NASA Sets GRAIL/Delta II Launch Coverage Events

[KSC News Center <ksc@mediaservices.nasa.gov>]

Aug. 23, 2011

George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
george.h.diller@nasa.gov 

Dwayne Brown 
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726
dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov 

DC Agle
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-9011
david.c.agle@jpl.nasa.gov 

MEDIA ADVISORY: M30-11

NASA SETS GRAIL/DELTA II LAUNCH COVERAGE EVENTS

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's GRAIL spacecraft is set to launch to 
the moon aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket on Sept. 8, 
2011, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. There are two 
instantaneous (one second) launch windows at 8:37:06 a.m. and 9:16:12 
a.m. EDT. The launch period extends through Oct. 19. The launch times 
occur approximately four minutes earlier each day.

GRAIL's primary science objectives are to determine the structure of 
the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance understanding 
of the thermal evolution of the moon. 

GRAIL Prelaunch News Conference 

A prelaunch news conference will be held at NASA Kennedy Space 
Center's Press Site on Tuesday, Sept. 6, at 1 p.m. Participating in 
the briefing will be:

Ed Weiler, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate
NASA Headquarters, Washington

Tim Dunn, NASA launch director
NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Vernon Thorp, program manager, NASA Missions
United Launch Alliance, Denver, Colo.

David Lehman, GRAIL project manager
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

John Henk, GRAIL program manager
Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, Colo.

Joel Tumbiolo, launch weather officer
45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

GRAIL Mission Science Briefing

A GRAIL mission science briefing will be held at Kennedy's Press Site 
on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 10 a.m. Participating in the briefing will 
be:

Robert Fogel, GRAIL program scientist
NASA Headquarters, Washington

Maria Zuber, GRAIL principal investigator
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

Sami Asmar, GRAIL deputy project scientist
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

Sally Ride, president and CEO
Sally Ride Science, San Diego, Calif.

A post-launch news conference will be held at Kennedy's Press Site at 
a time to be determined after launch.

Accreditation and Media Access Badges for Kennedy Space Center

Media who want to cover the GRAIL prelaunch news conference, mission 
science briefing and the launch must complete the online 
accreditation process at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov  

Accreditation for foreign journalists must be received by Sunday, Aug. 
28. U.S. media must apply by Monday, Sept. 5. Media may obtain their 
NASA access badge at the Kennedy Space Center Badging Office located 
near Gate 3 on State Road 405, just past the Kennedy Space Center 
Visitor Complex. Two forms of government-issued identification, one 
with photo, will be required in order to receive an access badge for 
Kennedy to cover the prelaunch news conference and the launch. Badges 
will be available for pickup beginning Sept. 6. The Kennedy Space 
Center Badging Office hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. For 
further information about accreditation, contact Laurel Lichtenberger 
at 321-867-4036.

Delta II Mobile Service Tower Rollback

Sept. 7: There will be a media opportunity at Cape Canaveral Air Force 
Station's Pad 17B to observe rollback of the mobile service tower 
from the Delta II rocket. Media should meet in the parking lot of 
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Gate 1 Pass and Identification 
Building at 9:30 p.m. for transportation by government bus to the 
viewing location at the launch pad. 

Remote Camera Placement at Launch Complex 17

Sept. 7: Photographers who wish to set up remote sound-activated 
cameras at the launch pad should meet in the parking lot of Cape 
Canaveral Air Force Station's Gate 1 Pass and Identification Building 
at 9:45 a.m.

Launch Day Press Site Access 

Sept. 8: Media will cover the GRAIL launch from Press Site 1 on Cape 
Canaveral Air Force Station. Media must arrive at Kennedy's Press 
Site by 6 a.m. for transportation to the viewing site.

Kennedy Press Site Hours

Tuesday, Sept. 6: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 7: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 8: 5:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

NASA Television Coverage

NASA Television will carry the GRAIL prelaunch news conference 
beginning at 1 p.m. on Sept. 6 and the GRAIL mission science briefing 
on Sept. 7 at 10 a.m.

On Sept. 8, NASA Television coverage of the launch will begin at 6 
a.m. and conclude after spacecraft separation from the Delta II has 
occurred 58 minutes, 45 seconds after launch. Live launch coverage 
will be carried on all NASA Television channels and on the agency's 
website.

A post-launch news conference will be held at Kennedy's Press Site at 
a time to be determined after launch. A post-launch news release also 
will be issued as soon as the state of health of GRAIL can be 
determined. Spokespersons also will be available at the Press Site to 
answer questions and for interviews.

For NASA Television downlink information, schedule information and 
streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv 

Audio only of the news conferences and the launch coverage will be 
carried on the NASA "V" circuits which may be accessed by dialing 
321-867-1220 or -1240 or -1260 or -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 6 a.m. 
Launch will also be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 
146.940 MHz heard within Brevard County.

NASA Web Prelaunch and Launch Coverage

Extensive prelaunch and launch day coverage of the liftoff of the 
GRAIL spacecraft aboard the Delta II rocket will be available on 
NASA's home page on the Internet at:

http://www.nasa.gov 

A prelaunch webcast for the GRAIL mission will be streamed on the Web 
on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at noon. Live countdown coverage through 
NASA's Launch Blog begins at 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 8. Coverage features 
live updates as countdown milestones occur, as well as streaming 
video clips highlighting launch preparations and liftoff. For 
questions about countdown coverage, contact Jeanne Ryba at 
321-867-7824.

To view the webcast and the blog or to learn more about the GRAIL 
mission, visit the mission home page at:

http://www.nasa.gov/grail

Twitter

The NASA News Twitter feed will be updated throughout the launch 
countdown. To access the NASA News Twitter feed, visit:

http://www.twitter.com/nasa

Recorded Status

Recorded status reports on the launch of GRAIL and updates to the 
media advisory will be provided on the Kennedy media phone line 
starting Tuesday, Sept. 6. The telephone number is 321-867-2525.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the GRAIL 
mission for the principal investigator, Maria Zuber, of the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. The GRAIL 
mission is part of the New Frontiers Program managed at NASA's 
Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Lockheed Martin 
Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. Launch management for 
the mission is the responsibility of NASA's Launch Services Program 
at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 

	
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