The 40-minute launch window extends from 9:05 to 9:45 p.m. EST. Pre-launch media briefings and launch commentary coverage will be carried live on NASA Television and the agency's website.
The spacecraft is the second of three new satellites designed to ensure vital operational continuity for NASA by expanding the lifespan of the fleet, which consists of eight satellites in geosynchronous orbit. The spacecraft provide tracking, telemetry, command and high-bandwidth data return services for numerous science and human exploration missions orbiting Earth. These include NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station.
OBAMACARE ENROLLMENT UP: By the end of December, nearly 2.2 million people had selected plans from state and federal health care marketplaces, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
December alone accounted for nearly 1.8 million Americans newly enrolled. This number includes the so-called invincibles – young adults content to go without health insurance. The department found that of the almost 2.2. million:
- 54 percent are female and 46 percent are male.
- 30 percent are age 34 and under.
- 24 percent are between 18 and 34.
- 60 percent selected a Silver plan, while 20 percent selected a Bronze plan.
- 79 percent selected a plan with financial assistance.
Read the report here.
Taken from NASA and Department of Health and Human Services reports.
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