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US Air Force (USAF) 452nd Air Mobility Wing (AMW), March Air Force Base (AFB), California (CA), Rodeo 98 Team members run towards the cargo bay of their C-141B Starlifter aircraft to begin downloading equipment during the second half of the Engine Running Onload/Offload (ERO) competition, which is part of the over all USAF AMC sponsored Rodeo 98 airlift competition at McChord AFB, Washington (WA)

US Air Force (USAF) 452nd Air Mobility Wing (AMW), March Air Force Bas...

The original finding aid described this photograph as: Base: Mcchord Air Force Base State: Washington (WA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Camera Operator: SRA Jeffrey Allen, USAF Release Sta... More

US Air Force (USAF) STAFF Sergeant (SSGT) Scott French (left) and SSGT Tim Walter, 452nd Air Mobility Wing (AMW), March Air Force Base (AFB), California (CA), run to the lowered cargo ramp of their C-141B Starlifter aircraft to begin downloading equipment during the second half of the Engine Running Onload/Offload (ERO) competition, which is part of the over all USAF AMC sponsored Rodeo 98 airlift competition at McChord AFB, Washington (WA)

US Air Force (USAF) STAFF Sergeant (SSGT) Scott French (left) and SSGT...

The original finding aid described this photograph as: Base: Mcchord Air Force Base State: Washington (WA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Camera Operator: SRA Jeffrey Allen, USAF Release Sta... More

Three US Air Force (USAF) 305th Aerial Port Squadron (APS), 305th Air Mobility Wing (AMW), McGuire Air Force Base (AFB), New Jersey (NJ), Rodeo 98 Team members turn as they run towards the cargo bay of their C-141B Starlifter aircraft at the start of the second half of the Engine Running Onload/Offload (ERO) competition, which is part of the over all USAF AMC sponsored Rodeo 98 airlift competition at McChord AFB, Washington (WA)

Three US Air Force (USAF) 305th Aerial Port Squadron (APS), 305th Air ...

The original finding aid described this photograph as: Base: Mcchord Air Force Base State: Washington (WA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Camera Operator: SRA Jeeff Release Status: Released ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the second half of the fairing moves closer to the first half around NASA's Kepler spacecraft for encapsulation. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The liftoff of Kepler aboard the Delta II rocket is currently targeted for launch in a window extending 10:49 to 10:52 p.m. EST March 6 from Pad 17-B. Kepler is designed to survey more than 100,000 stars in our galaxy to determine the number of sun-like stars that have Earth-size and larger planets, including those that lie in a star's "habitable zone," a region where liquid water, and perhaps life, could exist. If these Earth-size worlds do exist around stars like our sun, Kepler is expected to be the first to find them and the first to measure how common they are. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2009-1889

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the second half of the fairing moves closer to the first half around NASA's Kepler spacecraft for encapsulation. The fai... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers watch closely as the second half of the fairing moves toward NASA's Kepler spacecraft (left) to complete encapsulation. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The liftoff of Kepler aboard the Delta II rocket is currently targeted for launch in a window extending 10:49 to 10:52 p.m. EST March 6 from Pad 17-B. Kepler is designed to survey more than 100,000 stars in our galaxy to determine the number of sun-like stars that have Earth-size and larger planets, including those that lie in a star's "habitable zone," a region where liquid water, and perhaps life, could exist. If these Earth-size worlds do exist around stars like our sun, Kepler is expected to be the first to find them and the first to measure how common they are. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2009-1888

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers watch closely as the second half of the fairing moves toward NASA's Kepler spacecraft (left) to complete encapsu... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers watch closely as the second half of the fairing is moved into the mobile service tower for placement around NASA's Kepler spacecraft (left) to complete encapsulation. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The liftoff of Kepler aboard the Delta II rocket is currently targeted for launch in a window extending 10:49 to 10:52 p.m. EST March 6 from Pad 17-B. Kepler is designed to survey more than 100,000 stars in our galaxy to determine the number of sun-like stars that have Earth-size and larger planets, including those that lie in a star's "habitable zone," a region where liquid water, and perhaps life, could exist. If these Earth-size worlds do exist around stars like our sun, Kepler is expected to be the first to find them and the first to measure how common they are. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2009-1887

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers watch closely as the second half of the fairing is moved into the mobile service tower for placement around NASA... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-2 (SAEF-2) push the second half of the nose fairing (left) toward the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-I (TDRS-I) already enclosed by the first half. The second in a new series of telemetry satellites, TDRS-I replenishes the existing on-orbit fleet of six spacecraft. The TDRS System is the primary source of space-to-ground voice, data and telemetry for the Space Shuttle. It also provides communications with the International Space Station and scientific spacecraft in low-Earth orbit such as the Hubble Space Telescope. This new advanced series of satellites will extend the availability of TDRS communications services until about 2017. Launch of TDRS-I is scheduled for March 8 aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA rocket from Pad 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station KSC-02pd0173

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Spacecraft Assembly and ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-2 (SAEF-2) push the second half of the nose fairing (left) toward the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-I (TDRS-I) al... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Near the top, left, of the tower on Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, is seen the second half of the fairing that will encapsulate the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft on a Delta II rocket. On the lower right is the rocket. CONTOUR will provide the first detailed look into the heart of a comet -- the nucleus. Flying as close as 60 miles (100 kilometers) to at least two comets, the spacecraft will take the sharpest pictures yet of a nucleus while analyzing the gas and dust that surround them. Launch of CONTOUR is scheduled for July 1, 2002 KSC-02pd0893

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Near the top, left, of the tower on Lau...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Near the top, left, of the tower on Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, is seen the second half of the fairing that will encapsulate the Comet Nucleus Tour (CON... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers watch as the second half of the fairing moves toward the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR). The fairing is the outer cover that protects the spacecraft during launch. Below the spacecraft is the Delta II rocket, the launch vehicle. CONTOUR will provide the first detailed look into the heart of a comet -- the nucleus. Flying as close as 60 miles (100 kilometers) to at least two comets, the spacecraft will take the sharpest pictures yet of a nucleus while analyzing the gas and dust that surround them. Launch of CONTOUR is scheduled for July 1, 2002 KSC-02pd1080

