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 OSTM Mission Overview
Rocket/Payload: Delta II vehicle launching the Ocean Surface Topography Mission on the Jason-2 satellite (OSTM/Jason-2) for NASA.
Date/Launch Time/Site: June 20, 12:46 a.m. PDT with a nine minute launch window from Space Launch Complex-2, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. If the launch scrubs, the next launch attempt is set for June 21, 12:34 a.m. PDT.
Special Launch Notes: This is the second ULA launch this year at Vandenberg, following the inaugural Atlas V launch at Space Launch Complex-3 March 13. It is the second NASA mission for ULA in 2008 and the fifth launch for ULA this year.
Payload Description: The Ocean Surface Topography Mission is a joint effort by four organizations including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA, France’s Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the European Meteological Satellite Organisation (EUMETSAT) to measure sea surface height by using a radar altimeter mounted on a low-earth orbiting satellite called Jason-2. This satellite altimetry mission provides sea surface heights for determining ocean circulation, climate change and sea-level rise and have been instrumental in meeting NOAA’s operational need for sea surface height measurements necessary for ocean modeling, forecasting El Niño/La Niña events, and hurricane intensity prediction.
Viewing the Launch Online: A live simulcast of the TV broadcast of the launch begins at 10:45 p.m. PDT, on the ULA Web Cast page. The NASA Web site will also carry the launch at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html.
Launch Updates: To keep up to speed with updates to the launch countdown, dial the ULA launch hotline at 1-877-852-4321
Go Delta II! Go OSTM
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