NASA Sets Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission Launch Events Coverage

J.D. Harrington

NASA Headquarters, Washington

202-358-5241

j.d.harrington@nasa.gov

 

George H. Diller

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

321-867-2468

george.h.diller@nasa.gov

 

Geoffrey Brown

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md.

240-228-5618

geoffrey.brown@jhuapl.edu

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) are set to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket Aug. 23. The 20-minute launch window for the twin probes at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41 begins at 4:08 a.m. EDT.

Launch commentary coverage, as well as prelaunch media briefings, will be carried live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

RBSP will explore space weather -- changes in Earth's space environment caused by the sun -- that can disable satellites, create power grid failures and disrupt GPS service. The mission also will allow researchers to understand fundamental radiation and particle acceleration processes throughout the universe.

Prelaunch News Conference

A prelaunch news conference on NASA TV will be held at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site at 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 20.

Briefing participants are:

-- Michael Luther, deputy associate administrator for programs, NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington

-- Tim Dunn, NASA launch director, Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

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

-- Richard Fitzgerald, RBSP project manager, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory,

Laurel, Md.

-- Kathy Winters, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Air Force

Station, Fla.

RBSP Mission Science Briefing

Immediately following the prelaunch news conference, an RBSP mission science briefing will be held and carried on NASA TV.

Briefing participants are:

-- Mona Kessel, RBSP program scientist, NASA Headquarters, Washington

-- Nicola Fox, RBSP deputy project scientist, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

-- Craig Kletzing, principal investigator, University of Iowa, Electric and Magnetic Field

Instrument Suite and Integrated Science instrument

-- Harlan Spence, principal investigator, University of New Hampshire, Energetic Particle,

Composition, and Thermal Plasma Suite instrument, Durham, N.H.

-- Lou Lanzerotti, principal investigator, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Radiation Belt

Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment, Newark, N.J.

The science briefing is scheduled to conclude by 3 p.m.

A post-launch news conference also will be held approximately 2 1/2 hours after launch on Aug. 23.

Accreditation and Media Access Badges for Kennedy

U.S. media who want to cover the RBSP prelaunch news conference and mission science briefing in-person must apply for credentials online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov/

The deadline for international media to apply for launch accreditation has passed.

Atlas V Launch Vehicle Rollout

Tuesday, Aug. 21: There will be a media opportunity to observe rollout of the Atlas V rocket from the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad. Media should be at Kennedy's Press Site at 9 a.m. for transportation to the viewing location near Space Launch Complex 41.

Remote Camera Placement at Space Launch Complex 41

Tuesday, Aug. 21: Photographers who wish to set up remote sound-activated cameras at the Atlas V launch pad will transported to Space Launch Complex 41. Media should meet in the Kennedy Press Site parking lot at 1:30 p.m. Media also should plan to use a timer that can be set for more than 24 hours. Only news media representatives establishing a remote camera at the pad will be permitted for this activity.

Launch Day Press Site Access

Thursday, Aug. 23: Media will cover the RBSP launch from Kennedy's Press Site. Access will be through Gate 3 on State Road 405, east of the Kennedy Center Visitor Complex beginning at 12:30 a.m.

Kennedy Press Site Hours

Monday, Aug. 20: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 21: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 22: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 23: 12:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

NASA Television Coverage

On Monday, Aug. 20, NASA Television will carry the RBSP prelaunch news conference and mission science briefing live beginning at 1 p.m.

On Thursday, Aug. 23, NASA Television coverage of the launch will begin at 1:30 a.m. and conclude after the second of the two RBSP spacecraft has separated from the Atlas V, which occurs 91 minutes and six seconds after launch. Live launch coverage will be carried on all NASA Television channels.

A post-launch news conference will be held at Kennedy's Press Site approximately 2 1/2 hours after launch. Spokespersons also will be available at the Press Site for interviews and to answer questions.

For NASA Television downlink information, schedule information and streaming video, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

A prelaunch webcast for the RBSP mission will be streamed on NASA's website at noon, Wednesday, Aug. 22. Live countdown coverage through NASA's Launch Blog begins at 1:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 23. 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 RBSP mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/rbsp.

Social Media

Join the conversation online by using the #RBSP hashtag or by following RBSP on Twitter at @RBStormProbes or on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/QR9agm.