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral A...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers watch as the second half of the fairing moves toward the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR). The fairing is the outer ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers watch as the second half of the fairing closes in on the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR). The fairing is the outer cover that protects the spacecraft during launch. Below the spacecraft is the Delta II rocket, the launch vehicle. CONTOUR will provide the first detailed look into the heart of a comet -- the nucleus. Flying as close as 60 miles (100 kilometers) to at least two comets, the spacecraft will take the sharpest pictures yet of a nucleus while analyzing the gas and dust that surround them. Launch of CONTOUR is scheduled for July 1, 2002 KSC-02pd1081

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral A...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers watch as the second half of the fairing closes in on the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR). The fairing is the outer ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a worker watches as the second half of the fairing moves toward the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft in the background. The fairing is the outer cover that protects the spacecraft during launch. Below the spacecraft is the Delta II rocket, the launch vehicle. CONTOUR will provide the first detailed look into the heart of a comet -- the nucleus. Flying as close as 60 miles (100 kilometers) to at least two comets, the spacecraft will take the sharpest pictures yet of a nucleus while analyzing the gas and dust that surround them. Launch of CONTOUR is scheduled for July 1, 2002 KSC-02pd1079

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral A...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a worker watches as the second half of the fairing moves toward the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft in the backgro... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The second half of the fairing (right) is prepared for mating with the first half and encapsulating the TDRS-J satellite for launch. The satellite is scheduled to be launched aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA-Centaur rocket from Launch Complex 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on Dec. 4. The third in a series of telemetry satellites, TDRS-J will help replenish the current constellation of geosynchronous TDRS satellites. The TDRS System is the primary source of space-to-ground voice, data and telemetry for the Space Shuttle. It also provides communications with the International Space Station and scientific spacecraft in low-Earth orbit such as the Hubble Space Telescope. This new advanced series of satellites will extend the availability of TDRS communications services until about 2017. KSC-02pd1779

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The second half of the fairing (right)...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The second half of the fairing (right) is prepared for mating with the first half and encapsulating the TDRS-J satellite for launch. The satellite is scheduled to be launched abo... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers move the second half of the fairing around the TDRS-J satellite to complete encapsulation. The satellite is scheduled to be launched aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA-Centaur rocket from Launch Complex 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on Dec. 4. The third in a series of telemetry satellites, TDRS-J will help replenish the current constellation of geosynchronous TDRS satellites. The TDRS System is the primary source of space-to-ground voice, data and telemetry for the Space Shuttle. It also provides communications with the International Space Station and scientific spacecraft in low-Earth orbit such as the Hubble Space Telescope. This new advanced series of satellites will extend the availability of TDRS communications services until about 2017. KSC-02pd1780

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers move the second half of the fai...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers move the second half of the fairing around the TDRS-J satellite to complete encapsulation. The satellite is scheduled to be launched aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA-Cen... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Multi-Purpose Processing Facility move the second half of the fairing into place around the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) satellite (left). When complete, the satellite will be installed in the Pegasus XL launch vehicle. Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC), SORCE will study and measure solar irradiance as a source of energy in the Earth's atmosphere. The launch of SORCE is scheduled for Jan. 25 at 3:14 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The drop of the Pegasus will be from OSC's L-1011 aircraft at an altitude of 39,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean approximately 100 miles east-southeast of Cape Canaveral. KSC-03pd0162

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Multi-Purpose Processing ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Multi-Purpose Processing Facility move the second half of the fairing into place around the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) satellite (left). When com... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing is ready to be installed on the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) satellite (at right). Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC), SORCE will study and measure solar irradiance as a source of energy in the Earth's atmosphere. The launch of SORCE is scheduled for Jan. 25 at 3:14 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., from a Pegasus XL launch vehicle. The drop of the Pegasus will be from OSC's L-1011 aircraft at an altitude of 39,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean approximately 100 miles east-southeast of Cape Canaveral. KSC-03pd0160

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing is ready t...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing is ready to be installed on the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) satellite (at right). Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC), SORC... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing is moved toward the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) satellite (left). Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC), SORCE will study and measure solar irradiance as a source of energy in the Earth's atmosphere. The launch of SORCE is scheduled for Jan. 25 at 3:14 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., from a Pegasus XL launch vehicle. The drop of the Pegasus will be from OSC's L-1011 aircraft at an altitude of 39,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean approximately 100 miles east-southeast of Cape Canaveral. KSC-03pd0161

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing is moved t...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing is moved toward the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) satellite (left). Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC), SORCE will study and... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing for the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2/MER-A) is lifted up the outside of the launch tower. Visible on another side is the Delta II rocket that will carry the payload into space. The fairing will be installed around the payload for protection during launch. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. Identical to each other, the rovers will land at different regions of Mars. Launch date for MER-A is scheduled for June 5.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Ai...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing for the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2/MER-A) is lifted up the outside of the launch tower.... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After arriving at Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing for the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2/MER-A) is lifted off its transporter. The fairing will be installed around the payload for protection during launch. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. Identical to each other, the rovers will land at different regions of Mars. Launch date for MER-A is scheduled for June 5.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After arriving at Launch Complex 17-A, Ca...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After arriving at Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing for the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2/MER-A) is lifted off its transporter.... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing for the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2/MER-A) nears the top of the launch tower. The fairing will be installed around the payload for protection during launch on a Delta II rocket. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. Identical to each other, the rovers will land at different regions of Mars. Launch date for MER-A is scheduled for June 5.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral A...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing for the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2/MER-A) nears the top of the launch tower. The fair... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing for the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2/MER-A) is raised to a vertical position for its lift up the launch tower. The fairing will be installed around the payload for protection during launch. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. Identical to each other, the rovers will land at different regions of Mars. Launch date for MER-A is scheduled for June 5.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Ai...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing for the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2/MER-A) is raised to a vertical position for its lift... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing is moved toward the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) on Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. MER-2 is one of NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers designed to study the history of water on Mars. These robotic geologists are equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow them to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans can't yet go. MER-2 is scheduled to launch no earlier than June 8 as MER-A, with two launch opportunities each day during the launch period that closes on June 19.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing is moved ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing is moved toward the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) on Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. MER-2 is one of NASA's twin Mars Expl... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing is moved toward the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) on Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. MER-2 is one of NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers designed to study the history of water on Mars. These robotic geologists are equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow them to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans can't yet go. MER-2 is scheduled to launch no earlier than June 8 as MER-A, with two launch opportunities each day during the launch period that closes on June 19.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing is moved t...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing is moved toward the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) on Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. MER-2 is one of NASA's twin Mars Explo... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing closes in around the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) on Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. MER-2 is one of NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers designed to study the history of water on Mars. These robotic geologists are equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow them to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans can't yet go. MER-2 is scheduled to launch no earlier than June 8 as MER-A, with two launch opportunities each day during the launch period that closes on June 19.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing closes in ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The second half of the fairing closes in around the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) on Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. MER-2 is one of NASA's twin Mars Expl... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a Boeing worker observes the second half of the fairing as it moves into place around the MESSENGER (Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging) spacecraft. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth joint, protecting the spacecraft during launch. MESSENGER is scheduled to launch Aug. 2 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket and is expected to enter Mercury orbit in March 2011. MESSENGER was built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md. KSC-04pd1574

