m. and
10:30 a.m. or at the KSC News Center from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Media
covering the launch only may obtain badging at Gate 1 on Cape Canaveral
Air Station starting at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 10. A Delta-/XTE mission
badge is required for all media covering the launch from Press Site 1 on
launch day.
REMOTE CAMERAS
On Saturday, Dec. 7 at 9:30 a.m. a NASA
van will depart Gate 1 on Cape Canaveral Air Station for Launch Complex
17 for media photographers who wish to establish remote cameras at the
pad. There will be no access or transportation from the NASA-KSC News
Center.
LAUNCH DAY COVERAGE
On launch day, media covering the event
should assemble at Gate 1 on Cape Canaveral Air Station located on State
Road 401 at 8 a.m. to convoy to Press Site 1. After launch, following
the initial burn of the second stage, media wishing to cover the coast
phase and spacecraft separation from the E&O Building will convoy
from Press Site 1 to cover this activity. Others will be escorted back
to Gate 1 if they wish to leave. A post launch news conference will be
held one hour minutes after spacecraft separation in the E&O
Building if there is sufficient media interest. This briefing will not
be carried on NASA Television or the "V" circuits. After this
event, media will be escorted back to Gate 1.
The NASA News Center at KSC will not be
open for the XTE launch.
NASA TELEVISION AND V CIRCUIT COVERAGE
OF XTE
NASA Television will carry the prelaunch
news conference starting at 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 8. On launch day,
countdown coverage will begin at 8 a.m. and continue through spacecraft
separation. NASA Television is available on Spacenet 2, transponder 5,
channel 9 located at 69 degrees West longitude.
Audio only of all XTE activities except
the post launch news conference will also be available on the
"V" circuits which may be dialed directly at 407/867-1220,
1240 or 1260. |