Throughout the launch countdown, the @RBStormProbes and @NASAKennedy Twitter feeds will be continuously updated with the latest mission updates and news.

http://www.twitter.com/RBStormProbes and http://www.twitter.com/nasakennedy.

Recorded Status

Recorded status reports and updates to the media advisory on the RBSP launch will be provided through the Kennedy media phone line starting Monday, Aug. 20. The telephone number is 321-867-2525.

Wireless Capability

Wireless capability for the news media is available at Kennedy's Press Site.

RBSP is part of NASA's Living with a Star program, managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md., built the pair of RBSP spacecraft and will manage the mission for NASA. NASA's Launch Services Program at Kennedy is responsible for launch management. United Launch Alliance is the provider of the Atlas V launch service.

- end -

New NASA Mission Ready to Brave Earth's Radiation Belts

J.D. Harrington

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-5241

j.d.harrington@nasa.gov

 

Geoffrey Brown

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel Md.

240-228-5618 or 443-778-5618

geoffrey.brown@jhuapl.edu

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission will send two spacecraft into the harsh environment of our planet's radiation belts. Final preparations have begun for launch on Thursday, Aug. 23, from Florida's Space Coast.

The RBSP spacecraft are designed to fly and operate in the heart of the most hazardous regions of near-Earth space to collect crucial data. The data will help researchers develop an understanding of the Van Allen radiation belts, two rings of very high energy electrons and protons that can pose hazards to human and robotic explorers.

"At the end of this month we will turn our attention from planet Mars to planet Earth, both immersed in the atmosphere of our sun," said Barbara Giles, director of NASA's Heliophysics Division. "RBSP will further explore the connection of solar variability and its impacts on Earth's radiation belts."

RBSP will help scientists understand how the invisible radiation belts -- named for James Van Allen, who discovered them -- behave and react to changes in the sun, thereby contributing to Earth's space weather. Space weather is caused in great part by the sun's influence on Earth and near-Earth space, including solar events such as giant eruptions of solar material called coronal mass ejections.

"The dramatic dynamics of Earth's radiation belts caused by space weather are highly unpredictable," said Barry Mauk, RBSP project scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md. "One of the fundamental objectives of the RBSP mission is to use Earth's magnetosphere as a natural laboratory to understand generally how radiation is created and evolves throughout the universe. There are many mysteries that need to be resolved."

Space weather fluctuations can increase radiation exposure for pilots and passengers during polar aircraft flights. They also can disable satellites, cause power grid failures, and disrupt the Global Positioning System, television and telecommunications signals. Understanding the science of space weather will lead to better space weather predictions, which in turn will allow us to better manage and protect our technological infrastructure in space and on the ground.

The spacecraft are atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket currently being prepared to lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

"Everything is ready and prepared for RBSP to launch as scheduled," said Richard Fitzgerald, RBSP project manager at APL. "Both the twin spacecraft and the entire RBSP team are eager to begin their exploration of one of the most dangerous parts of space near our planet."

The mission will last two years. The spacecraft, carrying the best and most comprehensive instrumentation ever sent into the radiation belts, will fly through surging and swelling belts of energized particles that would damage ordinary spacecraft. By using a pair of probes flying in highly elliptical orbits, scientists will be able to study the radiation belts over space and time, learn how particles within the belts are produced and behave during space weather events, and what mechanisms drive the acceleration of the particles.

RBSP is part of NASA's Living With a Star Program to explore aspects of the connected sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. LWS is managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. APL built the RBSP spacecraft and will manage the mission for NASA.

For more information about NASA's RBSP mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/rbsp.

- end -

NASA to Hold News Conference on Upcoming Radiation Belt Storm Probes Launch

J.D. Harrington

Headquarters, Washington     

202-358-5241

j.d.harrington@nasa.gov

 

Geoffrey Brown

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md.

240-228-5618

geoffrey.brown@jhuapl.edu

WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. EDT, Thursday, Aug. 9 to discuss the upcoming launch of the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP), a mission to study Earth’s radiation belts. The event will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed on the agency's website.

The two-year RBSP mission will help scientists develop an understanding of Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts and related regions that pose hazards to human and robotic explorers.