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a Boeing worker observes the second half of the fairing as it moves into place around the MESSENGER (Mercury Surface, Space E... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On a platform inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a Boeing worker guides the second half of the fairing as it moves into place around the MESSENGER (Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging) spacecraft. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth joint, protecting the spacecraft during launch. MESSENGER is scheduled to launch Aug. 2 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket and is expected to enter Mercury orbit in March 2011. MESSENGER was built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md. KSC-04pd1573

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On a platform inside the mobile service t...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On a platform inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a Boeing worker guides the second half of the fairing as it moves into place ar... More

Air Force Quarterback Shaun Carney (5) leaps over U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman line backer Jake Biles for a rushing gain in the second half of play.

Air Force Quarterback Shaun Carney (5) leaps over U.S. Naval Academy M...

Annapolis, Md. (Oct. 08, 2005) Air Force Quarterback Shaun Carney (5) leaps over U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman line backer Jake Biles for a rushing gain in the second half of play. A last second field goal gav... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Inside Orbital Sciences’ Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, workers move the second half of the fairing into position around the Space Technology 5 (ST5) spacecraft. The ST5, which contains three microsatellites with miniaturized redundant components and technologies, is mated to its launch vehicle, Orbital Sciences' Pegasus XL. Each of the ST5 microsatellites will validate New Millennium Program selected technologies, such as the Cold Gas Micro-Thruster and X-Band Transponder Communication System. After deployment from the Pegasus, the micro-satellites will be positioned in a “string of pearls” constellation that demonstrates the ability to position them to perform simultaneous multi-point measurements of the magnetic field using highly sensitive magnetometers. The data will help scientists understand and map the intensity and direction of the Earth’s magnetic field, its relation to space weather events, and affects on our planet. Launch of ST5 and the Pegasus XL will be from underneath the belly of an L-1011 carrier aircraft on March 14 from Vandenberg Air Force Base. KSC-06pd0447

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Inside Orbital Sciences’ Building ...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Inside Orbital Sciences’ Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, workers move the second half of the fairing into position around the Space Technology 5 (ST... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Inside Orbital Sciences’ Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, workers position the second half of the fairing into place around the Space Technology 5 (ST5) spacecraft. The ST5, which contains three microsatellites with miniaturized redundant components and technologies, is mated to its launch vehicle, Orbital Sciences' Pegasus XL. Each of the ST5 microsatellites will validate New Millennium Program selected technologies, such as the Cold Gas Micro-Thruster and X-Band Transponder Communication System. After deployment from the Pegasus, the micro-satellites will be positioned in a “string of pearls” constellation that demonstrates the ability to position them to perform simultaneous multi-point measurements of the magnetic field using highly sensitive magnetometers. The data will help scientists understand and map the intensity and direction of the Earth’s magnetic field, its relation to space weather events, and affects on our planet. Launch of ST5 and the Pegasus XL will be from underneath the belly of an L-1011 carrier aircraft on March 14 from Vandenberg Air Force Base. KSC-06pd0448

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Inside Orbital Sciences’ Building ...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Inside Orbital Sciences’ Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, workers position the second half of the fairing into place around the Space Technology 5 (S... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Inside Orbital Sciences’ Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, workers continue the installation of the second half of the fairing around the Space Technology 5 (ST5) spacecraft. The ST5, which contains three microsatellites with miniaturized redundant components and technologies, is mated to its launch vehicle, Orbital Sciences' Pegasus XL. Each of the ST5 microsatellites will validate New Millennium Program selected technologies, such as the Cold Gas Micro-Thruster and X-Band Transponder Communication System. After deployment from the Pegasus, the micro-satellites will be positioned in a “string of pearls” constellation that demonstrates the ability to position them to perform simultaneous multi-point measurements of the magnetic field using highly sensitive magnetometers. The data will help scientists understand and map the intensity and direction of the Earth’s magnetic field, its relation to space weather events, and affects on our planet. Launch of ST5 and the Pegasus XL will be from underneath the belly of an L-1011 carrier aircraft on March 14 from Vandenberg Air Force Base. KSC-06pd0450

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Inside Orbital Sciences’ Building ...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Inside Orbital Sciences’ Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, workers continue the installation of the second half of the fairing around the Space Techno... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Inside Orbital Sciences’ Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, workers check the placement of the second half of the fairing around the Space Technology 5 (ST5) spacecraft. The ST5, which contains three microsatellites with miniaturized redundant components and technologies, is mated to its launch vehicle, Orbital Sciences' Pegasus XL. Each of the ST5 microsatellites will validate New Millennium Program selected technologies, such as the Cold Gas Micro-Thruster and X-Band Transponder Communication System. After deployment from the Pegasus, the micro-satellites will be positioned in a “string of pearls” constellation that demonstrates the ability to position them to perform simultaneous multi-point measurements of the magnetic field using highly sensitive magnetometers. The data will help scientists understand and map the intensity and direction of the Earth’s magnetic field, its relation to space weather events, and affects on our planet. Launch of ST5 and the Pegasus XL will be from underneath the belly of an L-1011 carrier aircraft on March 14 from Vandenberg Air Force Base. KSC-06pd0449

