1.
CU ANIMATION, SPACECRAFT WITH STABILIZATION RODS FULLY EXTENDED
0.10

2.
GV ANIMATION, SPACECRAFT WITH BASEBALL STADIUM IN B/G, SHOWING LENGTH OF STABILIZATION RODS
0.16

3.
CU TECHNICIAN AT WORK
0.24

4.
CU ANIMATION, SPACECRAFT WITH STABILIZATION RODS POINTING TOWARD EARTH
0.32

5.
GV ZOOM OUT TO LV..ROSMAN, NORTH CAROLINA, TRACKING STATION
0.43

6.
CU NIGHT.. PHOTOGRAPH OF EARTH
0.51



Initials GEM/PUS/JB/ES.



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: A BIG WEATHER AND COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE -- AND APPLICATIONS TECHNOLOGY SATELLITE, THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA) CALL IT -- IS READY FOR LAUNCHING FROM THE CAPE KENNEDY IN FLORIDA.

NASA SAYS THE SATELLITE IS DUE FOR LAUNCHING "FROM 24 JULY". THE SPACECRAFT HAS A SPAN OF 251 FEET (77 METERS) FROM TIP TO TIP... IT'S ALMOST THE SIZE OF A BASEBALL STADIUM.

IT WILL BE OUT INTO SYNCHRONOUS ORBIT ABOUT 22,300 MILES (35,880 KILOMETRES) ABOVE THE EQUATOR. IN ORBIT, THE 864 POUND (391 KILOGRAMS) WILL UNFOLD TO RESEMBLE A GIANT X, WITH TWO LEGS OFT HE X POINTED TOWARDS EARTH AND THE OTHER TWO OUTWARDS TOWARDS SPACE.

THIS CONFIGURATION, INFLUENCED BY THE EARTH'S GRAVITY, WILL KEEP THE SATELLITE'S INSTRUMENTS POINTED TOWARDS EARTH FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND METROLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS...INCLUDING TRAILS OF THE FIRST STEERABLE DAY AND NIGHT CAMERA CAPABLE OF FOCUSING ON STORMS OVER THE NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICAN CONTINENTS.

THE SATELLITE'S PERFORMANCE WILL BE RECORDED AT TWO TRACKING STATIONS...ONE, SHOWN IN OUR FILM, AT ROSMAN IN NORTH CAROLINA,AND THE OTHER IN THE MOJAVE DESERT IN CALIFORNIA.

FOR THE FIRST TIME WEATHER PHOTOGRAPHS WILL BE TAKEN OF THE ENTIRE EARTH'S DISC AT NIGHT AS WELL AS DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS.