LAUNCH OF SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION STS-119

UNCLAS STATE 022065 MADRID FOR ECON PERDUE, PARIS FOR SCICOUNS/NASA REP BARRY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TSPA FR SP AIN SUBJECT: LAUNCH OF SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION STS-119 ¶1. SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION STS-119, DISCOVERY (OV-103), WILL LAUNCH FROM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (KSC),FLORIDA, NO EARLIER THAN MARCH 11, 2009. THE LAUNCH WINDOW OPENS AT 09:15 PM EDT, MARCH 11 (MARCH 12, 01:15 UTC/GMT) AND IS 10 MINUTES LONG. NOMINAL END OF MISSION LANDING AT KSC IS SCHEDULED FOR NO EARLIER THAN MARCH 25, 2009 AT 03:27 PM EDT (19:27 UTC/GMT). ¶2. ZARAGOZA AIR BASE, SPAIN IS THE PRIMARY TRANSOCEANIC ABORT LANDING SITE (TAL). MORON AIR BASE, SPAIN, AND ISTRES AIR BASE, FRANCE, ARE THE TWO ALTERNATE SITES. ¶3. OES/SAT WILL STAFF THE JOINT STATE-NASA SHUTTLE MONITORING GROUP IN THE DEPARTMENT'S OPERATIONS CENTER FOR THE LIFT-OFF PERIOD. THE OPERATIONS CENTER WILL ESTABLISH A CONFERENCE CALL TELEPHONE LINK BETWEEN THE MONITORING GROUP AND SHUTTLE CONTROL OFFICERS AT EMBASSY MADRID AND EMBASSY PARIS, AT APPROX. ONE HALF HOUR PRIOR TO LIFT-OFF. SHUTTLE MONITORING GROUP CONTROL OFFICERS ARE OES/SAT, FERNANDO ECHAVARRIA AND DORIETHA JACKSON, AND GARVEY MCINTOSH, NASA. CLINTON