Penn State will make history tomorrow when its Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer, a new space observatory funded by NASA, is launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., at 12:11 p.m.

Students can view a live broadcast of the launch starting at 11 a.m. tomorrow on NASA-TV via the campus cable network on Channel 26. The broadcast will be televised in the HUB Auditorium.

After Swift detaches from its booster rocket and protective shell -- about 1:30 p.m. -- a Penn State team will take over control at the Swift Mission Operations Center, located just outside the University Park campus. This is the first time Penn State has managed a NASA mission.