International news media coming from overseas to cover the launch of CALIPSO-CloudSat at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California are required to apply for accreditation one month before launch occurs. For a September 29 launch, an application must be received by August 29, 2005.

NASA's Langley Research Center is leading the CALIPSO mission. Hampton University is providing scientific contributions and managing the outreach program. CALIPSO is being developed through collaboration between NASA and Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES).

International news media should contact:

Major Todd Fleming
30th Space Wing Public Affairs Office
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

Telephone: 805/606-3595
E-mail: todd.fleming@vandenberg.af.mil
FAX: 805/606-8303

Information required is full legal name, date of birth, nationality, passport number and media affiliation. A legal photo identification will be required upon arrival at Vandenberg to cover the launch.

The launch of CALIPSO with another NASA spacecraft, CloudSat, aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket from NASA’s Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base is scheduled for September 29, 2005, at the opening of an instantaneous launch window that occurs at about 3 a.m. PDT.

Together, CALIPSO and CloudSat will provide new perspectives on Earth's clouds and aerosols that will answer questions about how they form, evolve and affect water supply and air quality. CALIPSO and CloudSat will be launched into an orbit where they will fly just 15 seconds apart as part of NASA's "A-Train" constellation with three other earth observing system satellites.

http://www-CALIPSO.larc.nasa.gov/

http://cloudsat.atmos.colostate.edu/

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