NASA Updates Coverage of JPSS-2 Weather Satellite

Image: The United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairing containing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) is readied for its move to the vertical integration facility at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Credits: USSF 30th Space Wing/Carlos Vela.

NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) mission and NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) technology demonstration.

Liftoff is scheduled at 1:25 a.m. PST (4:25 a.m. EST) Thursday, Nov. 10, on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The Joint Polar Satellite System is the latest generation of NOAA’s polar-orbiting environmental satellites. JPSS will capture data to inform weather forecasts, helping scientists predict and prepare for extreme weather events.

After JPSS-2 safely reaches orbit, LOFTID will follow a re-entry trajectory from low-Earth orbit to demonstrate the inflatable heat shield’s ability to slow down and survive re-entry. The technology could be further developed to support crewed and large robotic missions to destinations such as Mars, Venus, and Titan, as well as returning heavier payloads to Earth.

Live launch coverage will begin at 3:45 a.m. EST (12:45 a.m. PST) on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website, with additional events beginning Tuesday, Nov. 8. Watch coverage on the agency’s website at: https://www.nasa.gov/live

Full mission coverage is as follows:

Tuesday, Nov. 8

5:30 p.m. EST (2:30 p.m. PST) – NASA will hold a science briefing to discuss the JPSS-2 and LOFTID missions. The agency will livestream audio of the media teleconference on its website.

Participants include:

· Jordan Gerth, meteorologist and satellite scientist, NOAA’s National Weather Service

· Jim Gleason, senior project scientist, NASA JPSS, NASA

· Satya Kalluri, program scientist, NOAA JPSS Program

· Heather Kilcoyne, ground project manager, NOAA JPSS

· Joe Del Corso, LOFTID project manager, NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia

Wednesday, Nov. 9

11 p.m. EST (8 p.m. PST) – NASA Edge will host the JPSS-2 and LOFTID Tower Rollback Show that will air live on NASA TV and YouTube.

NASA TV Launch Coverage

NASA TV live coverage will begin at 3:45 a.m. EST (12:45 a.m. PST) Thursday, Nov. 10. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, or 7135. On launch day, “mission audio,” countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135. A “tech feed” of the launch without NASA TV commentary will be carried on the NASA TV media channel.

Public Participation

Members of the public still have time to register to attend the JPSS-2 and LOFTID launch virtually. The virtual guest program for this mission includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the virtual guest passport following a successful launch.

JPSS-2 and LOFTID Virtual Social

The virtual social for JPSS-2 and LOFTID continues, and we invite the public to join into the excitement of virtual social media event hosted on Facebook.com/NASA. Continue to follow and interact with NASA, NOAA, and other team members in real-time, and watch the launch of the ULA Atlas V rocket that will boost JPSS-2 for its journey into orbit. Join the conversation on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtags #JPSS2 and #LOFTID. Continue following the mission online at:

Twitter: @NASA, @NOAA, @NOAASatellites, @NASASocial, @NASA_LSP, @NASAKennedy, @NASAEarth, @NASAGoddard, @NASALangley, @NASA_Technology, @ULALaunch, @SLDelta30