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Inside Orbital Sciences’ Building ...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Inside Orbital Sciences’ Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, workers check the placement of the second half of the fairing around the Space Technology 5... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., workers help guide the second half of the fairing toward the GOES-N spacecraft. When both halves are in place, they will encapsulate, or enclose, the GOES-N satellite for launch. The fairing protects the spacecraft during launch and flight through the atmosphere. Once out of the atmosphere, the fairing is jettisoned. GOES-N is the latest in a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites for NOAA and NASA providing continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. GOES-N will be launched May 18 on a Boeing Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-06pd0711

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay at Astrotech Space Oper...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., workers help guide the second half of the fairing toward the GOES-N spacecraft. When both halves are in place, t... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., the second half of the fairing is raised upright. It will be moved to the GOES-N spacecraft and join the first half. When both halves are in place, they will encapsulate, or enclose, the GOES-N satellite for launch. The fairing protects the spacecraft during launch and flight through the atmosphere. Once out of the atmosphere, the fairing is jettisoned. GOES-N is the latest in a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites for NOAA and NASA providing continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. GOES-N will be launched May 18 on a Boeing Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-06pd0710

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay at Astrotech Space Oper...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., the second half of the fairing is raised upright. It will be moved to the GOES-N spacecraft and join the first h... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the shrouded second half of the payload fairing (background) for the STEREO spacecraft is joining the first half waiting in the foreground. Both halves will later be installed around the spacecraft for protection during launch. The fairing will be moved into the clean room in the tower and later installed around the spacecraft for protection during launch. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. STEREO, which stands for Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, comprises two spacecraft. The STEREO mission is the first to take measurements of the sun and solar wind in 3-dimension. This new view will improve our understanding of space weather and its impact on the Earth. STEREO is expected to lift off aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket in August 2006. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-06pd1560

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the mobile service tower on Launc...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the shrouded second half of the payload fairing (background) for the STEREO space... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the shrouded second half of the payload fairing (background) for the STEREO spacecraft is moved beside the first half. Both halves will later be installed around the spacecraft for protection during launch. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. STEREO, which stands for Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, comprises two spacecraft that will be launched as one. The STEREO mission is the first to take measurements of the sun and solar wind in 3-dimension. This new view will improve our understanding of space weather and its impact on the Earth. STEREO is expected to lift off aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket in August 2006. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-06pd1561

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the mobile service tower on Launc...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the shrouded second half of the payload fairing (background) for the STEREO space... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers maneuver the second half of the fairing into place around the STEREO spacecraft. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) mission is the first to take measurements of the sun and solar wind in 3-dimension. This new view will improve our understanding of space weather and its impact on the Earth. Designed and built by the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) , the STEREO mission is being managed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. APL will maintain command and control of the observatories throughout the mission, while NASA tracks and receives the data, determines the orbit of the satellites, and coordinates the science results. STEREO is expected to lift off Oct. 25. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd2379

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the mobile service tower on Launc...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers maneuver the second half of the fairing into place around the STEREO spacecraft. Th... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the mobile service tower on Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers observe and help guide the second half of the fairing toward the THEMIS spacecraft. The first half has already been put in place. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. THEMIS is an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms. THEMIS consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the tantalizing mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch of THEMIS is scheduled for Feb. 15 aboard a Delta II rocket, with the launch service being conducted by the United Launch Alliance. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-07pd0343

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the mobile service tower on Pad 17-...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the mobile service tower on Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers observe and help guide the second half of the fairing toward the THEMIS spacecraft. The firs... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the mobile service tower on Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing, at right, moves toward the waiting THEMIS spacecraft. The first half has already been put in place. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. THEMIS is an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms. THEMIS consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the tantalizing mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch of THEMIS is scheduled for Feb. 15 aboard a Delta II rocket, with the launch service being conducted by the United Launch Alliance. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-07pd0342

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the mobile service tower on Pad 17-...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the mobile service tower on Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing, at right, moves toward the waiting THEMIS spacecraft. The first half... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the mobile service tower on Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first half of the fairing is in place around the THEMIS spacecraft and workers turn to wait for the second half. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. THEMIS is an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms. THEMIS consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the tantalizing mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch of THEMIS is scheduled for Feb. 15 aboard a Delta II rocket, with the launch service being conducted by the United Launch Alliance. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-07pd0341

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the mobile service tower on Pad 17-B...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the mobile service tower on Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first half of the fairing is in place around the THEMIS spacecraft and workers turn to wait for th... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, under the protective clean tent, technicians move the second half of the fairing into place around the AIM spacecraft. The fairing is a molded structure that fits around the spacecraft and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch. Launch will be from a Pegasus XL rocket, carried and released by Orbital Sciences L-1011 jet aircraft. AIM, which stands for Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere, is being prepared for integrated testing and a flight simulation. The AIM spacecraft will fly three instruments designed to study polar mesospheric clouds located at the edge of space, 50 miles above the Earth's surface in the coldest part of the planet's atmosphere. The mission's primary goal is to explain why these clouds form and what has caused them to become brighter and more numerous and appear at lower latitudes in recent years. AIM's results will provide the basis for the study of long-term variability in the mesospheric climate and its relationship to global climate change. Launch is scheduled for April 25. KSC-07pd0970