RBSP is scheduled to launch no earlier than 4:08 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 23 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The twin probes will lift off on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

News conference panelists are:

-- Madhulika Guhathakurta, Living With a Star program scientist, NASA Headquarters, Washington

-- Mona Kessel, RBSP program scientist, NASA Headquarters

-- Barry Mauk, RBSP project scientist, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Laurel, Md.

-- Rick Fitzgerald, RBSP project manager, APL, Laurel, Md.

Reporters can ask questions from NASA's centers, by telephone or via Twitter using the hashtag #asknasa. For dial-in information, reporters must send their name, media affiliation and telephone number to j.d.harrington@nasa.gov by 1 p.m. Aug. 9.

RBSP will explore space weather -- changes in Earth's space environment caused by the sun -- that can disable satellites, create power grid failures and disrupt GPS service. The mission also will allow researchers to understand fundamental radiation and particle acceleration processes throughout the universe.

Graphics presented during the news conference will be online shortly before the start of the event at http://www.nasa.gov/sunearth.

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For more information about the RBSP mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/rbsp.

- end -

NASA Announces Event for Social Media Followers at RBSP Launch

John Yembrick/Jason Townsend

Headquarters, Washington                          

202-358-0359

john.yembrick@nasa.gov / jason.c.townsend@nasa.gov

WASHINGTON -- NASA invites its social media followers to a two-day NASA Social on Aug. 22-23, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the launch of NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission.

NASA Socials are in-person meetings with people who engage with the agency through Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social networks. This event is expected to culminate in the launch of the twin RBSP spacecraft, currently targeted for 4:08 a.m. EDT, Thursday, Aug. 23 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

Registration for the NASA Social opens at noon Thursday, July 5, and closes at noon Monday, July 9. Fifty participants will be selected from online registrations. Because portions of this event may take place in restricted areas, registration is limited to U.S. citizens.

Participants will have unique behind the scenes experiences with NASA, which they are encouraged to share with others through their favorite social networks. Guests will view the launch, tour facilities at Kennedy, speak with representatives from NASA and the Applied Physics Laboratory, view the RBSP launch pad, meet fellow space enthusiasts who are active on social media and meet members of NASA's launch services and social media teams.

The RBSP mission uses two identical spacecraft built by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md. Designed for a two-year primary science mission in orbit around Earth, RBSP will provide insight into our planet's radiation belts and help scientists predict changes in this critical region of space.

For more information on the NASA Social and to register, visit http://www.nasa.gov/social.

To find all the ways to connect and collaborate with NASA, visit http://www.nasa.gov/connect.

To learn more about RBSP, visit http://www.nasa.gov/rbsp.

- end -

International Media Accreditation Now Open for NASA’s RBSP Launch

Joshua Buck / Dwayne Brown

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1100 / 202-358-1726

jbuck@nasa.gov / dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

 

George Diller

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

321-867-2468

george.h.diller@nasa.gov

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Media accreditation is open for the launch of NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission. Liftoff is scheduled for 4:08 a.m. EDT, Thursday, Aug. 23, aboard an Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

The two-year RBSP mission will help scientists develop an understanding of Earth's Van Allen radiation belts and related regions that pose hazards to human and robotic explorers.

International news media who want to cover the RBSP launch must apply for accreditation by 5 p.m., July 18. NASA and the U.S. Air Force require international media to apply for accreditation at least 30 days in advance of the scheduled launch. U.S. media also may begin their application process at this time. All news media must use the online accreditation system at https://media.ksc.nasa.gov/.

International media are required to provide their full legal name, date of birth, nationality, passport number and media affiliation. Two forms of legal identification are required upon arrival at Kennedy. At least one form must be legal photo identification, such as a passport or driver license.

International media with questions about accreditation should contact:

Jennifer Horner

NASA Public Affairs Office

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

321-867-6598 or 321-867-2468

jennifer.p.horner@nasa.gov

RBSP will use twin probes to explore space weather -- changes in Earth's space environment caused by the sun -- that can disable satellites, create power grid failures and disrupt GPS service. The mission also will allow researchers to understand fundamental radiation and particle acceleration processes throughout the universe.

The RBSP is part of NASA's Living with a Star Program, which is managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md., built the pair of RBSP spacecraft and will manage the mission for NASA. The Launch Services Program at Kennedy is responsible for launch management. United Launch Alliance is the provider of the Atlas V launch service.

For more information about the RBSP mission, visit http:www.nasa.gov/rbsp.

- end -