NASA & SPACE NEWS
(NASA) – As part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis program, United Launch Alliance and Astrobotic are targeting 2:18 a.m. EST Monday, Jan. 8, for the first commercial robotic launch to the Moon’s surface.
Carrying NASA science, liftoff of ULA’s Vulcan rocket and Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander will happen from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Live launch coverage will air on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website, with prelaunch events starting Thursday, Jan. 4. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media. Follow events online on SpaceCoastDaily.com.
Peregrine will land on the Moon on Friday, Feb. 23. The NASA payloads aboard the lander aim to help the agency develop capabilities needed to explore the Moon under Artemis and in advance of human missions on the lunar surface.
Full coverage of this mission is as follows (all times Eastern):
■ Thursday, Jan. 4
11 a.m. – Science media briefing via WebEx with the following participants:
■ Paul Niles, CLPS project scientist, NASA Headquarters
■ Chris Culbert, CLPS program manager, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
■ Nic Stoffle, science and operations lead for Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer, NASA Johnson
■ Anthony Colaprete, principal investigator, Near-Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System, NASA’s Ames Research Center
■ Richard Elphic, principal investigator, Neutron Spectrometer System, NASA’s Ames Research Center
■ Barbara Cohen, principal investigator, Peregrine Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
■ Daniel Cremons, deputy principal investigator for Laser Retroreflector, NASA Goddard
■ Niki Werkheiser, director, Technology Maturation, Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Friday, Jan. 5
■ 3 p.m. – Lunar delivery readiness media teleconference with the following participants:
■ Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for Exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
■ Ryan Watkins, program scientist, Exploration Science Strategy and Integration Office, NASA Headquarters
■ John Thornton, CEO, Astrobotic
■ Gary Wentz, vice president, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA
■ Arlena Moses, launch weather officer, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron
Media may ask questions via phone. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 1 p.m. on Jan. 5, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Monday, Jan. 8
■ 1:30 a.m. – NASA TV launch coverage begins
■ 2:18 a.m. – Launch
NASA launch coverage
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, the full mission broadcast can be heard on -1220 and -1240, while the countdown net only can be heard on -7135 beginning approximately at 1:30 a.m. when the mission broadcast begins.
On launch day, a “tech feed” showing a static shot of the launch pad without NASA TV commentary will be carried on the NASA TV media channel.
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