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Vandenberg Air Force Base in Califor...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, under the protective clean tent, technicians move the second half of the fairing into place around the AIM spacecraft. The fairing is a... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, under the protective clean tent, technicians work on the second half of the fairing to be installed around the AIM spacecraft. The fairing is a molded structure that fits around the spacecraft and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch. Launch will be from a Pegasus XL rocket, carried and released by Orbital Sciences L-1011 jet aircraft. AIM, which stands for Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere, is being prepared for integrated testing and a flight simulation. The AIM spacecraft will fly three instruments designed to study polar mesospheric clouds located at the edge of space, 50 miles above the Earth's surface in the coldest part of the planet's atmosphere. The mission's primary goal is to explain why these clouds form and what has caused them to become brighter and more numerous and appear at lower latitudes in recent years. AIM's results will provide the basis for the study of long-term variability in the mesospheric climate and its relationship to global climate change. Launch is scheduled for April 25. KSC-07pd0969

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Vandenberg Air Force Base in Califor...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, under the protective clean tent, technicians work on the second half of the fairing to be installed around the AIM spacecraft. The fair... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, under the protective clean tent, technicians maneuver the second half of the fairing into place around the AIM spacecraft. The fairing is a molded structure that fits around the spacecraft and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch. Launch will be from a Pegasus XL rocket, carried and released by Orbital Sciences L-1011 jet aircraft. AIM, which stands for Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere, is being prepared for integrated testing and a flight simulation. The AIM spacecraft will fly three instruments designed to study polar mesospheric clouds located at the edge of space, 50 miles above the Earth's surface in the coldest part of the planet's atmosphere. The mission's primary goal is to explain why these clouds form and what has caused them to become brighter and more numerous and appear at lower latitudes in recent years. AIM's results will provide the basis for the study of long-term variability in the mesospheric climate and its relationship to global climate change. Launch is scheduled for April 25. KSC-07pd0971

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Vandenberg Air Force Base in Califor...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, under the protective clean tent, technicians maneuver the second half of the fairing into place around the AIM spacecraft. The fairing ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the second half of the fairing moves toward NASA's Dawn spacecraft to complete encapsulation. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. Dawn's goal is to characterize the conditions and processes of the solar system's earliest epoch 4.5 billion years ago by investigating in detail two of the largest asteroids, Ceres and Vesta. They reside between Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt. Launch is scheduled for July 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-07pd1720

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the second half of the fairing moves toward NASA's Dawn spacecraft to complete encapsulation. The fairing is a... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 17-A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing (in the foreground) moves closer to the Phoenix Mars Lander for installation toward the first half. Phoenix is targeted for launch on Aug. 3 aboard a Delta II rocket. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. Phoenix will land in icy soils near the north polar, permanent ice cap of Mars and explore the history of the water in these soils and any associated rocks, while monitoring polar climate. Landing on Mars is planned in May 2008 on arctic ground where a mission currently in orbit, Mars Odyssey, has detected high concentrations of ice just beneath the top layer of soil. NASA/George Shelton KSC-07pd2117

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 17-A at Cape Canaveral ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 17-A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing (in the foreground) moves closer to the Phoenix Mars Lander for installation toward the fi... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 17-A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing (in the foreground) moves toward the Phoenix Mars Lander for installation. Phoenix is targeted for launch on Aug. 3 aboard a Delta II rocket. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. Phoenix will land in icy soils near the north polar, permanent ice cap of Mars and explore the history of the water in these soils and any associated rocks, while monitoring polar climate. Landing on Mars is planned in May 2008 on arctic ground where a mission currently in orbit, Mars Odyssey, has detected high concentrations of ice just beneath the top layer of soil. NASA/George Shelton KSC-07pd2116

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 17-A at Cape Canaveral ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 17-A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing (in the foreground) moves toward the Phoenix Mars Lander for installation. Phoenix is tar... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with the first half of the fairing in place, the Dawn spacecraft is ready for the second half to be installed. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. Dawn is scheduled to launch between 7:25 and 7:54 a.m. on Sept. 26 aboard a Delta II rocket. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-07pd2514

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the mobile service tower on Lau...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with the first half of the fairing in place, the Dawn spacecraft is ready for the second ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a technician helps guide the second half of the fairing for installation around the Dawn spacecraft. The first half is already in place.The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. Dawn is scheduled to launch between 7:25 and 7:54 a.m. on Sept. 26 aboard a Delta II rocket. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-07pd2515

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the mobile service tower on Launc...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a technician helps guide the second half of the fairing for installation around the Dawn spa... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing (at right) is moved closer to the first half for installation around the Dawn spacecraft, glimpsed inside. The first half is already in place.The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. Dawn is scheduled to launch between 7:25 and 7:54 a.m. on Sept. 26 aboard a Delta II rocket. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-07pd2516

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the mobile service tower on Launc...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing (at right) is moved closer to the first half for installation... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – In the mobile service tower on Space Launch Complex 2, the second half of the fairing moves close to the Ocean Surface Topography Mission, or OSTM/Jason 2, spacecraft to complete encapsulation. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The launch of the OSTM/Jason-2 is scheduled for June 20 from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The launch window extends from 12:46 a.m. to 12:55 a.m. PDT. The satellite will be placed in an 830-mile-high orbit at an inclination of 66 degrees after separating from the Delta II 55 minutes after liftoff. The five primary science instruments of the Ocean Surface Topography Mission aboard the Jason 2 spacecraft are dedicated to measuring the height of the ocean surface. These measurements will be used to evaluate and forecast climate changes and improve weather forecasting. The results also are expected to help forecasters better predict hurricane intensity. KSC-08pd1792

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – In the mobile service tower on S...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – In the mobile service tower on Space Launch Complex 2, the second half of the fairing moves close to the Ocean Surface Topography Mission, or OSTM/Jason 2, spacecraft to co... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Inside a protected clean room tent on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the second half of the fairing is ready for installation around NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX, spacecraft. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The IBEX satellite will make the first map of the boundary between the Solar System and interstellar space. IBEX is targeted for launch from the Kwajalein Atoll, a part of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, on Oct. 19. IBEX will be launched aboard a Pegasus rocket dropped from under the wing of an L-1011 aircraft flying over the Pacific Ocean. The Pegasus will carry the spacecraft approximately 130 miles above Earth and place it in orbit. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB KSC-08pd3026

