Wednesday morning (2-4) a Delta II rocket (7320 configuration) is
scheduled to launch the NOAA-N Prime satellite for NASA and NOAA from
SLC-2W, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Launch attempt is scheduled 5:22 a.m. EST. with a window extending 10
minutes to 5:32 a.m. EST.

Satellite separation is scheduled for 66 minutes after launch.

NOAA-N Prime, built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company of
Sunnyvale, Calif. is the fifth and final satellite in the polar
satellite program for NOAA.
NOAA-N was scheduled for launch in March 2008 but had a major setback
when back in September of 2003 the spacecraft was being titled on the
turnover cart from the vertical to horizontal position when it slipped
off and crashed to the floor at the Lockheed Martin Corp. processing
facility in Sunnyvale, Calif. After months to investigate the cause and
survey the damage, the spacecraft was determined to be rebuildable with
parts from a large inventory of spares left over from earlier missions
since this was the final satellite in the series.
The satellite's support structure was reused, along with several other
parts after being disassembled with vibration and thermal tests on every
part conducted to be re-certified. About 75 percent of the craft's
components were replaced with new or spare hardware,
The repairs cost NOAA more than $217 million and Lockheed Martin also
forfeited a portion of their profit from the program, but allot of that
money was already budgeted for NOAA-N Prime's planned 2 year storage as
the spacecraft was slated to be completed by 2005.
An investigation report issued a year later concluded that 24 bolts were
not installed to secure the spacecraft to the turnover cart.

**This is the first Delta II launch of 2009 and occurs during the 20th
anniversary month of the first Delta II launch. That launch occurred
Feb. 14, 1989, from Cape Canaveral, Fla. launching the NAVSTAR II-1 GPS
satellite for the Air Force.

Satellite Broadcast Coordinates:

NASA TV MPEG2 available on AMC-6 at 72° W, transponder 17C (4040 V)
SR: 26665 VPID: 273 APID: 276 PCR: 273 (public channel)
VPID: 4145 APID: 4148 PCR: 4145 (media channel)

NASA TV MPEG2 available on AMC-7 at 137° W, transponder 18 (4060 V)
SR: 26665 VPID: 273 APID: 276 PCR: 273 (public channel)
VPID: 4145 APID: 4148 PCR: 4145 (media channel)

Coverage starts about 3 a.m. EST.

ULA webcast of launch available:

http://www.ulalaunch.com/index_webcast.html

Coverage is expected to start about 3:15 a.m. EST.

Additional coverage at:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d336/status.html
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/launches/next_launch.html
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NOAA-N-Prime/main/index.html

--

Dishnut-P

====================================================================
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