http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/landsat/main/index.html en-us
"The satellite is doing great," said Ken Schwer, LDCM project manager from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. He announced that a few minutes after the spacecraft separated from the rocket's Centaur upper stage, it began communicating with Earth and generating power with its solar array.

LDCM is a collaboration between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The Landsat program has been providing uninterrupted imagery of Earth since the first Landsat in 1972. About three months after liftoff, USGS will take control and the spacecraft will be renamed Landsat 8. Once on station 438 miles above Earth, LDCM will orbit every 99 minutes and image the entire Earth every 16 days.

"Landsat is the one monitoring system that for the last 40 years has provided every citizen of planet Earth the scale and the resolution to observe - for himself or herself - the changes and the ability of this planet to provide for each and every one of us those services that we require," said Marcia McNutt, director of the USGS. "I'm happy to say that thanks to that flawless launch today, the Landsat legacy will live on."

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., is responsible for LDCM project management. Orbital Sciences Corporation built the LDCM satellite. NASA's Launch Services Program at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida provides launch management. United Launch Alliance of Denver, Colo., is NASA's launch service provider of the Atlas V 401 rocket.

"I want to thank the KSC Launch Services Program and United Space Alliance," Schwer said. "They have once again put us exactly where we want to be."]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:43:13 GMT
Launch and mission managers will gather for a post-launch press conference at 3 p.m. EST. Watch it live on http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2013 19:20:36 GMT
Follow NASA's Launch Blog at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/landsat/launch/launch_blog.html or NASA Television at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. For more information on the LDCM mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/landsat.]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2013 19:14:01 GMT Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:20:40 GMT
Follow NASA's Launch Blog at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/landsat/launch/launch_blog.html or NASA Television at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. For more information on the LDCM mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/landsat.]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:02:24 GMT
Follow NASA's Launch Blog at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/landsat/launch/launch_blog.html or NASA Television at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. For more information on the LDCM mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/landsat.]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:58:14 GMT
Follow NASA's Launch Blog at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/landsat/launch/launch_blog.html or NASA Television at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. For more information on the LDCM mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/landsat.]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:48:10 GMT
The countdown will enter a 10-minute hold at the T-4 minute mark at 12:48 p.m. EST. During the hold, managers will conduct a final "go-no go" poll for launch. Liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V and Landsat Data Continuity Mission spacecraft remains targeted for 1:02 p.m. EST.

Follow NASA's Launch Blog at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/landsat/launch/launch_blog.html or NASA Television at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. For more information on the LDCM mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/landsat.]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:33:16 GMT
Fueling operations are under way at Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 3. The Atlas V booster stage uses 48,860 gallons of liquid oxygen and 25,540 gallons of RP-1, a refined kerosene that previously was loaded. The Centaur's main engine is powered by 4,150 gallons of liquid oxygen and 12,680 gallons of liquid hydrogen.

Follow NASA's Launch Blog at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/landsat/launch/launch_blog.html or NASA Television at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. For more information on the LDCM mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/landsat.]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:16:31 GMT
The Atlas V is ready for fueling at VAFB Space Launch Complex 3. Managers have polled their teams and given the go-ahead to start fueling procedures, or "tanking," which will begin momentarily with chill down of the transfer lines to adjust the hardware to the cold propellant temperatures. The Atlas V booster stage uses 48,860 gallons of liquid oxygen and 25,540 gallons of RP-1, a refined kerosene that previously was loaded. The Centaur's main engine is powered by 4,150 gallons of liquid oxygen and 12,680 gallons of liquid hydrogen.

NASA Television will provide live coverage of launch beginning at 10:15 a.m. EST: www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information on the LDCM mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/landsat]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:54:07 GMT
NASA Television will provide live coverage of launch beginning at 10:15 a.m. EST: www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information on the LDCM mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/landsat]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:30:05 GMT
Weather is forecast to be favorable for launch, which is targeted for 1:02 p.m. EST at the beginning of a 48-minute launch window.

LDCM is a collaboration between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The Landsat program has been providing uninterrupted imagery of Earth since the first Landsat in 1972. About three months after liftoff, USGS will take control and the spacecraft will be renamed Landsat 8. Once on station 438 miles above Earth, LDCM will orbit every 99 minutes and image the entire Earth every 16 days.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., is responsible for LDCM project management. Orbital Sciences Corporation built the LDCM satellite. NASA's Launch Services Program at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida provides launch management. United Launch Alliance of Denver, Colo., is NASA's launch service provider of the Atlas V 401 rocket.

NASA Television will provide live coverage of launch beginning at 10:15 a.m. EST: www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information on the LDCM mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/landsat]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:46:19 GMT Sat, 09 Feb 2013 22:29:57 GMT
Liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and the LDCM spacecraft is targeted for Monday at 1:02 p.m. EST at the beginning of a 48-minute launch window. The LRR, one of the standard meetings held prior to each NASA launch, was conducted at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. Forecasters predict a 100 percent chance of acceptable weather for the launch of LDCM from Space Launch Complex 3 at VAFB. Launch operations are managed by NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.]]> Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:23:58 GMT
Also taking place today is the Launch Countdown Coordination Meeting, which will pave the way for tomorrow's Countdown Dress Rehearsal.

At this time, the launch is scheduled for 10:02 a.m. PST (1:02 p.m. EST), beginning a 48-minute launch window. The long-range weather forecast calls for mostly clear skies on launch day.]]> Wed, 06 Feb 2013 23:22:05 GMT Mon, 04 Feb 2013 17:55:52 GMT Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:27:06 GMT Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:45:01 GMT Tue, 15 Jan 2013 17:33:57 GMT Thu, 10 Jan 2013 13:18:49 GMT