David E. Steitz 
Headquarters, Washington, DC	June 21, 1996 
(Phone: 202/358-1730) 
 
George H. Diller 
Kennedy Space Center, FL 
(Phone: 407/867-2468) 
 
Ernest J. Shannon 
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (Phone: 301/286-6256) 
 
Laura Ayers 
Orbital Sciences Corporation, Dulles, VA (Phone: 703/406-5528) 
 
NOTE TO EDITORS: N96-41 
 
Toms Spacecraft To Be Launched Aboard Pegasus Xl June 29  
 
The launch of NASA's Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) spacecraft aboard an Orbital Sciences  
Pegasus XL vehicle is scheduled for Saturday, June 29 at the opening of a 10- minute window which  
extends from 12:41 - 12:51 a.m. PDT.  
 
Launch is targeted to occur at 12:46 a.m. PDT over the Pacific Ocean approximately 60 miles offshore from  
Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. The TOMS Earth Probe satellite (TOMS-EP), built for NASA by TRW  
Space & Electronics Group, carries instrumentation developed by Orbital Sciences to map the development,  
extent and trends of the ozone depletion occurring in the atmosphere. 
 
A prelaunch news conference will be carried live on NASA Television on Friday, June 28 at 11:30 a.m.  
PDT in the conference room of the NASA-KSC Resident Office at Vandenberg Air Force Base.  
Participating in the briefing will be:  
 
- Floyd Curington, NASA Launch Manager, Kennedy Space Center - Larry Mataosky, Pegasus Launch  
Services Manager, Goddard Space Flight Center 
- J.R. Thompson, General Manager, Launch Systems Group,  
Orbital Sciences Corporation 
- Art Azarbarzin, TOMS Mission Director, Goddard Space Flight Center - Dr. P.K. Bhartia, TOMS Project  
Scientist Goddard Space Flight Center - Lt. Mike Mills, Launch Weather Officer, USAF 30th Weather  
Squadron  
Vandenberg Air Force Base 
 
Immediately following the prelaunch news conference a TOMS mission science briefing will be held.  
Participating in the briefing will be Dr. P.K. Bhartia, TOMS Project Scientist and Art Azarbarzin, TOMS  
Mission Director. 
 
Media wishing to cover the prelaunch news conference and mission science briefing should meet at the  
south gate of Vandenberg Air Force Base on California State Road 246 at 11 a.m. PDT for escort to the  
NASA-KSC Vandenberg Resident Office.  
 
On Friday, June 28 at 12:30 p.m. PDT immediately following the prelaunch briefings, a van will depart  
from the NASA-KSC Vandenberg Resident Office for a tour by Orbital Sciences Corp. of the Pegasus  
processing facility and the L-1011 aircraft with the Pegasus/TOMS vehicle attached. There also will be a  
tour of NASA's central telemetry facility where flight data from the Pegasus vehicle will be monitored. 
 
Media wishing accreditation information should contact the Air Force at: 
 
Public Affairs Office 
Vandenberg Air Force Base 
Telephone: 805/734-8232, Ext. 6-3595 
FAX: 805/734-8232, Ext. 6-8303 
E-mail: pubaffairs@plans.vafb.af.mil 
 
Pegasus/TOMS access badges will be issued upon entry to Vandenberg AFB and will be valid for the  
prelaunch news conference and other activities on L-1 day. This badge also will be valid for access to cover  
the launch activities.  
 
On launch day, media representatives should meet at the Vandenberg main gate at 11 p.m. PDT to be  
escorted to the runway for the takeoff of the L-1011. After departure, media will be taken to the viewing  
room of the NASA Mission Director's Center located at Building 840 on South Vandenberg AFB. From  
there, media may follow the deployment and launch of Pegasus/TOMS. Following launch, vehicle and  
spacecraft representatives will be available to informally answer questions from the media. 
 
Since countdown and launch will occur in darkness, there will be no live coverage on NASA Television.  
However, live launch commentary and audio of all Pegasus/TOMS briefings will be available on the "V-2"  
and "V-3" audio circuits which may be dialed directly at 407/867-1240 or 407/867-1260.  
 
NASA Television will cover the TOMS mission by the following schedule: 
 
June 28 11:30 a.m. PDT: Pegasus/TOMS prelaunch news conference  
 
June 28 12:00 Noon PDT: TOMS mission science briefing  
 
June 28 11:30 p.m. PDT: Launch commentary begins with L-1011 departure  
and concludes after spacecraft separation 
approximately 90 minutes later (audio only) 
 
June 29 12:30 p.m. PDT: NASA TV replay of countdown and launch highlights  
 
NASA Television is available on Spacenet 2, Transponder 5, channel 9 located at 69 degrees West  
longitude.  
 
The Pegasus/TOMS News Center at the NASA-KSC Vandenberg Resident Office will be staffed starting  
two days before launch and may be reached between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PDT at 805/734-8232, Ext. 5-3051.  
A recorded status report also will be available beginning on L-2 days by dialing 805/734-8232, Ext. 5-3456.  
 
-end-