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Inside a protected clean room ten...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Inside a protected clean room tent on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the second half of the fairing is ready for installation around NASA’s Interstellar Boundary E... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Inside a protected clean room tent on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the second half of the fairing is ready for installation around NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX, spacecraft. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The IBEX satellite will make the first map of the boundary between the Solar System and interstellar space. IBEX is targeted for launch from the Kwajalein Atoll, a part of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, on Oct. 19. IBEX will be launched aboard a Pegasus rocket dropped from under the wing of an L-1011 aircraft flying over the Pacific Ocean. The Pegasus will carry the spacecraft approximately 130 miles above Earth and place it in orbit. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB KSC-08pd3025

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Inside a protected clean room te...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Inside a protected clean room tent on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the second half of the fairing is ready for installation around NASA’s Interstellar Boundary ... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Inside a protected clean room tent on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a worker (right) examines part of the second half of the fairing to be installed around NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX, spacecraft. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The IBEX satellite will make the first map of the boundary between the Solar System and interstellar space. IBEX is targeted for launch from the Kwajalein Atoll, a part of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, on Oct. 19. IBEX will be launched aboard a Pegasus rocket dropped from under the wing of an L-1011 aircraft flying over the Pacific Ocean. The Pegasus will carry the spacecraft approximately 130 miles above Earth and place it in orbit. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB KSC-08pd3027

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Inside a protected clean room te...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Inside a protected clean room tent on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a worker (right) examines part of the second half of the fairing to be installed around NASA’... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The second half of the fairing is moved into place around the NOAA-N Prime spacecraft in the launch service tower on Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. NOAA-N Prime is the latest polar-orbiting operational environmental weather satellite developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The satellite is scheduled to launch Feb. 4 aboard the Delta II from Vandenberg Air Force Base. Photo credit: NASA/Mark Mackley, VAFB KSC-2009-1496

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The second half of the fairing i...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The second half of the fairing is moved into place around the NOAA-N Prime spacecraft in the launch service tower on Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in ... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The second half of the fairing is prepared for installation around NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch aboard Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket on Feb. 23 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. This improved understanding will enable more reliable forecasts of future changes in the abundance and distribution of CO2 in the atmosphere and the effect that these changes may have on the Earth's climate. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Hargreaves Jr., VAFB KSC-2009-1590

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The second half of the fairing i...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The second half of the fairing is prepared for installation around NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The fairing is ... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The second half of the fairing, at right, is moved closer to NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, at left, to complete installation. The work is being done in Building 1032 of Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch aboard Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket on Feb. 23 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. This improved understanding will enable more reliable forecasts of future changes in the abundance and distribution of CO2 in the atmosphere and the effect that these changes may have on the Earth's climate. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Hargreaves Jr., VAFB KSC-2009-1592

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The second half of the fairing, ...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The second half of the fairing, at right, is moved closer to NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, at left, to complete installation. The work is being done in Build... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- At left, the second half of the fairing is moved toward NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, at right, for installation. The work is being done in Building 1032 of Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch aboard Orbital Sciences' Taurus XL rocket on Feb. 23 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists will analyze OCO data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important greenhouse gas. This improved understanding will enable more reliable forecasts of future changes in the abundance and distribution of CO2 in the atmosphere and the effect that these changes may have on the Earth's climate. Photo credit: NASA/Robert Hargreaves Jr., VAFB KSC-2009-1591

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- At left, the second half of the ...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- At left, the second half of the fairing is moved toward NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, at right, for installation. The work is being done in Building 1032 of V... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., the first half of the payload fairing has been placed around the GOES-O satellite, at left. In the background, the second half is being lifted to vertical for its placement around GOES-O. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-O was developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. The GOES satellites continuously provide observations of 60 percent of the Earth including the continental United States, providing weather monitoring and forecast operations as well as a continuous and reliable stream of environmental information and severe weather warnings. Once in orbit, GOES-O will be designated GOES-14, and NASA will provide on-orbit checkout and then transfer operational responsibility to NOAA. The GOES-O satellite is targeted to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 37 on April 28 onboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV expendable launch vehicle. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2009-2543

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., the first half of the payload fairing has been placed around the GOES-O satellite, at left. In the background, the secon... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., the first half of the payload fairing has been placed around the GOES-O satellite, at left. At right, the second half has been lifted to vertical for its placement around GOES-O to complete the encapsulation. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-O was developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. The GOES satellites continuously provide observations of 60 percent of the Earth including the continental United States, providing weather monitoring and forecast operations as well as a continuous and reliable stream of environmental information and severe weather warnings. Once in orbit, GOES-O will be designated GOES-14, and NASA will provide on-orbit checkout and then transfer operational responsibility to NOAA. The GOES-O satellite is targeted to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 37 on April 28 onboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV expendable launch vehicle. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2009-2544

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., the first half of the payload fairing has been placed around the GOES-O satellite, at left. At right, the second half ha... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., the second half of the payload fairing is ready to be lifted to vertical. It will be installed around the GOES-O satellite. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-O was developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. The GOES satellites continuously provide observations of 60 percent of the Earth including the continental United States, providing weather monitoring and forecast operations as well as a continuous and reliable stream of environmental information and severe weather warnings. Once in orbit, GOES-O will be designated GOES-14, and NASA will provide on-orbit checkout and then transfer operational responsibility to NOAA. The GOES-O satellite is targeted to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 37 on April 28 onboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV expendable launch vehicle. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2009-2542

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., the second half of the payload fairing is ready to be lifted to vertical. It will be installed around the GOES-O satelli... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., technicians monitor the second half of the payload fairing as it is moved toward the GOES-O satellite to complete encapsulation. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-O was developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. The GOES satellites continuously provide observations of 60 percent of the Earth including the continental United States, providing weather monitoring and forecast operations as well as a continuous and reliable stream of environmental information and severe weather warnings. Once in orbit, GOES-O will be designated GOES-14, and NASA will provide on-orbit checkout and then transfer operational responsibility to NOAA. The GOES-O satellite is targeted to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 37 on April 28 onboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV expendable launch vehicle. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2009-2545

