Space Station, Satellite Get Images of Frances as NASA Prepares for Storm

NASA is keeping a close watch over Hurricane Frances as
it churns toward the United States. International Space
Station cameras are capturing spectacular images of the storm
from above. On the Florida coast, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
(KSC) is making preparations to protect the Space Shuttle
fleet, spacecraft hardware, and facilities against damage.

Video of Hurricane Frances taken by external television
cameras aboard the Space Station at about 7:30 a.m. EDT today
vividly depicts a classically shaped storm in the Atlantic
Ocean. The video, along with additional views captured during
the weekend, is airing on the NASA TV Video File throughout
the day. NASA will release new footage of Frances as it
becomes available.

NASA also has still images of the storm, taken by Astronaut
Mike Fincke aboard the International Space Station, as well
as NASA’s Terra satellite. They’re available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/frances.html

At KSC, workers are powering down the Space Shuttle orbiters,
closing their payload bay doors and stowing their landing
gear. They are also taking precautions against flooding by
moving spacecraft hardware off the ground and sandbagging
facilities. NASA plans to release video of these activities
beginning tomorrow.

NASA TV is available on the Web and via satellite, in the
continental U.S. on AMC-6, Transponder 9C, C-Band, located at
72 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz.
Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz.
In Alaska and Hawaii, NASA TV is available on AMC-7,
Transponder 18C, C-Band, located at 137 degrees west
longitude. Frequency is 4060.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical,
and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz.