Artist's concept of NASA's Terra spacecraft orbiting Earth. Photo: NASA

The launch of NASA's Terra spacecraft aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas 2AS rocket is scheduled to occur on Thursday, December 16 from Space Launch Complex 3 East at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. The launch window is 25 minutes in duration extending from 1:33 to 1:58 p.m. EST.

Terra, originally called EOS AM-1, is the NASA flagship in a new series of satellites, which represents a key contribution to the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Terra carries five state-of-the-art sets of instruments with measurement and accuracy capabilities never flown before. Terra takes a global approach to data collection that will enable scientists to study the interaction among the four spheres of the Earth system - the oceans, lands, atmosphere and biosphere.

Long-term weather and climate prediction is a challenge now requiring the collection of better data over longer periods to understand the interactions and links among air, land, water and life within the Earth system. Moreover, Terra will also be able to measure and observe changes in the Earth's radiation energy budget important to the process. This is the amount of incoming energy from the sun minus outgoing energy from reflected sunlight and emitted heat.

Pre-launch news conference
The prelaunch news conference will be held on Wednesday, December 15 from 4 to 5 p.m. EST in the main conference room of the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office, Building 840, Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. Participants will be:

• Ghassem Asrar, Associate Administrator, Office of Earth Science, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

• Ray Lugo, NASA Mission Director, Kennedy Space Center, FL

• Tom Heter, Director, Vandenberg Launch Operations, Lockheed Martin Astronautics

• Richard Ho, Terra Deputy Project Manager, Goddard Space Flight Center, MD

• Captain Joe Kurtz, USAF Launch Weather Officer, 30th Weather Squadron, Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA

Media desiring to cover the prelaunch news conference should meet at the south gate of Vandenberg Air Force Base on California State Road 246 at 12:30 p.m. and will be escorted to the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office.

NASA Television coverage
NASA Television will carry the prelaunch news conference starting at 4 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Dec. 15. On launch day, Dec. 16, NASA TV coverage of the countdown will begin at 11:30 a.m. EST and continue through spacecraft separation which occurs at 13 minutes 39 seconds into flight.

NASA Television is carried on GE-2, transponder 9C located at 85 degrees West longitude.