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., technicians monitor the second half of the payload fairing as it is moved toward the GOES-O satellite to complete encapsu... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., technicians monitor the second half of the payload fairing as it is moved closer to the GOES-O satellite to complete encapsulation. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-O was developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. The GOES satellites continuously provide observations of 60 percent of the Earth including the continental United States, providing weather monitoring and forecast operations as well as a continuous and reliable stream of environmental information and severe weather warnings. Once in orbit, GOES-O will be designated GOES-14, and NASA will provide on-orbit checkout and then transfer operational responsibility to NOAA. The GOES-O satellite is targeted to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 37 on April 28 onboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV expendable launch vehicle. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2009-2546

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., technicians monitor the second half of the payload fairing as it is moved closer to the GOES-O satellite to complete enca... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., technicians closely watch as the first half of the fairing is moved into place for installation around NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS. At right is the second half. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The LRO includes five instruments: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. They will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket no earlier than June 17 from Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2009-3186

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titus...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Fla., technicians closely watch as the first half of the fairing is moved into place for installation around NASA's Lunar Reconnaissa... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers check the progress of the second half of the fairing as it moves into place around the Space Tracking and Surveillance System – Demonstrator spacecraft. The fairing is a two-part molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. STSS Demo is a space-based sensor component of a layered Ballistic Missile Defense System designed for the overall mission of detection, tracking and discriminating ballistic missiles. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency between 8 and 8:58 a.m. EDT Sept. 18. Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4934 (09-22-09) Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-2009-5207

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 1...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers check the progress of the second half of the fairing as it moves into place arou... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the second half of the fairing is being moved toward the Space Tracking and Surveillance System – Demonstrator spacecraft. The fairing is a two-part molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. STSS Demo is a space-based sensor component of a layered Ballistic Missile Defense System designed for the overall mission of detection, tracking and discriminating ballistic missiles. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency between 8 and 8:58 a.m. EDT Sept. 18. Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4934 (09-22-09) Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-2009-5205

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 1...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the second half of the fairing is being moved toward the Space Tracking and Surveillance... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the second half of the fairing is being moved into place around the Space Tracking and Surveillance System – Demonstrator spacecraft. The fairing is a two-part molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. STSS Demo is a space-based sensor component of a layered Ballistic Missile Defense System designed for the overall mission of detection, tracking and discriminating ballistic missiles. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency between 8 and 8:58 a.m. EDT Sept. 18. Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4934 (09-22-09) Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-2009-5206

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 1...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the second half of the fairing is being moved into place around the Space Tracking and S... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the second half of the fairing that will encapsulate NASA's Glory satellite during launch aboard a Taurus XL rocket is offloaded and moved toward Building 1555. There, the black protective covering will be removed so that the fairing half can be thoroughly cleaned before it is installed around the spacecraft. The four-stage rocket and satellite are being prepared for a launch to low Earth orbit from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 576-E. Once Glory reaches orbit, it will collect data on the properties of aerosols and black carbon. It also will help scientists understand how the sun's irradiance affects Earth's climate. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB KSC-2010-5263

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in Ca...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the second half of the fairing that will encapsulate NASA's Glory satellite during launch aboard a Taurus XL rocket is offloaded a... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the second half of the fairing that will encapsulate NASA's Glory satellite during launch aboard a Taurus XL rocket is offloaded and moved toward Building 1555. There, the black protective covering will be removed so that the fairing half can be thoroughly cleaned before it is installed around the spacecraft. The four-stage rocket and satellite are being prepared for a launch to low Earth orbit from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 576-E. Once Glory reaches orbit, it will collect data on the properties of aerosols and black carbon. It also will help scientists understand how the sun's irradiance affects Earth's climate. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB KSC-2010-5262

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in Ca...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the second half of the fairing that will encapsulate NASA's Glory satellite during launch aboard a Taurus XL rocket is offloaded a... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the second half of the fairing that will encapsulate NASA's Glory satellite during launch aboard a Taurus XL rocket is offloaded and moved toward Building 1555. There, the black protective covering will be removed so that the fairing half can be thoroughly cleaned before it is installed around the spacecraft. The four-stage rocket and satellite are being prepared for a launch to low Earth orbit from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 576-E. Once Glory reaches orbit, it will collect data on the properties of aerosols and black carbon. It also will help scientists understand how the sun's irradiance affects Earth's climate. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB KSC-2010-5264

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in Ca...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the second half of the fairing that will encapsulate NASA's Glory satellite during launch aboard a Taurus XL rocket is offloaded a... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the second half of the fairing that will encapsulate NASA's Glory satellite during launch aboard a Taurus XL rocket is moved into Building 1555. There, the black protective covering will be removed so that the fairing half can be thoroughly cleaned before it is installed around the spacecraft. The four-stage rocket and satellite are being prepared for a launch to low Earth orbit from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 576-E. Once Glory reaches orbit, it will collect data on the properties of aerosols and black carbon. It also will help scientists understand how the sun's irradiance affects Earth's climate. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin, VAFB KSC-2010-5265

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in Ca...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the second half of the fairing that will encapsulate NASA's Glory satellite during launch aboard a Taurus XL rocket is moved into ... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians check the placement of the first half of the protective fairing that will encapsulate NASA's Glory spacecraft as the second half is ready to be moved into position. Next, the spacecraft will be transported to Space Launch Complex 576-E and joined with the Taurus XL rocket's third stage. The Orbital Sciences Corp. Taurus XL rocket will carry Glory into low Earth orbit. Once the spacecraft reaches orbit, it will collect data on the properties of aerosols and black carbon. It also will help scientists understand how the sun's irradiance affects Earth's climate. Launch is scheduled for 5:09 a.m. EST Feb. 23. For information, visit www.nasa.gov/glory. Photo credit: NASA/Don Kososka, VAFB KSC-2011-1357

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Inside the Astrotech payload proc...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians check the placement of the first half of the protective fairing that... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the second half of the clamshell-shaped Delta payload fairing swings into place around NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory spacecraft under the scrutiny of a spacecraft technician. The fairing will protect the spacecraft from the impact of aerodynamic pressure and heating during ascent and will be jettisoned once the spacecraft is outside the Earth's atmosphere. Launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Pad 17B is scheduled for Sept. 8. The spacecraft will fly in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field. GRAIL's primary science objectives are to determine the structure of the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-2011-6550

