The launch of the Ocean Surface Topography Mission, or OSTM/Jason 2 satellite, aboard a Delta II rocket is scheduled for Friday, June 20, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in central California. The launch window extends from 12:46 to 12:55 a.m. PDT (3:46 to 3:55 a.m. EDT).
The satellite will be placed in an orbit 1,336 kilometers high (830 miles) at an inclination of 66 degrees after separating from the Delta II 55 minutes after liftoff.
The five primary science instruments of the Ocean Surface Topography Mission aboard the Jason 2 satellite are dedicated to measuring ocean surface height. These measurements will be used to evaluate and forecast climate changes and improve weather forecasting. The results are also expected to help forecasters better predict hurricane intensity.
The mission is an international collaboration between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the French space agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., manages the mission for NASA. NASA's Kennedy Space Center's Launch Services Program is responsible for the agency's launch management of the Delta II rocket.
A prelaunch news conference will be held at 1 p.m. PDT (4 p.m. EDT), Wednesday, June 18, in the main conference room of Building 12000 on North Vandenberg Air Force Base. Immediately following the prelaunch news conference, an OSTM/Jason 2 mission science briefing will be held.
NASA Television will carry the prelaunch news conference and mission science briefing starting at 1 p.m. PDT, June 18. NASA TV coverage of launch countdown will begin at 10:45 p.m. PDT, June 19, and conclude after the spacecraft separates from the rocket and the solar arrays are deployed.
