GOES-P will provide expanded capability for space and solar environment-monitoring instruments. The satellite will enhance forecasts and warnings for solar disturbances. GOES-P data will help protect billions of dollars in investments by the government and private sector for assets on the ground and in space.

GOES-P will feature a highly stable pointing platform that will improve the performance of its Imager and Sounder, instruments used for creating daily weather-prediction models and hurricane forecasting. Data from GOES-P will be valuable for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Ocean Service, which provides oceanographic circulation models and forecasts for U.S. coastal communities.

As with all of NOAA's geostationary and polar-orbiting weather satellites, GOES-P will be able to relay distress signals detected from emergency locator beacons on the ground and at sea in support of the international search and rescue system. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., was responsible for designing and developing the spacecraft and its instruments for NOAA.

GOES-P is the last of three in the series of geostationary weather and environmental satellites built for NASA by Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. The spacecraft will be checked out by Goddard and Boeing before being turned over to NOAA for operational use.

NASA will provide television, Internet and photo coverage of the launch starting with a prelaunch news conference at 4 p.m. on Monday, March 1, at NASA's Kennedy Space Centers Press Site.

Participating in the March 1 prelaunch news conference will be:
- Steve Kirkner, NOAA GOES Program manager, NOAA Satellite and Information Service
- Kris Walsh, Commercial Programs manager, United Launch Alliance
- Hieu Lam, Delta Commercial Program manager, Boeing Launch Services
- Andre Dress, GOES Deputy Project manager, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
- Charlie Maloney, GOES N-P Program manager, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems
- Bart Hagemeyer, meteorologist in charge, NOAA National Weather Service forecast office, Melbourne, Fla.
- Joel Tumbiolo, Delta IV launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

NASA Television will carry the prelaunch news conference and launch day coverage live. On March 2 NASA TV countdown coverage will begin at 4 p.m., and will conclude 30 minutes after liftoff. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

Live countdown coverage on NASA's launch blog begins at 4 p.m. on March 2. Coverage features real-time updates of countdown milestones, as well as streaming video and a podcast of launch. To access these features, visit NASA's GOES-P mission Web site at:

For more information about the GOES-P launch, contact the NASA News Center at Kennedy at 321-867-2468 or visit: