Launch week at Kennedy will be as busy as ever heading toward the Dec. 3 liftoff of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying an Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft stuffed with 7,300 pounds of supplies and equipment for the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for 5:55 p.m. EST. The launch will be shown live on NASA TV and covered here on the NASA Blog from the launch site beginning at 4:30 p.m.
There are numerous briefings and activities planned leading up to launch. The details can be found here. Here’s a quick look at the briefings on tap for next week, too. All will be shown on NASA TV which can be streamed at www.nasa.gov/ntv:
ISS SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY PANEL ON NASA TV
Wednesday, Dec. 2: An ISS Science, Research and Technology briefing will be held at Kennedy’s Press Site at 1 p.m. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participants will be:
- Kirt Costello, deputy chief scientist, International Space Station Program Science Office, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
- Ken Shields, director of Operations and Education Outreach, Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS)
- Dr. Brian Motil, principle investigator, Packed Bed Reactor Experiment (PBRE), NASA’s Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
- Talbot Jaeger, chief technology officer, NovaWurks, and principle investigator, Nanoracks-MicroSat-SIMPL (Satlet Initial-Mission Proofs and Lessons)
- Andrew Petro, program executive, Small Spacecraft Technology Program, NASA Headquarters, Washington
- Eleanor McCormack, principal, St. Thomas More Cathedral School, St. Thomas More (STM)Sat-1
PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE ON NASA TV
Wednesday, Dec. 2: A prelaunch status will be held at Kennedy’s Press Site at 2 p.m. NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participants will be:
- Kirk Shireman, International Space Station Program manager
- Frank Culbertson, Jr., Space Systems Group president, Orbital ATK
- Vernon Thorpe, program manager for NASA missions, United Launch Alliance
- Todd McNamara, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron
POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE ON NASA TV
Thursday, Dec. 3: A post-launch news conference will occur at about 8 p.m. and NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet coverage.
Participants will be:
- Kirk Shireman, International Space Station Program manager
- Frank Culbertson, Jr., Space Systems Group president, Orbital ATK
- Vernon Thorpe, program manager for NASA missions, United Launch Alliance