Chat Information:
Live online chat with Thomas Wrublewski, physical scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Liaison Office at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Date: Thursday, April 6, 2006

Time:
7:30 - 8:30 AM Alaska Time
8:30 - 9:30 AM Pacific Time
9:30 - 10:30 AM Mountain Time
10:30 - 11:30 AM Central Time
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Eastern Time

GOES-N Mission Overview:
GOES-N joins a system of weather satellites that provide timely environmental information to meteorologists and the public. The GOES system graphically displays the intensity, path, and size of storms. Early warning of impending severe weather enhances the public's ability to take shelter and protect property. The GOES system serves the central and eastern Pacific Ocean; North, Central, and South America; and the central and western Atlantic Ocean.

The satellite is the first in the GOES N-P series of spacecraft that will continuously observe and measure meteorological events in real time. The series will provide the meteorological community and atmospheric scientists improved observational and measurement data.

Chat Host Thomas Wrublewski's Biography:
Thomas Wrublewski is currently stationed at the NOAA Liaison Office at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. For the upcoming GOES-N Mission, Thomas Wrublewski will serve as the NOAA GOES-N Series Technical Acquisition Manager. GOES allows experts to observe the atmospheric "triggers" for severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, flash floods, hail storms, and hurricanes. With GOES providing a constant vigil, scientists will be able to better predict storms and aid people with warnings. Thomas Wrublewsk monitored the operation of instruments onboard the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) and Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) to assure they were properly calibrated and functioning adequately. By monitoring the operation of these instruments, Mr. Wrublewski will help ensure this series of the GOES Mission will be a vital contributor to weather, solar and space operations, and science.

Since 2002, Mr. Wrublewski has offered his technical and educational expertise to the GOES/POES education and public outreach effort by working with The Space Place team on a weather-related Web site for middle-school age children (http://scijinks.jpl.nasa.gov/weather/), as well as educational wall sheets, and newspaper and educator journal articles about GOES/POES-related science and technology.

Thomas Wrublewski received his Bachelor of Arts, with an emphasis in Geography, from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Campus (UMBC), his Maryland Teacher certification in Earth Science and General Science grades K-12 from UMBC, and has taken remote sensing courses at the University of Michigan and George Washington University. From 1975 to 1980, Mr. Wrublewski taught Earth science, life science, biology, and advanced Earth science at several schools in Maryland, and sponsored science clubs, science fairs, outdoors club, and a safety committee, among other school activities for students.