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the second half of the clamshell-shaped Delta payload fairing swings into place around NASA's twin Gravity Rec... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – In Orbital Sciences’ hangar on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians roll the second half of the Pegasus fairing into an environmental enclosure for reinstallation around NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR. Access to the spacecraft was needed for compatibility testing to verify communication with a tracking station in Hawaii. With the change in the launch timeframe to June, this station will be needed to support launch. After processing of Orbital’s Pegasus XL rocket and the spacecraft is complete, they will be flown on Orbital's L-1011 carrier aircraft from Vandenberg, to the U.S. Army's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Pegasus, mated to its NuSTAR payload, will be launched from the carrier aircraft 117 nautical miles south of Kwajalein at latitude 6.75 degrees north of the equator. The high-energy X-ray telescope will conduct a census of black holes, map radioactive material in young supernovae remnants, and study the origins of cosmic rays and the extreme physics around collapsed stars. Launch is scheduled for June 13. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/nustar. Photo credit: U.S. Air Force 30th Space Wing/Aaron Taubman, VAFB KSC-2012-3232

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – In Orbital Sciences’ hangar on Van...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – In Orbital Sciences’ hangar on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians roll the second half of the Pegasus fairing into an environmental enclosure for reinstalla... More

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – In Orbital Sciences’ hangar on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians prepare to roll the second half of the Pegasus fairing into in an environmental enclosure for reinstallation around NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR. Access to the spacecraft was needed for compatibility testing to verify communication with a tracking station in Hawaii. With the change in the launch timeframe to June, this station will be needed to support launch. After processing of Orbital’s Pegasus XL rocket and the spacecraft is complete, they will be flown on Orbital's L-1011 carrier aircraft from Vandenberg, to the U.S. Army's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Pegasus, mated to its NuSTAR payload, will be launched from the carrier aircraft 117 nautical miles south of Kwajalein at latitude 6.75 degrees north of the equator. The high-energy X-ray telescope will conduct a census of black holes, map radioactive material in young supernovae remnants, and study the origins of cosmic rays and the extreme physics around collapsed stars. Launch is scheduled for June 13. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/nustar. Photo credit: U.S. Air Force 30th Space Wing/Aaron Taubman, VAFB KSC-2012-3231

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – In Orbital Sciences’ hangar on Van...

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – In Orbital Sciences’ hangar on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians prepare to roll the second half of the Pegasus fairing into in an environmental enclosure ... More

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket that will lift the solar observatory into orbit in June. The work is taking place in a hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base where IRIS, short for Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, is being prepared for launch on a Pegasus XL rocket. Scheduled for launch from Vandenberg June 26, IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Vauclin KSC-2013-2621

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of...

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL ro... More

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket that will lift the solar observatory into orbit in June. The work is taking place in a hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base where IRIS, short for Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, is being prepared for launch on a Pegasus XL rocket. Scheduled for launch from Vandenberg June 26, IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Vauclin KSC-2013-2622

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of...

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL ro... More

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket that will lift the solar observatory into orbit in June. The work is taking place in a hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base where IRIS, short for Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, is being prepared for launch on a Pegasus XL rocket. Scheduled for launch from Vandenberg June 26, IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Vauclin KSC-2013-2630

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of...

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL ro... More

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket that will lift the solar observatory into orbit in June. The work is taking place in a hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base where IRIS, short for Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, is being prepared for launch on a Pegasus XL rocket. Scheduled for launch from Vandenberg June 26, IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Vauclin KSC-2013-2629

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of...

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL ro... More

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket that will lift the solar observatory into orbit in June. The work is taking place in a hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base where IRIS, short for Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, is being prepared for launch on a Pegasus XL rocket. Scheduled for launch from Vandenberg June 26, IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Vauclin KSC-2013-2633

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of...

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL ro... More

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members prepare to move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket that will lift the solar observatory into orbit in June. The work is taking place in a hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base where IRIS, short for Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, is being prepared for launch on a Pegasus XL rocket. Scheduled for launch from Vandenberg June 26, IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Vauclin KSC-2013-2623

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members prepare to move the sec...

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members prepare to move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pe... More

VANDENBERG AFB – NASA's IRIS spacecraft before the second half of the payload fairing is installed over it. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket that will lift the solar observatory into orbit in June. The work is taking place in a hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base where IRIS, short for Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, is being prepared for launch on a Pegasus XL rocket. Scheduled for launch from Vandenberg June 26, IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Vauclin KSC-2013-2619

VANDENBERG AFB – NASA's IRIS spacecraft before the second half of the ...

VANDENBERG AFB – NASA's IRIS spacecraft before the second half of the payload fairing is installed over it. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket that will lift the solar ob... More

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket that will lift the solar observatory into orbit in June. The work is taking place in a hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base where IRIS, short for Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, is being prepared for launch on a Pegasus XL rocket. Scheduled for launch from Vandenberg June 26, IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Vauclin KSC-2013-2626

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of...

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL ro... More

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket that will lift the solar observatory into orbit in June. The work is taking place in a hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base where IRIS, short for Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, is being prepared for launch on a Pegasus XL rocket. Scheduled for launch from Vandenberg June 26, IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Vauclin KSC-2013-2624

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of...

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL ro... More

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket that will lift the solar observatory into orbit in June. The work is taking place in a hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base where IRIS, short for Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, is being prepared for launch on a Pegasus XL rocket. Scheduled for launch from Vandenberg June 26, IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Vauclin KSC-2013-2632

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of...

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL ro... More

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket that will lift the solar observatory into orbit in June. The work is taking place in a hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base where IRIS, short for Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, is being prepared for launch on a Pegasus XL rocket. Scheduled for launch from Vandenberg June 26, IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Vauclin KSC-2013-2631

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of...

VANDENBERG AFB – Orbital Sciences team members move the second half of the payload fairing before it is placed over NASA's IRIS spacecraft. The fairing connects to the nose of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL ro... More